Re: Prepayment

[Michael Richardson <..hidden..>]

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>>>>> "Stroller" == Stroller  <..hidden..> writes:
    Stroller> AFAICT the two invoices will have different invoice
    Stroller> numbers & different dates. If the tax man were to discover
    Stroller> this discrepancy then he would fall upon you like a long
    Stroller> ton of lead bricks. He would not consider it endearing

  I would prefer that the invoices have the same numbers.
  I'm not happy with the solution, btw, so I agree with you.

  I would place the printed copy of the first invoice into my paper
records, and note on the other invoice the relation.
  
    Stroller> I guess you might well get around this by issuing an
    Stroller> invoice, doing a reversal and issuing a credit note
    Stroller> (crediting the customer for $2000, but keeping hold of the
    Stroller> cash for the present) and then issuing a new invoice when
    Stroller> the work is done. But this seems clumsy to me.

  Yeah, I might do that instead.
  I have also done an AP transaction, and placed the result into an
asset account specific to that customer, and then paid subsequent
invoices from that account.  This doesn't scale for many customers.

    Stroller> being purchased in advance. It is probably naive of me to
    Stroller> characterise this as no different than a beauty salon or
    Stroller> health spa selling gift certificates, and Chris is surely
    Stroller> right that this is not the _most correct_ solution (a
    Stroller> pro-forma makes sense to me) but it is certainly better
    Stroller> practice than issuing dodgy invoices.

  Most of the time, we have done that: issues real invoices, and
recorded the liability as a note elsewhere.  In most cases we call these
"retainers" and have specific terms under which we will not refund
them. 
  For instance, you pay $500/month for support, which you can spend in
$125/hour chunks on support calls. If you go above 4 calls, you get
billed more. However, if you go below, you can spend it in the
subsequent month, but not afterwards.

- -- 
]     Y'avait une poule de jammé dans l'muffler!!!!!!!!!        |  firewalls  [
]   Michael Richardson, Sandelman Software Works, Ottawa, ON    |net architect[
] ..hidden.. http://www.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca/ |device driver[
] panic("Just another Debian GNU/Linux using, kernel hacking, security guy"); [
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