diff --git a/conservancy_beancount/reports/core.py b/conservancy_beancount/reports/core.py
index 7c4f666cb9bdccf092e797a59dbf8e69d3965a7a..c1e1a31bda0adfa37469cde75a22a77d203dd503 100644
--- a/conservancy_beancount/reports/core.py
+++ b/conservancy_beancount/reports/core.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import abc
 import collections
+import copy
 import datetime
 import itertools
 import operator
@@ -558,14 +559,24 @@ class BaseODS(BaseSpreadsheet[RT, ST], metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
     # methods to manipulate document settings or styles.
 
     def copy_element(self, elem: odf.element.Element) -> odf.element.Element:
-        qattrs = dict(self.iter_qattributes(elem))
-        retval = odf.element.Element(qname=elem.qname, qattributes=qattrs)
+        retval = odf.element.Element(
+            qname=elem.qname,
+            qattributes=copy.copy(elem.attributes),
+        )
         try:
             orig_name = retval.getAttribute('name')
         except ValueError:
             orig_name = None
         if orig_name is not None:
             retval.setAttribute('name', f'{orig_name}{next(self._name_counter)}')
+        for child in elem.childNodes:
+            # Order is important: need to check the deepest subclasses first.
+            if isinstance(child, odf.element.CDATASection):
+                retval.addCDATA(child.data)
+            elif isinstance(child, odf.element.Text):
+                retval.addText(child.data)
+            else:
+                retval.addElement(self.copy_element(child))
         return retval
 
     def ensure_child(self,
diff --git a/tests/test_reports_spreadsheet.py b/tests/test_reports_spreadsheet.py
index b14ec45c522452b4873e2bbebcefc2390dd343e8..34dee426838c45c9d6f570e14995780349e9188b 100644
--- a/tests/test_reports_spreadsheet.py
+++ b/tests/test_reports_spreadsheet.py
@@ -623,3 +623,21 @@ def test_ods_writer_string_cell(ods_writer, cell_source, style_name):
     assert cell.getAttribute('valuetype') == 'string'
     assert cell.getAttribute('stylename') == style_name
     assert get_text(cell) == str(cell_source)
+
+def test_ods_writer_copy_element(ods_writer):
+    child1 = odf.text.P()
+    child1.addElement(odf.text.A(href='linkhref', text='linktext'))
+    child2 = odf.text.P(text='para2')
+    cell = odf.table.TableCell(stylename='cellsty')
+    cell.addElement(child1)
+    cell.addElement(child2)
+    actual = ods_writer.copy_element(cell)
+    assert actual is not cell
+    assert actual.getAttribute('stylename') == 'cellsty'
+    actual1, actual2 = actual.childNodes
+    assert actual1 is not child1
+    assert actual2 is not child2
+    actual_a, = actual1.childNodes
+    assert actual_a.getAttribute('href') == 'linkhref'
+    assert actual_a.text == 'linktext'
+    assert actual2.text == 'para2'