[GNC] When closing books, equity statement report is incorrect

[Michael or Penny Novack]

Other than the suitability/unsuitability gnucash provided "tool" for 
closing the books this isn't really a gnucash question. Yes, 
partnerships, corporations, etc. will not simply be lumping all 
components of equity together.

But worst case you so the "close the books" manually putting the net 
income/loss into what accounts under equity you need it. Just like we 
all did in the days of pen and ink on paper.

Need a report of equity after? (all those accounts, just those 
accounts). Remember you can throw away those parts of a standard report 
that you don't need/want. That is easier than creating a custom report 
<< in other words, the report you want is PART of the Balance Sheet >>

Michael D Novack




On 1/1/2024 10:41 PM, Quinn Wood wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 22, 2023 at 10:28 PM Quinn Wood <qskwood at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, Oct 22, 2023 at 5:11 PM David Cousens <davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Have you investigated customizing the reports for the particular
>>> situation and
>>> renaming the report sections to meet your needs. The Edit->Report Options
>>> alows
>>> selecting particular accounts, date ranges etc but modifying the report
>>> code
>>> (Scheme) allows you to customize them to whatever you want with regard to
>>> heading names etc. Requires an invetment to learn to program in Scheme
>>> though.
>>>
>> I was planning to start from the current Equity Report, since I think I
>> see where it is calculating withdrawals and investments. I have to figure
>> out what the Scheme does to see if it can use the already-present "Closing
>> Entries pattern" option.
>>
> I've taken a look at creating this new equity report (that defines retained
> earnings as a snapshot of all accumulated net income kept by the business,
> when it could have been paid to owners instead) a few times but I don't
> have a complete answer.
>
> I *think* I could start creating the desired report by collecting four
> things:
>   * what the total equity was before the report start date
>   * what the total equity was on the report end date
>   * what the total revenues were between the start and end date
>   * what the total expenses were between the start and end date
>
> then populating some of the report fields
>   * starting equity
>   * ending equity
>   * change in equity
>   * net gain or loss
>
> I see some comments here and there about a form of metadata that hints at a
> journal entry being a closing entry. Is this metadata something that can be
> used in reports? My reading suggests it can't, but I don't have much to go
> on.
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There is no possibility of social justice on a dead planet except the equality of the grave.