Help with GnuCash! Why is there a "Rebate" column in the Expense account on GnuCash?

[David Carlson]

On 10/16/2012 6:26 PM, Dustin Henning wrote:
> Perhaps the word "Rebate" is the problem here.  In a simple scenario one
> would go to a store and pay cash for, say some groceries and some other
> items.  The "Rebate" would actually be the cash payment from your "Wallet"
> asset account. 
> It is customary for most of us to work in the "Wallet" or asset register and
> enter expenditures from there.  If we later want to see all of our
> expenditures on "Groceries" we can open the Expense:Groceries account and
> find it all right there, albeit with that irritating word "Rebate" 
> If we choose the basic ledger or single line view the "Rebates" are pretty
> much hidden from view.
>
> David C
>
>
>
>
>
> Maybe I'm in a different view, but I don't see a problem with the word
> "Rebate" in my register.  The "Rebate" column is blank.  If I take the
> groceries back and get a refund, then the money goes back into my account
> out of the expense account and I did receive a rebate.  Perhaps refund would
> be a better word in that case, but if one got a rebate on something, the
> same would apply, because a rebate isn't income, at least not so far as I
> know in the US.
>
>
Dustin,

You do not see numbers in the "Rebate" column only because you are not
using the Auto-Split Ledger or transaction Journal views.
You are actually agreeing with Robby in your objection to the use of the
word "Rebate" as a description for the cash that is offsetting the
expense in the expense register. 
Perhaps someone knows why that word was first selected.  Originally the
columns were called "Debit" and "Credit" as they are in orthodox
accounting practice,  but that becomes confusing to most of us who are
not accountants. 

I was speaking with my tongue in cheek as I was calling the word
irritating.  I agree with you about the common usage for that word. 
Perhaps we should request as Robby originally did that the word "Rebate"
be replaced with some other word. 

In the meantime, we can pretty much avoid seeing "Rebate" by minimizing
the amount of time that we spend in expense registers.

David C
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