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BLUF: A journal entry can move balances without a receipt, a vendor, or a bank match. The approval log gives each entry a purpose, a preparer, a reviewer, and the support that explains it.
Small businesses often have no journal entry routine until an accountant asks for one. By then, entries from prior months are hard to explain. A simple log prevents that.
What the log should contain
Keep the field set small enough that people actually use it:
- Entry number and posting date
- Period affected
- Preparer
- Purpose in one sentence
- Debit and credit accounts
- Amount
- Supporting document reference
- Reviewer and approval date
- Reversing entry, if any
Add a status column: draft, approved, posted, reversed. The status is what tells a reviewer whether the ledger has changed.
Separate preparing from approving
The person who prepares the entry can be the assistant. The approval belongs to the owner, bookkeeper, or accountant who understands the accounting treatment.
For recurring entries, such as depreciation or prepaid amortization, approve the schedule once and review the monthly amount. Do not re-approve the same calculation every month, but do confirm it posted.
For one-off reclasses, require the reason and the support. A reclass without an explanation is indistinguishable from an error.
Write the purpose in plain language
"Reclass" is not a purpose. "Move October merchant fees from Office Expense to Bank Fees" is.
The purpose should let a reviewer who was not involved understand why the entry exists. If the purpose requires a paragraph, the entry may need to be split.
Attach support before posting
Support can be a schedule, a vendor statement, a payroll report, or a reconciliation. It does not need to be elaborate, but it must let someone verify the amount.
For accruals, the support is the calculation and the source documents behind it. For reclasses, it is the list of transactions being moved.
Store the support with the close file and reference it in the log. A journal entry with no support is a future question.
Review the log at close
At the end of each period, list all entries posted to the period. Check that each has an approver and support, and that the total matches the accountant's expectations.
Look for entries posted after the close date, entries without a reversing flag that should have one, and entries that repeat every month without a current calculation.
Flag anything unusual to the owner before the books are locked.
Handle reversals cleanly
If an entry should not have posted, reverse it with a new entry rather than editing history. Record the reversal in the log with a reference to the original.
This preserves the audit trail and makes it obvious to the next reviewer that the correction was intentional.
Keep the log portable
At year end, export the log with the close package. It is one of the first things an accountant asks for when a balance needs explanation.
The assistant's role is to maintain the log, chase missing support, and prepare the period summary. The accounting judgment stays with the reviewer.
QuickBooks VA workflow table
| Workflow area | What the VA prepares |
|---|---|
| Daily queue | Invoices, receipts, bank feeds, and open QuickBooks questions |
| Weekly review | Owner approvals, exception list, and unresolved transaction notes |
| Monthly packet | Reports, missing documents, and accountant-ready source material |
Related resources
Compare the service fit on the QuickBooks VA services page, then use the free consultation form to map the first handoff. For platform context, review QuickBooks Online.
