Farm & Community Accounting - Any experience?

[Mike or Penny Novack]

Get professional help.

You have a number of reporting needs and I do not believe you will be 
advised to try to do this all on one set of books.

I am assuming that SOME of this commune's activities are money making 
businesses and these should probably have their own books. The main 
problem with the previous advice (just like a partnership) is that "not 
really". With a "normal" business partnership the main business would 
ordinarily dwarf the transactions between the partnership and the 
partners so those can be "adjustments". But in your case I rather 
suspect that the financial interaction between the commune and its 
members might dwarf the "regular business" and it isn't going to work 
"tail wagging dog".

In other words, I think you will be best off treating this as TWO 
partnerships, one entirely money making and one group sharing of living 
expenses -- just the identical set of partners/members.

Note that it might not be easy finding the professional expertise that 
you need as this form of organization isn't common.

Michael D Novack, FLMI



RPSB wrote:

>Hi all!
>
>I have just been given the responsibility of sorting out the account of our
>rural community (a dysfunctional 70's hippie commune!). 
>
>We have a farm account and about 20 members who are financially involved. 
>
>I'd like each member to have an itemised bill at the end of the month, but
>also be able to see an overview of total income/expenses.
>
>Does anyone out there have any experience with a similar setup?
>
>I can see two ways of organising it....
>
>Farm Acc
>   Person01
>       Power
>       Food
>       Rent
>   Person02
>       Power
>       Food
>       Rent
>    etc...
>
>or...
>
>Farm
>   Power
>     Person01
>     Person02
>     Person03
>   Food
>     Person01
>     Person02
>     Person03
>   Rent
>     Person01
>     Person02
>     Person03
>
>Both give me issues when exporting a final report on say the farm power
>bill..
>
>thanks for you time! Great software!
>  
>


-- 
There is no possibility of social justice on a dead planet except the equality of the grave.