Software: Intuit QuickBooks accounting software
General Journal is often being used during month-end or year-end closing. You may use a general journal to reclassify accounts, prepare accrual or record a depreciation of the fixed assets.
However, sometimes when recording a journal with an accounts payable, you get a warning message of “Transactions to accounts payable must include a vendor”.
A vendor is needed when an accounts payable is used in a general journal transaction (Similarly, a customer is needed when accounts receivable is used). QuickBooks will not allow you to save the entry if the name field is empty.
With a relevant vendor, QuickBooks will update the Balance Sheet and Ageing reports.