QIF files and Reserve Accounts

[Charles Day]

On Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 11:05 AM, Andrew Sackville-West <
andrew at swclan.homelinux.org> wrote:

> On Fri, Aug 01, 2008 at 10:07:29AM -0700, Peter Haworth wrote:
> > Just started looking at gnucash for use in tracking my band's
> > accounting.
> >
> > The most important thing for me is the ability to import QIF files.  The
> > amount each band member is paid gets pretty complicated due to different
> > shares of merchandise sales and other things, so I have a database that
> > currently generates the accounting entries for me from the sales at a
> > gig.  What I'd like to do is have the database generate a QIF file and
> > import it into gnucash so I can get all my accounting reports and so on
> > from there.  I've looked at the specs for QIF file formats and looks easy
> > to create one.  Aside from that, I'd enter everything else online
> >
> > Right now, each band member has his/her own Accounts Payable account, so
> > the question is can I import a QIF file into gnucash AP accounts?
> > Ideally, I'd like to import the data into a gnucash invoice but I
> > suspect that's not possible.  What I envision is a single AP entry per
> > band member for each gig with splits that detail the different amounts
> > of money they are receiving for each piece of merchandise sold,
> > performance fee, etc.
>
> I don't think you should import into the AP/AR accounts. those
> accounts are not for direct human intervention. What you could do is
> carry a set of regular liability accounts and import into those. Then
> you might be able to enter an invoice that clears out those liability
> accounts, thus getting the amounts into AP. But I've not tested that,
> it's just an idea.
>

I would tend to agree with Andrew here. Although I recently patched the QIF
import to allow it to use A/P and A/R accounts, the reason was to allow the
importer to match hand-entered transactions with QIF data downloaded from
your bank. If you aren't going to actually create invoices by hand in
GnuCash, I think you may be better off just using a Liability account.
Otherwise, you may find yourself with an unhappy business module. (Derek
would know for sure.)

Derek, perhaps you could chime in here? If the QIF importer needs to refuse
to actually import A/P and A/R account transactions, let me know.


> >
> > Next question concerns what I call reserve accounts.  Every time we sell
> > a CD, a small amount of money is set aside to pay for the next
> > manufacturing run of the CD.  That money is retained in the band's bank
> > account but its almost like a savings account within the bank account.
> > Quicken has a feature that lets you set aside money like this, can't
> > remember what they call it, but how would I do this in gnucash?  Ideally,
> > the entries for it would be part of the QIF file import mentioned
> > above.
>
> you can create sub-accounts within an account. It makes reconciliation
> a bit tricky, until you've done it once or twice. You have to make
> sure to select "Include sub-accounts" in the reconcile.
>
> You may do better, frankly, keeping a lot of the detail stuff in your
> spreadsheet and then entering lumpsum invoices and the like in gnucash
> directly.
>
> .02
>
> A
>
>
-Charles