[GNC] best accounting practice for refund

[Tim Quinn]

Yes, that’s more along the lines of what I thought a credit memo would fit for.

That said, there are cases in which a client pays full rate for one session, then decides to convert to a package of sessions. I record the “ex post facto” discount to apply to that first session as a credit memo and use that in paying the next session. 

I could probably just record the discount as a line in the invoice for the next session, but that requires me to remember to do that later and GnuCash is better at remembering things than I am.

- Tim

> On Jun 26, 2019, at 3:24 PM, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
> 
> You would only need a credit note if a client cancelled their contract and wanted (part of) their deposit back.
> 
> -derek
> Sent using my mobile device. Please excuse any typos.
> On June 26, 2019 10:21:56 PM Tim Quinn <tim.quinn at att.net> wrote:
> 
>> Many of my wife’s tutoring clients will prepay for several sessions (to get scheduling preference and a slight price discount). I create a separate invoice for each client visit (that way the customer report shows the payments and individual sessions nicely), and after posting each invoice I pay it using the remaining balance from the prepayment. GnuCash keeps track of all that very nicely as Adrien described.
>> 
>> I have never used credit notes for this, though. GnuCash knows that the subsequent invoices and the prepayment involve the same customer so it’s really easy to pay those later invoices using what’s left of the prepayment.
>> 
>> I am not seeing the value in adding credit notes into this picture. Am I missing something?
>> 
>> Thanks.
>> 
>> - Tim
>> 
>>> On Jun 26, 2019, at 2:52 PM, Adrien Monteleone <adrien.monteleone at lusfiber.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> You have at least 2 options I can think of at the moment:
>>> 
>>> #1 - continue to issue credit notes in your system, but don’t send them out or pay them with a check. When you have the next positive invoice, ‘pay’ a portion (or all) of that invoice with the credit note. Simply process a payment, select the credit note line and an invoice line you want to apply it to in the top part of the window. GnuCash will offset the invoice with the credit note for you. If the credit note is more than the invoice, it will retain the left over as remaining AR credit to be used on subsequent invoices. You can see the customer’s balance any time either by looking at an AR aging report, or a Customer Report. Outstanding credit notes appear in the Invoices Due Reminder window.
>>> 
>>> #2 - If your client regularly pays in advance based on an estimate and you invoice later, instead of applying the payment to an invoice, apply it to a Liabilities:Customer Deposits account. Then when you create and post the final invoice, process a payment for it from this account. You could keep a separate deposit account for each customer but that might get tedious. You can run a report on the account sorted by payee to show that info and even keep that report open in a tab if desired, choosing to refresh it as needed. If this might only happen for pre-paid expenses, then you can still use this method, but only for the pre-paid expense part, which you could (or not) choose to invoice separately.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Adrien
>>> 
>>>> On Jun 26, 2019, at 1:46 PM, Eric Rathhaus office <eric at ewrlaw.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi - I have a client for whom I have many jobs.  On some of these jobs, the client prepaid expenses that I did not use.  In the past, I’ve always created a credit note for a refund and sent the client a check.  However, my client prefers instead that I credit this amount towards future work.  I’m not sure how to accomplish this cleanly.  I could keep a running total of the amount and discount from the total prepayment until it’s used up.  But this seems clunky and maybe not the best practice.  Any other suggestions on how to account for the refund against future work?
>>>> 
>>>> Kind regards,
>>>> 
>>>> Eric W. Rathhaus
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information.
>>> -----
>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> gnucash-user mailing list
>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information.
>> -----
>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
> 
> 
>