[GNC] Selling an unpaid invoice to another business at face value?

[AP]

On Thu, Dec 07, 2023 at 01:01:27AM +0000, Morgan Read wrote:
> Hi Andrew,

Hey. :)

> Many thanks for coming back.
> 
> I think perhaps that in an attempt at brevity, I assumed too much in my
> example and perhaps wasn't as clear as I might have been.  There are three
> entities in my example, but in yours there are 5.  Perhaps the confusion

Nah. There are 3: CompanyA (that is owed and wants to sell), CompanyB (that
wants to be owed and is willing to buy) and CompanyD (that owes).

> 2/ Three entities - 'I', Entity-A for whom I do work and Entity-B to whom I
> sell the right to collect the debt for the work done for Entity-A;

So for my examples Entity-A is CompanyD and Entity-B is CompanyB.

You are CompanyA I believe.

> 3/ Two invoices - my (I's) invoice to Entity-A (Invoice-A) for the work done
> and my (I's) invoice to Entity-B for the sale of the right to collect the
> above debt;
> 4/ Invoice-A is generated on the completion of the work for Entity-A, and
> placed in the shoe box marked 'invoices due';

Invoice-A is invoiceX.

> 5/ Invoice-B is generated on the sale of right to collect the debt to
> Entity-B;

Invoice-B is invoiceY.

> 6a/ On the generation of Invoice-B a copy is stapled to Invoice-A to
> represent the discharge of the right to collect the debt on Invoice-A and
> its transfer to Invoice-B - and placed in the shoe box marked 'invoices not
> due';

This stapling generates invoiceZ which is now (re-)issued to CompanyD.

> 6b/ Invoice-B is placed in the shoe box marked 'invoices due'

InvoiceZ would be as it now represents what CompanyD owes to CompanyB. It also
references invoiceX as the original invoice (this would be the stapling).

> So, the question is - how do I effect 1 to 6 above in gnucash, bearing in
> mind that some things may have been missed and I'm not sure where the
> transfer from Accounts Receivable might go?

Does my clarification above clarify my procedure below and help now? :)

CompanyA's AR is fulfilled by CompanyB.
CompanyB now gets an entry (invoiceZ) in its AR to be fulfilled by CompanyD.

Just realised that invoiceX is still in CompanyA's AR. Not sure how to
appropriately deal with it and it's well past midnight so I don't think
I will come up with something right now. :)

I may also be overthinking it without realising cos it's well past midnight. :)

> The right to collect on an invoice is sold to debt collectors all the time -
> I'm just a bit surprised there isn't a straight forward answer to
> representing that transaction in gnucash.

I think people are (rightfully) worried about the legal angle. Me too
somewhat but I believe it is understood that I'm only giving ideas on
how to use software in a vacuum and that you realise that it's down to
you to figure out if what I am saying is legal, correct and proper in
your corner of the planet.

Hence my line about being a noob, etc. :)

> On 06/12/2023 12:48 am, AP wrote:
> > On Tue, Dec 05, 2023 at 04:19:01PM +0000, Morgan Read via gnucash-user wrote:
> ...
> > 
> > So wouldn't this be:
> > 
> > * you have an invoiceX from CompanyA to CompanyD
> > * CompanyY creates invoiceY referencing invoiceX to CompanyB

Ooops. CompanyA not CompanyY.

> > * CompanyB pays CompanyA for invoiceY thus acquiring invoiceX
> > * CompanyB creates invoiceZ referencing invoiceX (that it now owns) to CompanyD
> > 
> > End result should be CompanyA's books being balanced and CompanyD's books being
> > unbalanced to the tune of invoiceX and thus requiring payment from CompanyD to
> > balance.
> ...

Andrew