diff --git a/BalanceCommand.hs b/BalanceCommand.hs
index 3d0efef81..7ccc6fc36 100644
--- a/BalanceCommand.hs
+++ b/BalanceCommand.hs
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ showBalanceReport opts args l = acctsstr ++ (if collapse then "" else totalstr)
       collapse = Collapse `elem` opts
       totalstr = if isZeroMixedAmount total 
                  then "" 
-                 else printf "--------------------\n%20s\n" $ showMixedAmount total
+                 else printf "--------------------\n%s\n" $ padleft 20 $ showMixedAmount total
       total = sum $ map (abalance . ledgerAccount l) $ nonredundantaccts
       nonredundantaccts = filter (not . hasparentshowing) matchedacctnames
       hasparentshowing aname = (parentAccountName $ aname) `elem` matchedacctnames
@@ -175,8 +175,8 @@ showAccountTreeWithBalances matchednames t = showAccountTreeWithBalances' matche
             subsindented = showsubs (indent+1) ""
             showsubs i p = concatMap (showAccountTreeWithBalances' matchednames i p) subs
             hasmatchedsubs = not $ null $ filter ((`elem` matchednames) . aname) $ concatMap flatten subs
-            this = showbal ++ spaces ++ prefix ++ leafname ++ "\n"
-            showbal = printf "%20s" $ showMixedAmount bal
+            amt = padleft 20 $ showMixedAmount bal
+            this = concatTopPadded [amt, spaces ++ prefix ++ leafname] ++ "\n"
             spaces = "  " ++ replicate (indent * 2) ' '
             leafname = accountLeafName fullname
             ismatched = fullname `elem` matchednames
@@ -184,3 +184,4 @@ showAccountTreeWithBalances matchednames t = showAccountTreeWithBalances' matche
             numsubs = length subs
             subbal = abalance $ root $ head subs
             matched = fullname `elem` matchednames
+
diff --git a/Ledger/Amount.hs b/Ledger/Amount.hs
index 020509cd4..0d99df34e 100644
--- a/Ledger/Amount.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Amount.hs
@@ -134,8 +134,11 @@ isZeroMixedAmount = all isZeroAmount . amounts . normaliseMixedAmount
 -- | Get the string representation of a mixed amount, showing each of
 -- its component amounts.
 showMixedAmount :: MixedAmount -> String
-showMixedAmount m = concat $ intersperse ", " $ map show as
-    where (Mixed as) = normaliseMixedAmount m
+showMixedAmount m = concat $ intersperse "\n" $ map showfixedwidth as
+    where 
+      (Mixed as) = normaliseMixedAmount m
+      width = maximum $ map (length . show) $ as
+      showfixedwidth = printf (printf "%%%ds" width) . show
 
 -- | Get the string representation of a mixed amount, and if it
 -- appears to be all zero just show a bare 0, ledger-style.
diff --git a/Ledger/RawTransaction.hs b/Ledger/RawTransaction.hs
index 243407276..7e87741fe 100644
--- a/Ledger/RawTransaction.hs
+++ b/Ledger/RawTransaction.hs
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ nullrawtxn = RawTransaction "" nullmixedamt "" RegularTransaction
 
 showRawTransaction :: RawTransaction -> String
 showRawTransaction (RawTransaction a amt _ ttype) = 
-    showaccountname a ++ " " ++ (showamount amt) 
+    concatTopPadded [showaccountname a ++ " ", showamount amt]
     where
       showaccountname = printf "%-22s" . bracket . elideAccountName width
-      showamount = printf "%12s" . showMixedAmountOrZero
       (bracket,width) = case ttype of
                       BalancedVirtualTransaction -> (\s -> "["++s++"]", 20)
                       VirtualTransaction -> (\s -> "("++s++")", 20)
                       otherwise -> (id,22)
+      showamount = padleft 12 . showMixedAmountOrZero
 
 isReal :: RawTransaction -> Bool
 isReal t = rttype t == RegularTransaction
diff --git a/NOTES b/NOTES
index deefce32e..3a9481409 100644
--- a/NOTES
+++ b/NOTES
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ implementations were its consequences." --Niklaus Wirth
 
 * to do
 ** errors
-*** display mixed amounts vertically, not horizontally
 ** features
 *** flexible date expressions, for easier time reports
 **** more formats
diff --git a/RegisterCommand.hs b/RegisterCommand.hs
index d9a4edc89..4acb6f549 100644
--- a/RegisterCommand.hs
+++ b/RegisterCommand.hs
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@ showRegisterReport opts args l = showtxns ts nulltxn nullmixedamt
 
       -- show one transaction line, with or without the entry details
       showtxn :: Bool -> Transaction -> MixedAmount -> String
-      showtxn omitdesc t b = entrydesc ++ txn ++ bal ++ "\n"
+      showtxn omitdesc t b = concatBottomPadded [entrydesc ++ txn ++ " ", bal] ++ "\n"
           where
             entrydesc = if omitdesc then replicate 32 ' ' else printf "%s %s " date desc
             date = show $ da
             desc = printf "%-20s" $ elideRight 20 de :: String
             txn = showRawTransaction $ RawTransaction a amt "" tt
-            bal = printf " %12s" (showMixedAmountOrZero b)
+            bal = padleft 12 (showMixedAmountOrZero b)
             Transaction{date=da,description=de,account=a,amount=amt,ttype=tt} = t