How to record Returned checks due to non-sufficient funds (NSF)

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If you don’t already have a Category in your budget for NSF/Returned Checks, you’ll add that first.

Click the Budget icon in the toolbar.

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Click Add Category.

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Set up a Category called NSF Checks. Budgeted Income and Budgeted Expenses values should remain $0.

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Now click the Banking icon in the toolbar.

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Click the Actions dropdown to the right of the bank account.

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Choose New Withdrawal from the dropdown.

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Let’s say you get a check for Gift Wrap for $50 that has insufficient funds. You have already recorded the check as income for Gift Wrap in one of your deposits. Now you have the returned check on your bank statement for $50. And you probably also have a fee. For our example, let’s say the fee is $20.

1. Go to Banking > Actions > New Withdrawal to enter the bounced check.
2. Enter NSF in the Check/Reference field.
3. Enter the date that the charge showed up on your bank statement.
4. Enter the person’s name in the “Paid To” field.
5. Enter the amount of the check (in this example, $50).
6. Identify the original reason this check was written to you in the Details field.
7. Select “NSF / Returned Checks” from the Category list.
8. Click Save & New.

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Now let’s enter the bank fee:

1. Go to Banking > Actions> New Withdrawal to enter the bank fee.
2. Enter the date that the charge showed up on your bank statement.
3. Enter NSF in the “Check/Reference” field.
4. Enter the bank’s name in the “Paid To” field.
5. Enter the person’s name & NSF check in the “Details” field.
6. Enter the amount of the bank fee (in this example, $20).
7. Select “NSF /Returned Checks” from the Category list.
8. Click Save & Close.

If you never get the money back, you will have a total of $70 showing for NSF Checks.

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If the person gives you a new check for $70 all you need to do is make a deposit:

1. Go to Banking > Actions> New Deposit to enter the replacement check.
2. Enter the date of the check.
3. Enter the person’s name & Repaid NSF in the “Details” field.
4. Enter the original amount of the check plus the bank fee (in this example, $70).
5. Select “NSF Checks Category” from the Category list.
6. Click Save & Close.

Now your NSF Checks Category will show a net of $0. ($70 in; $70 out).

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What we like best about this method is that you don’t have to know what the NSF check was paying for, either when it was returned or when it was repaid. It also makes it very clear just how big a problem returned checks are in your group. (If you go in and allocate the NSF to Gift Wrap, that information is essentially lost.)

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