[GNC] invoicing

[Derek Atkins]

Hi,

On Tue, October 25, 2022 4:08 pm, arthur brogard wrote:
> Thanks for that.
> I am after finding proper business practice.  So I guess I should not be
> invoicing for the total amount I see as outstanding?
> I should invoice for each week  and when there is an outstanding unpaid
> amount I could note that on the invoice perhaps?
> Or perhaps send a 'statement of account' ?

Correct.  If you buy a sofa for $300, but only pay off $250, and then buy
another sofa the next week for $300 -- the invoice for the 2nd sofa should
be $300 -- because that is how much the 2nd sofa costs.  But then the
statement of account (GnuCash calls it a "Customer Report") will say that
you were invoiced $300 for sofa-1, paid $250, invoiced $300 for sofa-2,
and owe $350.

> What would you do on rent day if an amount was owing?

See above.

> And from the tone of your answer I guess it's not considered imperative
> that invoices be numbered sequentially but it's probably preferable.
> I have been dating them rather than numbering them.  Giving each one a
> number that is the date and adding a '1' to it for the first one for that
> date. 

Correct.  Local laws may put a requirement on invoice identifiers, but
GnuCash certainly doesn't care, and AFAIK (IANAA), in the US there is no
specific requirement.

> Wanting to check things one day I realised it would be easier for me if
> they were all numbered sequentially for then I could be sure I'd taken
> them all into account when looking back.
> And that's when I realised that looking back and adding them up isn't
> going to do much when I invoice the way I do.  So I came asking.
> So number them and make them for the week's rent only.
> If there's a water or repair bill it goes in sequence.
> then I can total them all at any time and compare with receipts and see
> where we are at.

If there are other charges on top of the rent, I think it is safe to
either include it on the invoice where it is applied, or to create another
invoice for the additional charges.

> It's notifying him, reminding him, of the outstanding that's the problem. 
> Just note it on the invoice I guess.

Yes, you could put it in the Invoice Notes.  Where it says "Thank you for
your patronage" you could change it to read "Reminder: You still have an
outstanding balance of...."

Or send a Customer Report along with the invoice.  Or maybe even instead
of the invoice.

> :)

-derek

>
>     On Tuesday, 25 October 2022 at 09:46:00 pm ACDT, Derek Atkins
> <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
>
>  IF you were to use GnuCash's invoicing system, then each (weekly) invoice
> needs to be $300, because that's the additional amount he owes each
> invoice period.  To show to TOTAL owed you would need to supply a Customer
> Report, which takes invoices and payments into account.
>
> In your case you probably do not need GnuCash to produce the invoices for
> you.  But you COULD use them to account for it all.
>
> And yes, I would recommend you number them sequentially.
>
> -derek
>
> On Tue, October 25, 2022 5:06 am, arthur brogard via gnucash-user wrote:
>> I only have to invoice one tenant is all so it's no big deal.  But I
>> would
>> like to know what I'm doing.
>> Currently gnucash is not doing it for me though I keep an account for
>> him
>> on it.
>>
>> I know it is a bit unreal and unusual but I invoice him every week -
>> we've
>> found that's the only way to remind him to pay.
>>
>> I'm in doubt about two things:
>> 1.  Should my invoices be serially numbered and each one accounted for
>> or
>> is that totally unimportant?
>>
>> 2.   I am in the habit of invoicing for the outstanding amount each
>> week.     Is that okay?        I begin to think it is wrong if accounts
>> are kept of invoices.       Because if his rent were say $300 and he was
>> behind at the beginning by $50 we could get a series over weeks like
>> this:
>>   Behind: $50.   Invoice:  $350     Pays:   $330                        
>> Invoice   $320     Pays:   $300                         Invoice  
>> $320    
>> Pays:   $300                         Invoice   $320     Pays:   $320.
>>  Now he's square.     But I've invoiced $1310 and he's paid $1230.  Not
>> at
>> all the same.
>>  Doesn't matter?  That's just the way to do it?
>>
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>
>
> --
>       Derek Atkins                617-623-3745
>       derek at ihtfp.com            www.ihtfp.com
>       Computer and Internet Security Consultant
>
>


-- 
       Derek Atkins                 617-623-3745
       derek at ihtfp.com             www.ihtfp.com
       Computer and Internet Security Consultant