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Getting Started

This guide will help you set up Finance Report and start tracking your finances.

Prerequisites

  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  • Bank statements in PDF or CSV format (for import)

Accessing the Application

Visit report.zitian.party to access the live application.

Demo Mode

The current deployment is in demo mode. Data may be reset periodically.

First Steps

1. Create Your Accounts

Before recording transactions, set up your Chart of Accounts:

flowchart LR
    A[Create Accounts] --> B[Record Transactions]
    B --> C[Import Statements]
    C --> D[Reconcile]
    D --> E[View Reports]

Recommended starter accounts:

Account Name Type Purpose
Checking Account Asset Primary bank account
Savings Account Asset Savings
Credit Card Liability Credit card balance
Salary Income Employment income
Groceries Expense Food expenses
Utilities Expense Bills

See Account Management for detailed setup instructions.

2. Record Your First Transaction

Create a journal entry to record a transaction:

Line Account Debit Credit
1 Checking Account $5,000
2 Salary $5,000
Line Account Debit Credit
1 Groceries $150
2 Checking Account $150

See Journal Entries for more examples.

3. Import Bank Statements

Upload your bank statements for automatic transaction extraction:

  1. Navigate to Statements → Upload
  2. Select your PDF or CSV file
  3. AI will extract transactions automatically
  4. Review and confirm extracted data

4. Reconcile Transactions

Match your recorded entries with bank statement transactions:

  1. Go to Reconciliation → Run Matching
  2. Review auto-matched transactions (score ≥ 85)
  3. Manually review pending matches (score 60-84)
  4. Handle unmatched transactions

See Bank Reconciliation for the complete workflow.

Understanding Double-Entry Bookkeeping

Finance Report uses double-entry bookkeeping, where every transaction affects at least two accounts:

The Fundamental Equation

Assets = Liabilities + Equity + (Income - Expenses)

Debit and Credit Rules

Account Type Debit Increases Credit Increases
Asset ✅ ❌
Liability ❌ ✅
Equity ❌ ✅
Income ❌ ✅
Expense ✅ ❌

Example: Paying a Bill

When you pay a $100 utility bill with your checking account:

Debit:  Utilities (Expense)  +$100  ← Expense increases
Credit: Checking (Asset)     -$100  ← Asset decreases

Both sides equal $100, keeping the books balanced.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
N New journal entry
S Save current form
Esc Cancel / Close dialog
? Show help

Next Steps

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