Fix a negative amount in an income category

If an income category shows a negative amount in a report or register, it usually means a transaction has been misclassified or reversed. This often happens when an expense is categorized as income, or a refund is recorded using an income category.

Check and correct the transaction

To correct the issue, identify the transaction and confirm that the Category is appropriate.

1. Open the report or account register where the negative amount appears.

2. Locate the transaction contributing to the negative balance.

3. Review the Category field.

4. If the transaction is an expense, recategorize it using the appropriate expense category.

5. If the transaction is a refund or return, confirm the category and sign are correct.

Use search to find miscategorized transactions

If the report doesn't show transaction details or you can't locate the issue manually, use the Find and Replace tool:

1. Select the Edit menu and choose Find/Replace.

2. In the Find and Replace window, select Category from the Find drop-down.

3. Enter the income category that's showing a negative value.

4. Select Find.

5. Review the results to locate any transactions that are incorrectly categorized.

6. Double-click a transaction to open and edit it as needed.

Tip: Use the Exclude hidden and closed accounts option to filter out irrelevant matches. You can also narrow your search by date or account using the advanced filters.