FAQ 51: ESOP--Distributions have no value

Problem: I input distributions from an ESOP manually as units directly to the Account Values screens. When I print the reports, I see no value for the distributions. I didn't have this problem last year, and the only thing that I did differently, was that I input the distributions as transactions. What did I do wrong?

Solution: If you are going to input any stock account activity manually, you have to input the share activity on the Account Values screen(s), and the corresponding dollar value on the Account Costs screen(s). Last year, when you input the distributions as transactions, it should have taken the units that you input times the share price on that date and stored the resulting value on the Account Costs screen for you. Since you only input the activity in shares, that is why you aren't seeing any value attached to that activity. Either back out what you have done, input the distributions as transactions and process them (making sure to input a price on the day of the transaction), or input the corresponding values manually to the Account Costs screen. That should straighten things out. In the future, I would suggest using transactions like you did last year.