[GNC] invoicing

[arthur brogard]

Hi,
thanks Adrien.
I really don't know if I'm subscribed to the list or what or not.  I'm very inept at this mailing list thing.
It was only on my last reply that I actually found the 'reply to all' facility on Yahoo mail here.  And I used it.  Previously I've been laboriously copying and pasting the address of the list in 'CC'.  For years.   :(

Yes, I only get replies from yourself.  There have been others?
I better look see how to subscribe.  I started the question, never occurred to  me that I might be 'locked out' so to speak from part of it.
I like the idea of the 'customer report'.  I'll think about that.
I wonder is it standard accounting practice that every sale is accompanied by one and only one invoice?
So that at any time total sales = total invoiced amount ?
I've seen many 'paid' invoices given to me in stores.  Doubling as a receipt, too. 'Do you want a GST receipt?'  say 'yes' and get that.
Never been given a 'partial' invoice, though, or an invoice with 'part paid' on it.
I'm not using gnu cash for generating any print outs at all right now.
For the future I want to get to where I can do everything from gnu cash.
But I also want a parallel paper system.  I'm paranoid about disk failures and power failures.
Right now as you can see from this correspondence I haven't even constructed an optimal paper system. 

For this simple thing.  A single tenant's rent.  Never mind a business with many ongoing customers.
Got some way to go.

:)




    On Thursday, 27 October 2022 at 10:34:43 am ACDT, Adrien Monteleone <adrien.monteleone at lusfiber.net> wrote:  
 
 Arthur,

I'm copying you directly this time in addition to the list, not sure if 
you are subscribed to the list. (If not, you won't see replies sent only 
to the list that don't include you in the CC field)

-----

You might find it much easier to just invoice monthly as normal and send 
a weekly 'Customer Report' which will reflect all payments and other 
charges, as well as show current outstanding balance, even with aging. 
(+30, +60, +90 days) It will also show deposits if entered as 
'pre-payments'. (even if you don't plan to apply them to rent)

That report can also show which payments apply to which invoices and 
which invoices are cleared out by which payments.

And yes, I'd set up a numbering scheme for invoices. You can even set it 
to auto-increment if you like. It can be as fancy or complicated as you 
like.


Regards,
Adrien

On 10/26/22 5:13 PM, arthur brogard via gnucash-user wrote:
> Thankyou for that.  Just about cleared everything up for me.  I can proceed with some confidence now.
> 
> I said last time it was reminding him of outstanding was the problem. I got that a bit wrong - a bigger problem is when he's overpaid.
> Did I mention he sometimes overpays?  $20 or $30.  His girlfriend, too.  And without specifying 'for rent' so it could be for water or repairs or whatever.
> Now if he has a credit for rent it seems wrong to me for me to invoice him the weekly rent amount.  Adding to my uncertainty.
> I currently write out the whole thing on invoice:  weekly rent,  amount in hand or owing,  final invoice amount.  whether rent or water or what.
> I might strip that down to a bare standard invoice for weekly rent.
> Following by an 'adjustment' line showing adjustment for current balance and resulting amount required.
> Or leave things as they are.
> Considering what I've learned from you my method is fairly okay considering the peculiar circumstances, this particular tenant and his foibles.
> I just need to make things easier for myself and sequentially number invoices.
> And receipts.  I don't sequentially number them, either.  I date them only. And they, of course, don't conveniently match up, that's what this is all about.
> I just got to get used to the idea that invoices and receipts simply don't conveniently match up in any way.
> The tenant only sees invoices and receipts.
> I also see a spreadsheet I have and that's what I really keep track of things with.  At any time I can see every penny paid in and by whom and at what date and what the total paid in since the start of the lease was at that date as against what was due.
> My first port of call is my spreadsheet. I make up my invoices from it. And of course I receipt from the bank statement of what came in.
> It's checking things is always at the back of my mind.
> I would like to have something that relies on the invoices and receipts alone to provide its own independent check of the figures on the spreadsheet.  I'm a belt and braces man when I can be.
> Currently, as I said, adding invoices gets me nowhere.
> 
> I have to get good control and understanding of this because I'll be running a small business next year.  Hence my interest which may seem a bit unnecessary for such a trivial matter.