Skip to content

Edge Case: Duplicate Transactions

Last reviewed: 2026-04-01

Scenario

A customer reports seeing what appears to be duplicate transactions — two invoices, expenses, or journal entries with the same amount, date, and description.

Common Causes

1. Manual entry + bank statement import

The customer recorded an expense manually AND then imported a bank statement that created a second entry for the same transaction. This is the most common cause.

Fix: Delete the duplicate entry (manual or imported, whichever is less detailed). Check the Audit Log to identify which was created first.

2. Payroll + manual salary expense

The customer ran payroll (which auto-posts to GL) AND manually created salary expense entries. The payroll info banner warns about this, but it's frequently missed.

Fix: Delete the manual salary expense entries. Payroll GL postings are the authoritative source.

3. Invoice voided and re-created

The customer voided an invoice and re-created it, but both the void reversal JE and the new invoice JE are visible, making it look like duplicates.

Fix: This is correct behaviour — the void reversal and the new invoice are separate entries. Explain to the customer that the voided invoice's impact is neutralised by the reversal JE.

4. Browser double-submit

The customer clicked "Save" twice quickly, creating two identical records.

Fix: Delete the second entry. If both have GL postings, escalate to Tier 2 to ensure the reversal is clean.

How to Investigate

  1. Go to Audit Log (/audit) — search for the entity type and date
  2. Check timestamps — entries created seconds apart suggest a double-submit
  3. Check the source — was one manual and one from import?
  4. Check journal entries — do both entries have GL postings?

Escalation

  • Tier 1: Delete the obvious duplicate if it has no GL impact
  • Tier 2: If both entries have GL postings, or if the customer is unsure which to delete
  • Tier 3: If duplicate journal entries have corrupted COA balances