Plain Text Accounting

### accounting **[accounting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accounting)** is tracking the flow of valuable commodities, such as money or time. It clarifies activity, priorities, obligations, opportunities. It can **[reduce stress](http://podcastle.org/2009/10/09/pc-miniature-38-accounting-for-dragons)** and even be enjoyable. **[double-entry bookkeeping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-entry_bookkeeping_system)** is a process for doing this reliably. For every movement of value (a **[transaction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_transaction)**), both the source and destination are recorded. Simple arithmetic invariants help prevent errors. In traditional double-entry bookkeeping, value at any point in time is tracked in various **[accounts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Account_(accountancy))**, classified as **[asset](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset)** (owned), **[liability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liability_(financial_accounting))** (owed) or **[equity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_(finance))** (invested). Two more classifications track changes during some period: **[revenues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue)** (inflows) and **[expenses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expense)** (outflows). Transactions consist of **[debits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debits_and_credits)** (increases to asset or expense accounts, or decreases to liability or equity accounts) or **[credits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debits_and_credits)** (decreases to asset or expense accounts, or increases to liability or equity accounts).

### … with text In 2003, John Wiegley invented Ledger: a plain text data format and command-line reporting tool for efficient double-entry-style accounting. This idea went viral among software developers and technical folk, and we now have 5+ actively-developed **[Ledger-likes](#ledger-likes)** such as hledger and Beancount, with 40+ add-on tools and an active community. This site was created in 2016 to introduce our tools, documentation, and practices. Accounting data is valuable; we want to know that it will be accessible for ever - even without software. We want to know when it changes, and revision-control it. We want to search and manipulate it efficiently. So, we store it as human-readable **[plain](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#The-Most-Basic-Entry) [text](http://hledger.org/manual.html#journal)**. We simplify debits and credits by using **[signed numbers](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Stating-where-money-goes)** instead - positive for inflows to an account, negative for outflows from an account. We define arbitrary **[account](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Structuring-your-Accounts) [hierarchy](http://hledger.org/manual.html#account-names)** to suit our needs. This scales smoothly from simple to complex scenarios, and from high-level overview to fine detail. Ledger-likes are, at least in part, **[command-line](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Basic-Usage) [tools](http://hledger.org/manual.html#usage)**. This makes them efficient to use and very **[scriptable](#related-tools)** and flexible. Ledger-likes also, at their core, tend towards **[functional operation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Function_(mathematics))**: they read the input data without changing it, and output a report. This simple model makes them easy to understand and rely on.

### questions ? **who is this for ?**\ Techies, power users, and do-it-yourself-ers, for now. If you need a complete GUI providing lots of guidance, you may prefer to use something else. **must I edit text and type cryptic commands ?**\ Not entirely! "Plain Text Accounting" is a broad description, referring mainly to the data format. We don't object to additional **[GUIs](#ui-console)**, and they are coming. **who is using it, and how ?**\ See **[Who's using Ledger?](https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki/Who's-using-ledger%3F)** for some stories. **what are the alternatives ?**\ FOSS tools like GNUCash, Grisbi, KMyMoney. Proprietary tools like Quicken/Quickbooks, You Need A Budget. Online tools like Xero, FreeAgent. (There are **[many](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_accounting_software)**). **[Spreadsheets](https://backchannel.com/a-spreadsheet-way-of-knowledge-8de60af7146e#.2hr7pi9pb)**. Paper accounting. A bookkeeper. **why is this better than QuickBooks ?**\ Your data remains accessible. No yearly fees. Free software you can fix and port. Cross platform. Scriptable. Efficient. **how do I communicate with my accountant ?**\ Clean up text reports by hand, print them as PDF, export CSV reports to a spreadsheet.. **what if my accountant only uses QuickBooks ?**\ You'll need a new accountant, or a duplicate set of books in QuickBooks, or to pioneer *ledger -> QuickBooks exporting. **can I use this to do my taxes ?**\ You can use this to track and report the data needed for tax reporting. Fill out and submit tax forms with another tool, or by hand.

### Ledger-likes | |----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------: | Project, start date | Code, committers | Mail list, size | IRC, size | [Ledger](http://ledger-cli.org)
2003 | [C++](https://github.com/ledger/ledger) 101 | [ledger-cli](http://list.ledger-cli.org/) 650 | [#ledger](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=ledger&randomnick=1) 75 | [hledger](http://hledger.org)
2007 | [Haskell](http://code.hledger.org) 30 | [hledger](http://list.hledger.org/) 75 | [#hledger](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=hledger&randomnick=1) 25 | [Beancount](http://furius.ca/beancount)
2008 | [Python](http://bitbucket.org/blais/beancount/) 8 | [beancount](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/beancount) 70 | [#beancount](http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=beancount&randomnick=1) 5 | Abandon
2013 | [Scala](https://github.com/hrj/abandon) 5 | | | Ledger in Go
2013 | [Go](https://github.com/howeyc/ledger) 2 | | | Inactive: | | |----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------- | uledger
2015 | [Python](https://github.com/danpat/uledger) | pacioli
2013 | [Python](https://github.com/mdipierro/pacioli) | ledger.pl
2013 | [Perl](https://github.com/dimonf/ledger.pl) | [Penny](http://massysett.github.io/penny/)
2012| [Haskell](https://github.com/massysett/penny) | [UMM](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/UMM)
2009 | Haskell | cl-ledger
2007 | [Common Lisp](https://github.com/ledger/cl-ledger) | sm-Ledger
2007 | [Squeak Smalltalk](https://gist.github.com/simonmichael/bb611dba654ccb1573e1) ### related tools - [hledger-diff](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-diff) report differing transactions between two journals - [hledger-interest](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-interest) generate *ledger interest transactions - [hledger-irr](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-irr) calculate an account's internal rate of return over time - [ledger-get-prices](https://github.com/nathankot/ledger-get-prices) download market prices - [ledger-tutorials](https://github.com/tlvince/ledger-tutorials) convert Pete Keen's tutorials to ebook format ##### data import - bean-identify, bean-extract, bean-file - Beancount built-in tools - [beancount-import](https://github.com/jbms/beancount-import) CSV to beancount converter (curses) - [gnucash2ledger.py](https://github.com/MatzeB/pygnucash/blob/master/gnucash2ledger.py) GNUCash to *ledger conversion - [icsvledger](https://launchpad.net/csv2ledger) CSV to *ledger converter - [ledger-autosync](https://gitlab.com/egh/ledger-autosync) OFX download, OFX to *ledger conversion, deduplication - [ledger2beancount.py](https://gist.github.com/travisdahlke/71152286b0a8826249fe) *ledger to beancount converter - [ledgerhub](http://furius.ca/ledgerhub/) fetch prices, extract entries, convert various formats to beancount (? deprecated) - [qb2ledger](https://gist.github.com/genegoykhman/3765100) QuickBooks General Journal CSV to *ledger converter - [reckon](https://github.com/cantino/reckon) smart interactive/non-interactive CSV to *ledger converter - [total_recall](https://github.com/eval/total_recall) CSV to *ledger converter ##### editor support - [beancount-mode](https://bitbucket.org/blais/beancount/src/1e21b27c0b0ecf2bf2e1a2cd5c3da3b1befc8152/src/elisp/beancount.el?at=default&fileviewer=file-view-default) for Emacs - [hledger-mode](https://github.com/narendraj9/dotfiles/tree/master/.emacs.d/packages/rest/hledger-mode) for Emacs - [ledger-mode](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger-mode.html) for Emacs (also works for hledger, beancount etc.) - [vim-beancount](https://github.com/nathangrigg/vim-beancount) for VIM - [vim-ledger](https://github.com/ledger/vim-ledger) for VIM - [language-ledger](https://atom.io/packages/language-ledger) for Atom - [ledger](https://atom.io/packages/ledger) for Atom - [sublime-ledger-syntax](https://github.com/moeffju/sublime-ledger-syntax) for Sublime Text/TextMate - [Ledger.tmbundle](https://github.com/lifepillar/Ledger.tmbundle) for TextMate ##### time tracking - [org2tc](https://github.com/jwiegley/org2tc) org to timeclock converter - [on-modify.timetrack.py](https://gist.github.com/wbsch/d977b0ac29aa1dfa4437) taskwarrior hook for timeclock output - [tim](https://github.com/MatthiasKauer/tim) time tracking tool using hledger for reporting ##### UI, console - [bean-add](https://github.com/simon-v/bean-add) interactive transaction entry - [hledger add](http://hledger.org/manual.html#add) interactive transaction entry (built-in command) - [ledger-add](https://github.com/Tagirijus/ledger-add) interactive transaction entry - [ledger-plot](https://github.com/Tagirijus/ledger-plot) interactive helper for making charts with GNUplot - [ledger xact](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#xact) history-aware transaction generator (built-in command) ##### UI, curses - [hledger-iadd](https://github.com/hpdeifel/hledger-iadd) curses UI for transaction entry - [hledger-ui](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-ui) curses UI for browsing ([demo](https://asciinema.org/a/29665)) ##### UI, GUI - [ledgerhelpers](https://github.com/Rudd-O/ledgerhelpers) GTK GUI tools + helper library (Python) ##### UI, web - [fava](https://github.com/aumayr/beancount-web) web UI for browsing (Python, beancount, [demo](http://fava.pythonanywhere.com/)) - [hledger-web](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-web) web UI for browsing, data entry (Haskell, [demo](http://demo.hledger.org)) - [hledger-web on Sandstorm](https://apps.sandstorm.io/app/8x12h6p0x0nrzk73hfq6zh2jxtgyzzcty7qsatkg7jfg2mzw5n90) free web instances in a few clicks - [Ledger Web](https://github.com/peterkeen/Ledger-Web) web-based, postgres-backed reporting system - [ledger-dashboard](https://github.com/Ikke/ledger-dashboard) web UI for browsing, data entry (Python) - [ledger-web](https://github.com/slashdotdash/node-ledger-web) web UI for browsing (JavaScript) - [ledgible](https://github.com/lipidity/ledgible) web UI for browsing, data entry (Python, [demo](https://lipidity.com/cgi/ledgible/app.py/)) - [WealthPulse](https://github.com/readysetmark/WealthPulse) web UI for browsing, price fetching (F#, Ledger) ##### API - [hledger-api](https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/hledger-api) JSON API + static file server (Haskell) - [ledgerhelpers](https://github.com/Rudd-O/ledgerhelpers) extends Ledger's python library (Python) - [node-hledger](https://github.com/rstacruz/node-hledger) Node.js API (JavaScript) - [sassetti](https://github.com/jvasile/sassetti) command-line wrapper (Common Lisp)
### discussion

##### mail lists/IRC

[see above](#ledger-likes)

##### stack exchange

[ledger](http://money.stackexchange.com/search?q=ledger-cli), [hledger](http://money.stackexchange.com/search?q=hledger)

##### hacker news

[2009](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=872244), [2013](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5233255), [2014](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7707262), [2014](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8806056), [2015](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10510394), [2016](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11164330)

##### reddit

[/r/ledger](https://www.reddit.com/r/ledger/)

##### twitter

[\@LedgerTips](https://twitter.com/LedgerTips), [#ledgercli](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ledgercli)

### docs - [Ledger manuals](http://ledger-cli.org/docs.html) - [Ledger wiki](https://github.com/ledger/ledger/wiki) - [The Great Cheatsheet for Ledger CLI](http://ricostacruz.com/cheatsheets/ledger.html) - [hledger docs](http://hledger.org) - [Beancount docs](http://furius.ca/beancount/doc/index) (or [sphinx version with API docs](http://aumayr.github.io/beancount-docs-static/)) - [Beancount Syntax Cheatsheet](http://furius.ca/beancount/doc/cheatsheet) ### concepts - [Accounting docs](http://hledger.org/more-docs.html#accounting) - [account structure (Ledger vs accounting)](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.finance.ledger.general/7398/focus=7417) 2015 ### comparisons - [Matthias Kauer: Command Line Accounting – A look at the various ledger ports](http://www.matthiaskauer.com/2015/08/command-line-accounting-a-look-at-the-various-ledger-ports/) 2015 - [Another Ledger user's perspective](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.finance.beancount/227) on Beancount 2015 - [Martin Blais: A Comparison of Beancount and Ledger](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dW2vIjaXVJAf9hr7GlZVe3fJOkM-MtlVjvCO1ZpNLmg/edit?pli=1#heading=h.2ax1dztqboy7) 2014 - [ledger vs hledger vs beancount or how to choose the right cli client](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.finance.ledger.general/6563) 2014 - [Simon Michael: hledger & Ledger](http://hledger.org/faq.html#hledger-ledger) 2014 - [Omari Norman: Why Penny](http://massysett.github.io/penny/why-penny.html) 2013 - [Fabrice Niessen: Why Ledger?](http://www.mygooglest.com/fni/ledger.html) 2010 ### online books - [Getting Started With Ledger](https://github.com/rolfschr/GSWL-book/releases/latest) 2016 ### presentations - [Ledger CLI Accounting for Geeks](http://blog.loadingdata.nl/accounting-for-geeks/) 2014 - [Hacking Your Finances for Fun and Profit](http://matthewturland.com/slides/ledger-stats/) 2013 - [Ledger and Text based Accounting](http://www.adamsinfoserv.com/AISTWiki/pub/AIS/Presentations/Ledger.pdf) 2009 ### videos - [Conquering Your Finances with Emacs and Ledger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjoCNRpLanY) 2016 - [FLOSS Weekly 375: hledger](https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/375) ([youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjl-wVJcYpE), [3m overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS2UcDV_lbs)) 2016 - [Evolution of ledger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGu1Bw2USQo) 2015 - [Evolution of hledger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEADGr9dqow) 2015 - [FLOSS Weekly 150: Ledger](https://twit.tv/shows/floss-weekly/episodes/150) ([youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDqrrH-gTt0)) 2011 - [Accounting course by Prof. Krug](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL259DBFA47F3B4761) 2011 ### articles - [Pete Keen's Program your Finances tutorials](https://www.petekeen.net/finance) 2012 - [An Alternative to QuickBooks](http://goykhman.ca/gene/blog/2012/2012-09-23-an-alternative-to-quickbooks.html) 2012 - [The accounting quest: Ledger](http://lwn.net/Articles/501681/) 2012 - [Ledger, the bran muffin of accounting tools](http://archive09.linux.com/feature/58307) 2006 ### blog posts - [Managing my personal finances with beancount](https://alexjj.com/finance/2016/02/27/managing-personal-finances-with-beancount/) 2016 - [Finding duplicate accounts in Hledger journals](http://stefanorodighiero.net/posts/2015-01-04-hledger-find-duplicate-accounts.html) 2015 - [Matthew Turland: Ledger basics and habits](http://matthewturland.com/2014/03/29/ledger-basics-and-habits/) 2014 - [Simon Michael: What is hledger ?](http://joyful.com/blog/2013-10-20-what-is-hledger.html) 2013 - [Simon Michael: More on ledger](http://joyful.com/blog/2013-10-19-more-on-ledger.html) 2013 - [Simon Michael: Introducing hledger!](http://joyful.com/blog/2013-10-18-introducing-hledger.html) 2013 - [Joey Hess: hledger](http://joeyh.name/blog/entry/hledger) 2012 - [Sascha Welter: Doing my own accounting](http://betabug.ch/blogs/ch-athens/1221) 2011 - [Clint Adams: Accounting at SFLC](http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/2011/sep/07/accounting-at-sflc/) 2011 - [Christine Spang: [h]ledger rocks my world](http://blog.spang.cc/posts/hledger_rocks_my_world/) 2010 ### inspiration - [Accounting for Dragons](http://podcastle.org/2009/10/09/pc-miniature-38-accounting-for-dragons) - [David Mitchell: Personal Debts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zyp8RF-Fyw) ### common tasks ##### choosing accounts - [sample chart of accounts (freelancer)](https://gist.github.com/simonmichael/9936299) - [Beancount Cookbook: Account Naming Conventions](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tss0IEzEyAPuKSGeNsfNgb0BfiW2ZHyP5nCFBW1uWlk/view#heading=h.tu0f1kydrpgn) - [Mint: Ways to Categorize Your Spending](https://www.mint.com/mint-categories) ##### entering data - [hledger step by step: basic data entry](http://hledger.org/step-by-step.html#basic-data-entry-reporting) - ledger-mode:\ `C-c C-a` add a transaction,\ `C-c C-b` amount calculator,\ `C-c C-c`/`C-c C-e` toggle cleared - [Beancount: Command Line Accounting Cookbook](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tss0IEzEyAPuKSGeNsfNgb0BfiW2ZHyP5nCFBW1uWlk) - [hledger: How to use another account separator character](http://hledger.org/how-to-use-another-account-separator-character.html) - [Accounting bookkeeping entries](http://hledger.org/more-docs.html#accounting) - [UI tools](#ui-console) ##### importing - [Ledger: The convert command](http://www.ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#The-convert-command) - [hledger: CSV files](http://hledger.org/manual.html#csv) - [hledger: How to read CSV files](http://hledger.org/how-to-read-csv-files.html) - [Fetching Prices in Beancount](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1thYRAMell_QT1Da1F_laprSs6BlROZjyK_h3V8qHW9c) - [import tools](#data-import) ##### reconciling - ledger-mode: `C-c C-r` ##### reporting - [hledger: How to use account aliases](http://hledger.org/how-to-use-account-aliases.html) ##### budgeting - [Ledger: Budgeting](http://www.ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Budgeting) - [Program Your Finances: Envelope Budgeting](https://www.petekeen.net/program-your-finances-envelope-budgeting) - [envelope budgeting with plain transactions](https://gist.github.com/simonmichael/a1addcb652da4e78b183) - [Weaving a budget with Org & ledger](http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/weaving-a-budget.html) - [Using Org for Ledger Reports and Budget](http://alan.petitepomme.net/tips/ledger_and_org.html) ##### forecasting - [Ledger: Forecasting](http://www.ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Forecasting) - [Notes on Installing and Using ledger on NetBSD](http://atomicules.co.uk/2015/06/20/Notes-on-installing-and-using-Ledger-on-NetBSD.html) and forecasting ##### invoicing - [invoicing entries](https://gist.github.com/simonmichael/986a65106a9db1f8bd68) ##### multiple currencies - [Peter Selinger: Tutorial on multiple currency accounting](http://www.mscs.dal.ca/~selinger/accounting/tutorial.html) - [ledger-currencies tutorial](https://github.com/mikekchar/ledger-currencies) ##### shared expenses - [Sharing Expenses in Beancount](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FRcJqUfeAMQO6KjG94w6rF7VajMGJaFplmF1Wu0rCHY/edit#heading=h.yshh8f17jbdb) and others - [Keeping (financial) score with Ledger](http://sachachua.com/blog/2014/11/keeping-financial-score-ledger/) - [Program Your Finances: Automated Transactions](https://www.petekeen.net/program-your-finances-automated-transactions) for tracking reimbursables - [How to keep control of shared expenses inside marriage ?](http://money.stackexchange.com/questions/7101/how-to-keep-control-of-shared-expenses-inside-marriage) ##### taxes - [Another Ledger user's perspective](http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.finance.beancount/227/focus=237) some tax discussion - [hledger: How to use account aliases](http://hledger.org/how-to-use-account-aliases.html) for tax reporting ##### time tracking - [Ledger: Time Keeping](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Time-Keeping) - [hledger: Timeclock files](http://hledger.org/manual.html#timeclock) - [hledger: Timedot files](http://hledger.org/manual.html#timedot) - [Timetracking and billing with (h)ledger](https://github.com/anarcat/ledger-timetracking) - [time tracking tools](#time-tracking) ##### non-profit accounting - [Non-Profit Accounting With Ledger CLI, A Tutorial](https://github.com/conservancy/npo-ledger-cli/blob/master/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md) ##### exporting - [Ledger: The csv command](http://www.ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#The-csv-command) - [hledger: CSV output](http://hledger.org/manual.html#csv-output) - [Beancount: Exporting Your Portfolio](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mNyE_ONuyEkF_I2l6V_AoAU5HJgI654AOBhHsnNPPqw) ##### API access - [Ledger: Extending with Python](http://ledger-cli.org/3.0/doc/ledger3.html#Extending-with-Python) - [Ledger Python 3 Support](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/ledger-cli/C99w-79Jq8o) Python - [ledgerhelpers](https://github.com/Rudd-O/ledgerhelpers) Python - [hledger-lib](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger-lib), [hledger](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hledger), [example](http://stefanorodighiero.net/posts/2015-01-04-hledger-find-duplicate-accounts.html) Haskell - [hledger-api](http://editor.swagger.io/#/?import=demo.hledger.org/api/swagger.json&no-proxy), [examples](https://github.com/simonmichael/hledger/tree/master/hledger-api/examples) JSON - [node-hledger](https://github.com/rstacruz/node-hledger) JavaScript