[GNC] "Comparative" reports?

[Michael or Penny Novack]

Not only can you create the two reports, export them, and print them to 
look at side by side. But you can also use your favorite full function 
editor to place them side by side. And do not that some editing might be 
necessary in any case because the reports from consecutive periods might 
not line up line by line (the CoA might have changed). And that also 
lets you annotate any unusual items. And level of detail could be 
different in different versions depending on audience.

Mind I was Treasurer of a number of orgs and current year vs past year 
customary. Since at the time I was a recently retired pro, and although 
not fluent, could at least read/understand LISP (scheme is a LISP 
dialect) I asked the fellow board member of one org who was a 
lawyer/accountant should I create such custom reports. He said, "Mike, 
don't bother. Export the raw reports and assemble the finished product 
using a full function editor." Besides what has already been mentioned, 
can pretty print, insert logos, insert fixed text <like explanation of 
depreciation policy>

Built in is good if/f it does exactly what you want/need.

Michael D Novack




On 7/19/2023 7:00 PM, Simon Roberts wrote:
> Hi all, I just got home from a very positive meeting with my CPA (showing
> them my books, since I took over my own bookkeeping, and thereby also
> showing them GnC, with which they were impressed).
>
> They raised a question; Is there a built in mechanism for "comparative"
> reporting? For example, showing income from Jan 1 to date, alongside income
> over the same months in the previous year?
>
> Clearly not a big deal, since I can just create two reports and print them
> then look at them side by side, but it's what that "other" program does,
> and it makes them feel cozy.