diff --git a/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md b/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md index 66eae73fd37edc59681cd3ff7870107e43da537b..23b976cd1bc66eb95dcb4cd152be168b56068c5c 100644 --- a/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md +++ b/npo-ledger-cli-tutorial.md @@ -48,8 +48,48 @@ ensure that only accounts you declared explicitly will used. ### Asset Accounts -Our recommendation for asset accounts FIXME. +Asset accounts represent anything that's owned. Typically, these are +primarily your cash accounts, or anything that's completely liquid. +Many accounting tutorial materials will note that Loans, accounts receivable +and other receivables are assets as well. Most accountants will +say that they are, but with regard to accounts called "Assets", this system +uses the account hierarchy `Assets:` only for tangible, liquid, +cash and/or cash-equivalent assets. You'll find that account hierarchy +commonly in the examples herein. + +### Liabilities Accounts + +Similar to assets, most accountants will point out that any amount owed to +someone else is a liability, and that is of course accurate. Like with the +`Assets:` hierarchy, this system uses `Liabilities:` hierarchy only to refer +to formalized accounts, such as credit cards, where a monthly statement is +sent and have an ongoing liability relationship with the organization. + +### Accrued Accounts + +For items that are receivable or payable, this system uses `Accrued:` +hierarchy. Under this top-level account, you'll find accounts payable, +accounts receivable, loans payable and loans receivable. + +### Expense Accounts + +These accounts contain any expense of the organization, and all begin with +`Expense:`. + +### Income Accounts + +These accounts contain any income of the organization, and all begin with +`Income:`. + +### Unearned Income Accounts + +`Unearned Income:` accounts are used to refer to revenue that is currently +received for services which have not yet been delivered. The most typical +and common place an NPO encounters this type of income is for conference +registrations. Since conference registrations arrive in advance of the +conference, it is not proper under accrual accounting to call it income until +such time as the conference successfully completes. ### Reporting The Chart of Accounts @@ -57,6 +97,18 @@ The [`general-ledger-report.plx` script in the `non-profit-audit-reports` Ledger CLI contrib directory](https://github.com/ledger/ledger/blob/next/contrib/non-profit-audit-reports/general-ledger-report.plx) will generate a file called `chart-of-accounts.csv`, which is the chart of accounts. +The main command-line program though, that generates the chart of accounts +looks like this: + $ ledger -f accounts/main/books.ledger -V -F "%-150A\n" -w -s -b 2012/01/01 -e 2013/01/01 reg + +Note that this is bound by date. Typically, it makes sense to list your +chart of accounts for a specific period (e.g., your fiscal year), since your +accounts might have some cruft in them from previous years that should now be +ignored. (For example, if your organization simplified its chart of accounts +in later years, you don't want to report those old accounts that are no +longer used.) + + Copyright and License of This File ----------------------------------