Reimbursed expenses how to invoice, account for, etc

[trythis]

Michael DeBusk-3 wrote:
> 
> On 01/28/2010 11:33 PM, trythis wrote:
> 
>> Couldn't I just invoice as an item call the light switch Expense:Job 
>> Materials and when I sell it to the customer call it Income: Job
>> Materials
> 
> If you want to do it this way, you have to understand that
> reimbursements are not income.
> 
> On those occasions when I buy something for my employer and they
> reimburse me, I do this:
> 
> Purchase: debit expense, credit cash
> Reimbursement: credit expense, debit cash
> 
> -- 
> 
I am still struggling with this. I need to be able to apply the expenses of
all parts of a job, sanding belts, welding expendables, gloves, switches,
whatever to an invoice with my labor costs.


It seems I can apply the purchases to Asset:Accounts payable:ClientA and it
shows up in ClientA 's accounts payable.
If I do this, it seems I end up doubling the accounts receivable when I add
the items to an invoice. So that doesnt work unless there is a way to create
an invoice of all or partial unpaid accounts payable. (<<that seems like a
great feature!) Is there a way to apply existing accounts payables to
invoices?

No? Thats OK. 

Instead, I can just put "Materials Purchased" on the invoice and give
ClientA a separate list with copies of receipts and that is fine, works
great! Lets say I do that; where do I put the items I purchase in Gnucash?

So would this work?:

In the bank account Asset:Current:BigBankChecking that shows the
purchase(s), could I make the account read Asset:Job Materials:ClientA ?
Then on the invoice under Income Account apply the portion billed for the
materials back to the Asset:Job Materials:ClientA ?
This sets it up so that if I don't actually end up selling the item over to
ClientA, it is properly in my "asset inventory" and I can sell it to someone
else, or I can return the item to the store and apply the refunded amount to
Asset:Job Materials:ClientA and have the same net effect. If I need to
transfer the item to Asset:Job Materials:ClientB that can be done and sell
it to ClientB.

I don't sell these things back at a profit, but lets say I did, would having
a surplus in Asset:Job Materials:ClientA cause trouble? 

I am getting dizzy, any advice? Am I on the right track?
Sorry, I have no accounting training so I have to spell it out in detail.

And thanks for reading!
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