[GNC] Have I got my USD accounts set up wrong?

[Adrien Monteleone]

On 11/28/23 3:42 PM, David Kirkby wrote:

> Make a copy of your book and test out if one of these does the trick by
>> editing one bill and/or payment accordingly (you might be able to just
>> re-parent the account(s) though:
>>
>> Assets:A/R
>> --Assets:A/R (GBP)
>> --Assets:A/R (USD)
>> --Assets:A/R (EUR)
>>
> 
> I see that it is different from what I have now.  In which case I assume
> Assets:A/R would be a placeholder account.

Not necessarily. It would depend on how that affects reporting. But in 
that above example, you just wouldn't post to the parent.

> How would I test this out?

Simply re-parent the accounts. You should not have to delete/re-enter or 
unpost/repost anything. Simply edit the relevant accounts and choose 
them all to be children of the main A/R account. (and rename the current 
Assets:A/R:A/R to be Assets:A/R:A/R (GBP) Then re-run your reports.

But as I note below, that tree arrangement may not be strictly 
necessary, though worth a test as it is easy to do.


>> or perhaps more simply:
>>
>> Assets:A/R
>> --Assets:A/R (USD)
>> --Assets:A/R (EUR)
>>
> 
> I'm not following you there. Are you saying make Assets:A/R a placeholder
> account? If so, where do GBP accounts get posted?

Specifically in this simpler arrangement, "no". Assets:A/R would not be 
a placeholder as it is the default A/R account denominated in GBP and 
needs to be available to accept transactions.

  If not, how is this
> different to what I have now? Are you saying I don't need an A/R for GBP?

You described your current tree as:

> Assets:Accounts Receivable:Accounts Receivable
>    Assets:Accounts Receivable:Accounts Receivable (USD)
>    Assets:Accounts Receivable:Accounts Receivable (EUR)

Which implies a higher level you didn't show:

Assets:Accounts Receivable

Thus, you have TWO A/R accounts denominated in GBP, the main parent, and 
then the immediate child of that one, with two USD & EUR children.

According to what you described in your OP, your full tree here looks 
like this:

Assets
--Accounts Receivable
----Accounts Receivable
------Accounts Receivable (USD)
------Accounts Receivable (EUR)

Thus, I'm suggesting in the *first* arrangement up above in this post, 
to make the USD & EUR accounts children of that first A/R parent: 
Assets:Accounts Receivable. It looks like you have them one level too deep.

Second, rename the other 'Accounts Receivable' *child* to 'Accounts 
Receivable (GBP)' and make it a *sibling* of the USD & EUR accounts,

This would achieve the first arrangement I described.

Or, to get this simpler arrangement, keep the USD & EUR children where 
they are, and move their parent up one level to be the main A/R parent 
(ditching that original parent) and keeping the USD & EUR accounts as 
its children.

>> Where each child is specifically set to those named currencies and the
>> parent A/R is in your book currency. (assuming GBP here)
>>
> 
> I don't follow how that's different to what I have now.
(see above. It appears you have a 'higher' A/R parent, thus TWO GBP A/R 
accounts)

Regards,
Adrien