Options Reference

Options configure beancount behavior and are specified in your ledger file.

Syntax

option "name" "value"

Common Options

title

Display title for the ledger.

option "title" "Personal Finances 2024"

operating_currency

Primary currency for reports.

option "operating_currency" "USD"

Multiple currencies:

option "operating_currency" "USD"
option "operating_currency" "EUR"

name_assets / name_liabilities / name_equity / name_income / name_expenses

Rename root account categories.

option "name_assets" "Actifs"
option "name_liabilities" "Passifs"
option "name_equity" "Capitaux"
option "name_income" "Revenus"
option "name_expenses" "Dépenses"

Booking Options

booking_method

Default booking method for reducing positions.

option "booking_method" "FIFO"

Values:

Method	Description
STRICT	Exact lot match required (default)
FIFO	First-in, first-out
LIFO	Last-in, first-out
AVERAGE	Average cost
NONE	No booking

account_previous_earnings

Account for previous period earnings in equity.

option "account_previous_earnings" "Equity:Retained-Earnings"

account_current_earnings

Account for current period earnings.

option "account_current_earnings" "Equity:Current-Earnings"

account_previous_balances

Account for opening/previous balances.

option "account_previous_balances" "Equity:Opening-Balances"

account_unrealized_gains

Account for unrealized gains reporting.

option "account_unrealized_gains" "Income:Unrealized-Gains"

Display Options

render_commas

Use commas as thousand separators.

option "render_commas" "TRUE"

inferred_tolerance_default

Default tolerance for balance checking.

option "inferred_tolerance_default" "*:0.005"

inferred_tolerance_multiplier

Multiplier for inferred tolerances.

option "inferred_tolerance_multiplier" "1.1"

Plugin Options

plugin_processing_mode

How plugins handle errors.

option "plugin_processing_mode" "raw"

Values:

• default: Normal processing
• raw: Skip some validations

File Options

documents

Root directory for documents.

option "documents" "/home/user/finances/documents"

All Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
title	string	-	Ledger title
operating_currency	string	-	Primary currency (can specify multiple)
booking_method	string	STRICT	Lot booking method
render_commas	bool	FALSE	Thousand separators
name_assets	string	Assets	Assets root name
name_liabilities	string	Liabilities	Liabilities root name
name_equity	string	Equity	Equity root name
name_income	string	Income	Income root name
name_expenses	string	Expenses	Expenses root name
account_previous_balances	string	Equity:Opening-Balances	Opening balances account
account_previous_earnings	string	Equity:Earnings:Previous	Retained earnings account
account_previous_conversions	string	Equity:Conversions:Previous	Previous conversions account
account_current_earnings	string	Equity:Earnings:Current	Current earnings account
account_current_conversions	string	-	Current conversions account
account_unrealized_gains	string	-	Unrealized gains account
account_rounding	string	-	Rounding errors account
conversion_currency	string	-	Currency for conversions
inferred_tolerance_default	string	-	Balance tolerance
inferred_tolerance_multiplier	decimal	0.5	Tolerance multiplier
infer_tolerance_from_cost	bool	FALSE	Infer tolerance from cost
documents	string	-	Documents root directory
plugin_processing_mode	string	default	Plugin mode
long_string_maxlines	int	64	Max lines for long strings

Example Configuration

; ledger.beancount

option "title" "My Finances"
option "operating_currency" "USD"
option "booking_method" "FIFO"
option "render_commas" "TRUE"

option "account_previous_balances" "Equity:Opening-Balances"
option "account_unrealized_gains" "Income:Capital-Gains:Unrealized"

option "documents" "/home/user/finances/receipts"

plugin "beancount.plugins.auto_accounts"
plugin "beancount.plugins.implicit_prices"

include "accounts.beancount"
include "2024/*.beancount"

Viewing Options

List available options:

rledger doctor list-options

Print options from a file:

rledger doctor print-options ledger.beancount

See Also

• Configuration - Config files
• Plugins - Available plugins
• doctor command - List/print options