> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dualentry.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# General Preferences: Dates, Numbering, and Record Locks

> Reference for the General Preferences tab in DualEntry: posting dates, future-dated transactions, account number length, record locks, and order discounts.

The **General Preferences** tab of Organization Settings controls core accounting behaviors including date handling, account numbering, record editing rules, and discount handling. These settings apply across the entire organization, and only users with the **Administrator** role can edit them.

To reach this tab, navigate to **Settings → General Preferences**, accessible from your organization's name in the top left corner of the screen.

## Separate posting and transaction dates

When enabled, the **posting date** and the **transaction date** on a record can differ. The transaction date represents when the economic event occurred; the posting date determines which accounting period the transaction affects.

Disabling this setting locks both dates to the same value, simplifying data entry but removing the flexibility to manage period cutoffs.

## Allow future-dated transactions

When enabled, users can create and post transactions with a date beyond today. This is useful for pre-booking accruals, scheduling recurring entries, or recording events before they are formally processed.

**Maximum Days in the Future**: Sets how many calendar days ahead of today a posting date may be. Valid range: 1–3,650 days. For example, a value of `60` allows posting dates up to 60 days from today.

## Date format

Sets the date format used on customer- and vendor-facing documents and other generated reports for any company that doesn't have its own format set. It has no effect on what you personally see inside DualEntry. Defaults to `MM/DD/YYYY` until changed. See [How to Configure Date Formats](../date-formats) for the full picture, including personal and per-company overrides.

## Account numbers length

Defines the number of digits used for chart of accounts (COA) account numbers. Valid range: 4–10 digits. The preview updates dynamically as you adjust the length (e.g., a length of `6` shows `100000 · Account Name`).

Changing this setting after accounts have been created does not retroactively reformat existing account numbers.

## Allow modifications to paid or reconciled records

By default, once a record has been paid (invoices, bills, vendor and customer payments) or reconciled against a bank statement, DualEntry locks it against further edits to protect the ledger and preserve the audit trail. Enabling **Allow modifications to paid or reconciled records** relaxes that lock so users with an authorized role can update selected non-financial fields on those records without voiding and reissuing them.

**Fields you can edit when this setting is enabled:**

* Memo and internal notes
* External reference numbers (PO number, vendor reference, customer reference)
* Tags, classifications, and other reporting dimensions that do not drive GL posting
* Attachments (adding new files; existing attachments remain immutable)

**Fields that stay locked regardless of this setting:**

* Amount, quantity, unit price, and any field that changes the record's GL impact
* Transaction and posting dates
* GL account, entity, and currency
* Line items on a record whose payment or reconciliation has cleared

To change a locked field on a paid or reconciled record, you still need to reverse the payment or reopen the reconciliation, then void and reissue the record. See [Voiding and correcting bills](../../core-financials/accounts-payable/bill-management#voiding-and-correcting-bills) and [Reconciliation history](../../core-financials/close-management/reconciliation#reconciliation-history).

**Authorized Roles**: Specifies which roles are permitted to make these edits. Choose **+** to add roles. By default, only the **Admin** role is authorized. If the setting is disabled, the authorized roles list is ignored and no user (including Admin) can edit paid or reconciled records.

DualEntry captures every edit made under this setting in the [audit trail](../audit-trail-and-compliance) with the user, timestamp, field name, and before/after values. Downstream reviewers and auditors can still see what changed after payment or reconciliation.

<Warning>
  Enabling broad role access here can reduce the integrity of your audit trail. Limit this to roles that genuinely need it, and prefer voiding and reissuing records when the correction affects financial values.
</Warning>

## Order level discounts

Controls how order-level (header) discounts are recorded in the general ledger when applied to invoices or sales orders.

Order-level discount posting options:

| Option                           | Behavior                                                                                                                                                |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Spread Discount Across Lines** | The discount is distributed proportionally across all line items. No separate discount line appears on the record.                                      |
| **Separate Discount Line**       | The discount is posted as a dedicated line item to a specified **Discount Account**, making it visible as its own line on the invoice and in reporting. |

**Discount Account**: The GL account used to record the discount when **Separate Discount Line** is selected.

## Related

* [Organization Settings](../organization-settings): the other configuration areas on this settings page
* [User Roles and Permissions](../user-roles-and-permissions): define the roles you authorize for edits to paid or reconciled records
* [Settings Activity Log](./activity): review who changed a preference on this tab and when