LLC equity accounting

jmk jmk at cmail.nu
Wed Jan 13 01:10:34 EST 2016


This is an accounting question. Here is the scenario: there is a 2
member real estate LLC and each member has 50% equity in the business.
When a property is purchased funds are normally transferred into the LLC
Checking from each member (50% of the closing costs for each), which
increases each members equity by that amount. A check is then written at
closing time from the LLC Checking. E.g.

Closing costs: 20,000 (each member responsible for 10,000)

LLC:Equity:Member A -> 10,000 credit
LLC:Assets:Checking -> 10,000 debit

LLC:Equity:Member B -> 10,000 credit
LLC:Assets:Checking -> 10,000 debit

LLC:Assets:Checking -> 20,000 credit at time of closing

This all works wonderful for us as equity is kept at 50% for each
member. Now suppose that member A has gotten their real estate license
and on the next deal is going to waive her 3% commission that the seller
would normally have to pay to the real estate brokerage. Instead this 3%
will be paid by the seller and go towards reducing our down payment in
the HUD statement. Essentially, we get a 3% credit on the buyer (us)
side of the transaction. So now instead of 20,000 for closing costs it
is 17,000 (3% of this 100k purchase is 3,000). I'm having a terrible
time trying to account for this commission and keeping equity 50/50
still. Member B would still need to deposit their 10,000 but Member A is
now only responsible for 7,000, as 3,000 of the 10k is her commission
for the sale, paid indirectly to her by way of a reduced down payment.

LLC:Equity:Member A -> 10,000 credit
LLC:Assets:Checking -> 7,000 debit
(here I need to account for the 3,000 somewhere -- and is where I'm
getting lost)

LLC:Equity:Member B -> 10,000 credit
LLC:Assets:Checking -> 10,000 debit

LLC:Assets:Checking -> 17,000 credit at time of closing

My question is how I can account for this with double entry bookkeeping.
I must be missing something.


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