hledger documentation

Home https://hledger.org

hledger is a plain text accounting tool built with Haskell. It embraces the LEDGER text format, which tracks cash flow using the double entry method.

10 minute quick start https://hledger.org/10-minute-quick-start.html

Set up a journal

By default, hledger uses your .hledger.journal file in your home directory. This can be changed in your shellrc file or with a symlink.

Enter transactions

A basic ledger looks like this example from the documentation:

2023-01-01 opening balances on january 1st
    assets:checking         $1000  ; a posting, increasing assets:checking's balance by $1000
    assets:cash              $100  ; write at least 2 spaces between account name and amount
    liabilities                $0
    equity                 $-1100  ; each transaction must sum to zero

2023-03-05 client payment
    assets:checking         $2000
    revenues:consulting    $-2000  ; revenues/liabilities/equity normally appear negative

2023-03-20 Sprouts
    expenses:food:groceries  $100
    assets:cash               $40
    assets:checking                ; a missing amount will be inferred ($-140 here)

Per the double entry accounting method, every ledger entry must be a zero sum. You must list both the paying and receiving accounts.

Import transactions

Transactions can be imported via CSVs. In order to do so, you need a CSV rules file with the same name as the file you want to import. Notably, this feature seems to be optimized for scripting with a MAKEFILE over one-time imports. Imports can be re-run from the same file, as hledger keeps track of previously imported transactions in a .latest.yourfile.csv.