Re: At the end of my teather with LSMB

["Chris Travers" <..hidden..>]

On Wed, May 28, 2008 at 7:59 AM, beamends <..hidden..> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 2008-05-28 at 10:06 +0100, ..hidden.. wrote:
>> Quoting Luke <..hidden..>:
>>
>> >> From the web site:
>> >
>> > http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/records-valid-invoice.htm
>> >
>> > We get this:
>> >
>> > "
>> > How VAT sales invoices must be numbered
>> >
>> >    You must number your sales invoices in sequential order. If you spoil
>> >    or cancel a serially numbered invoice, you must keep it to show to a
>> >    VAT officer at your next VAT inspection.
>> > "
>> >
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Thus spake the taxman, and forthwith appeared a greyish throng
>> of auditors who wailed and thus addressed their mournful song:
>> "Audit your accounting 'cos the taxman you can't fleece,
>> and numbers on the invoices begin and never cease."
>>
>> (With apologies to Nahum Tate)
>>
>> R
>>
>>
>
> As further matter on the issue of numbers, I've just been trying to
> prise some money out of a multi-national's Accounts Payable dept. They
> do everything based on the their PO number and our invoice number alone,
> even the date is something to squabble about later.
> I asked what would happen if we offered two invoices with the same
> number and the lady said the second one could not be entered on their
> system, it would be put to one side. I'd have to deal with them directly
> to get it paid. Inevitably, this "would lead to some delay in payment",
> i.e. the 30 days would start all over again. Worth mentioning I think.

However, this doesn't get to the question as to what qualifies an
invoice number as unique, considering the following possibilities:

"12345"
"12345."
"12345 "
"12345,"
"12345-"
"12345V"
"12345[tab]"
"12345-VOID"
" 12345"
" 12345 "
" 1 2 3 4 5 "

All of the above woud be alowed using a unique index or constraint.
Furthermore, what may be acceptable in some cases, may not be
acceptable in others, except for the issue of whitespace.

I am wondering if stuff beyond a simple unique constraint on
ar.invnumber should be pushed to the regulatory compliance modules for
specific regions..

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers