; Copyright © 2013, Bradley M. Kuhn.

;

; The copyright holders wish that this document could be placed into the

; public domain.  However, should such a public domain dedication not be

; possible, the copyright holders grant a waiver and/or license under the

; terms of CC0-1.0, as published by Creative Commons, Inc.  A copy of CC0-1.0

; can be found in the same repository as this README.md file under the

; filename CC0-1.0.txt.  If this document has been separated from the

; repository, a copy of CC0-1.0 can be found on Creative Commons' website at

; http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

; ##############################  GENERAL/SHARED ACCOUNTS #######################

; Shared Asset Accounts

define assetChecker(amt) = (amt > -10.00 or (tag("TaxImplication") !~ /^\s*$/ and tag("Entity") !~ /^\s*$/))

account Asset:Checking

   assert assetChecker(amount)

   note Checking account for entire organization

   assert commodity == "$"

; Shared Liabilities Accounts

account Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa

    note Visa Credit Card account for entire organization

    assert commodity == "$"

; Organizational accrual accounts

account Accrued:Accounts Receivable:Main Org

    note Accrued receivables for Main Org

    assert commodity == "$"

account Accrued:Accounts Payable:Main Org

    note Accrued payables for Main Org

    assert commodity == "$"

; Organizational Expense Accounts

; NOTE: the payee =~ test is *not* included herein and must be cut-and-pasted

;       to the assert in every Expense account because of the following bug:

;               http://bugs.ledger-cli.org/show_bug.cgi?id=953

define expenseChecker() = (tag("Receipt") !~ /^\s*$/ or tag("Invoice") !~ /^\s*$/ or tag("Statement") !~ /^\s*$/) and tag("Program") !~ /^\s*$/

; or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Office Supplies and Sundries

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Staff Salaries

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Staff Benefits

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Phone Expenses

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Network Hosting Provider services

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's software development expenses

    assert expenseChecker() or payee =~ /NEVER CHARGED/

    note Main Organization's Occupancy for Office Space and the like

; Organizational Income Accounts

define incomeChecker(amt) = (tag("Entity") !~ /^\s*$/ or (amt > -800.00 and amt < 800.00)) and tag("IncomeType") !~ /^\s*$/ and tag("Program") !~ /^\s*$/

account Income:Main Org:Donations

    assert incomeChecker(amount) and tag("IncomeType") =~ /^Donations$/

    note Donation income to the Main Org.

; -*- ledger -*-

; -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

!include ../config/config-npo.ledger

2012-02-05 Office Supply Galore - Online Order

        ;Receipt: accounts/documentation/org/receipts/2012-02-05_office-supply-galore.txt

        ;Program: Main Org:Overhead

    Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa             $-35.00

2011/05/28 My Bad Billing Hosting - NEVER CHARGED

    Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa            $-100.00

        ;Program: Main Org:Overhead

2012/01/01 My Bad Billing Hosting - REVERSAL - NEVER CHARGED

    Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa             $100.00

        ;Program: Main Org:Overhead

2012-05-03 Sir Moneybags

        ;Entity: Sir-Moneybags

        ;Invoice: accounts/documentation/org/invoices/2012-05-30_moneybags-invoice_as-sent.txt

    Accrued:Accounts Receivable:Main Org  $100,000.00

    Income:Main Org:Donations            $-100,000.00

        ;IncomeType: Donations

        ;Program: Main Org:Direct Fundraising

2012-07-05 J. Developer

        ;Entity: Developer-J

        ;Invoice: accounts/documentation/org/expenses/developer/2012-07-05_developer-invoice.txt

    Accrued:Accounts Payable:Main Org  $-5,000.00

        ;Program: Main Org:Software:Internal

        ;Statement: accounts/documentation/org/expenses/developer/2012-07-05_developer-report.txt

2012-08-03 (1) J. Developer

        ;Entity: Developer-J

    Accrued:Accounts Payable:Main Org  $5,000.00

        ;Invoice: accounts/documentation/org/expenses/developer/2012-07-05_developer-invoice.txt

    Asset:Checking                    $-5,000.00

        ;TaxImplication: 1099

Furthermore, given the authors' limited knowledge of accounting requirements

outside the USA, the suggestions herein probably are not particularly useful

at all for organizations outside the USA.

Configuration of Chart of Accounts

----------------------------------

The first thing any accountant will ask to see if your so-called "chart of

accounts".  The first time I heard this phrase, I thought it was something

complicated.  Fact of the matter is, it's really just a list of all the

accounts that you use.  Accountants also use "account codes", which, as near

as I can tell, are of primary interest because they get better sorting.

Ledger CLI doesn't really support account codes, so I've ignored them.

The real place that Ledger CLI stores your chart of accounts is if you use

the `account` directive along with the `--pedantic` CLI option.  This will

ensure that only accounts you declared explicitly will used.

### Asset Accounts

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

### 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

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.)

Handling Fiscal Sponsorship

---------------------------

NPOs that do not provide fiscal sponsorship services will find this section

somewhat useless.  One of the biggest benefits of Ledger CLI is its

incredible flexibility that just does not exist in other accounting systems.

This section describes how to exploit that flexibility to provide a

separation in your books and reporting to handle earmarked accounts for

fiscally sponsored projects.

NPOs that don't need this feature can, in most cases, use the methods

described herein to deploy Ledger CLI, but should leave out the `:General:`

and `:ProjectNAME:` parts of the account hierarchy, since these are the

primary mechanisms used herein to handle the fiscal sponsorship structure.

### Earmarked Accounts

Proper Documentation For All Transactions

-----------------------------------------

Ledger CLI offers a flexible structure of tagging any entry, including

separate tags for parts of a split transaction.  This system uses those tags

to ensure proper documentation is included for each financial transaction

that occurs for the organization.

Note that since Ledger CLI is a complete double-entry accounting system, each

transaction can correspond to multiple entries in the general ledger.  The

data entry format of Ledger CLI lists each double-entry accounting

transaction in a text file.

Documentation may in fact differ for entries within the transaction.  Ledger

CLI's tagging structure is flexible in this regard: each portion of a

double-entry transaction can carry the same tag or a different tag.  For

example, in this entry:

    2012-05-03 Sir Moneybags

            ;Entity: Sir-Moneybags

            ;Invoice: accounts/documentation/org/invoices/2012-05-30_moneybags-invoice_as-sent.txt

        Accrued:Accounts Receivable:Conservancy  $100,000.00

        Income:Main Org:Donations               $-100,000.00

            ;IncomeType: Donations

The portion of the transaction that credits the `Income:Main Org:Donations`

has three tags: [`Entity`](#entity-tag), [`Invoice`](#invoice-tag) and

[`IncomeType`](#income-type).  The `Entity` and `Invoice` tags, since they're

listed at the top of the transaction, propagate through and apply to both

sides.  But, the `IncomeType` tag, which has no meaning for `Accrued:`

accounts, so it is applied only to the `Income:Main Org:Donations` part of

the transaction.

Below you'll find detailed descriptions of all the possible tags that are

used in this system.  The actual declarations and enforcement of rules of

these tags can be found in the file `accounts/config/config-tags.ledger` in

this project.

### Documentation Tags

Documentation tags are tags that link to other backup documents that provide

evidence and details that justify a particular ledger entry.  The value of

the tag is a relative path name of a file elsewhere in the same repository

that documents the specific expense.  For example, an entry like this:

     2012-02-05 Office Supply Galore - Online Order

             ;Receipt: accounts/documentation/org/receipts/2012-02-05_office-supply-galore.txt

         Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa         -$35.00

shows that a purchase was made at Office Supply Galore's online store for

$35.00, and the file

`accounts/documentation/org/receipts/2012-02-05_office-supply-galore.txt`

contains the receipt from that purchase.

#### Receipt Tag

The `Receipt:` tag refers to receipt of some sort.  Typically, this is a

document that shows clear confirmation that the transaction has already

occurred.  The value of the `Receipt:` tag is always a valid pathname in the

repository to the document, [as described above](#documentation-tags).

Some examples of appropriate uses of the `Receipt:` are:

* a point-of-sale credit card receipt from a purchase, given by a cashier or

  sent via email after the purchase has occurred.

* a deposit slip given at the bank upon making an over-the-counter deposit of

  paper checks.

* a confirmation document showing an outgoing wire transfer made by a bank.

* a confirmation document showing transfer of funds between two bank

  accounts.

* A pay advice document generated upon payment of an invoice.

#### Invoice Tag

The `Invoice:` tag refers to an actual invoice, either generated by the

organization or received by the organization.  Typically, this is a document

that is a request for payment, rather than documenting an actual payment that

has occurred.  The value of the `Invoice:` tag is always a valid pathname in

repository to the document, [as described above](#documentation-tags).

Some examples of appropriate uses of the `Invoice:` tag are:

* an actual invoice as sent by a vendor to the organization.

* a request for payment sent by the organization to someone else.

* a reimbursement request submitted by an employee, contractor, or volunteer

  for expenses they've already incurred and would like the organization to

  reimburse (e.g., an expense report, requesting for reimbursement of travel

  expenses).

* `1099`, indicating the amount paid requires issuance of a USA Federal Form

  1099 for the `Entity` involved.

* `W2`, indicating the amount paid will be part of a USA Federal Form W2

  report for the `Entity` involved.

* `Accountant-Advises-No-1099`, indicating that the circumstances and rules

  seem to indicate a USA Federal Form 1099 should be issued for the `Entity`

  involved, but an outside accountant advised that no 1099 need be issues for

  this `Entity`.

* `Bank-Transfer`, indicating that the amount is a transfer between two

  banking accounts under the control of the NPO itself.

* `Foreign-Individual-Contractor`, indicating that the NPO has established

  that the `Entity` is a contractor residing outside the USA who is not a USA

  citizen and does not for any reason pay taxes in the USA.

* `Foreign-Corporation`, indicating that the NPO has established

  that the `Entity` is a corporation outside the USA.

* `USA-Corporation`, indicating that the NPO has established that the

  `Entity` is an incorporated entity the USA (i.e., "Inc."), and therefore no

  1099 is required.

* `USA-501c3`, indicating that the NPO has established that the `Entity`

  has federal 501(c)(3) status in the USA, and therefore no 1099 is required.

* `Refund`, indicating that the amount is a refund owed to the `Entity` from

  an amount previously paid to the NPO.

* `Reimbursement`, indicating that the amount is a reimbursement of expenses

  incurred by the `Entity` and thus it is not income to the `Entity`.

* `Tax-Payment`, indicating this is a tax payment to a taxing authority (such

  as the state or federal government) (e.g., a unrelated business income tax

  payment).

* `USA-LLC-No-1099`, indicating that the `Entity` is an LLC, but not the type

  of LLC for which the USA requires issuing a 1099.

* `Loan`, indicating that the `Entity` is receiving these funds as a loan

  that is expected to be paid back.

#### Program Tag

The `Program` tag is used primarily to track program activity for `Income:`

initiated the income (e.g., a specific fundraising campaign) and/or what

particular program activity an expense is toward (e.g., funding travel to

some specific conference).

The Program tag is always a string with the same format as a Ledger CLI

account (primarily for use with Ledger CLI's `--pivot` and `--group-by`,

[as described later](#testing-program-success)).

### Account Type Documentation Requirements

Each account type has different documentation requirements.  Based on the

type of the account, it requires a different set of tags.

When Ledger CLI's `--pedantic` option is used, these rules are enforced by

ledger itself via the configurations found in `config-tags.ledger` and

`config-accounts.ledger`.

#### Expense Account Documentation

* One of: [`Invoice:`](#invoice-tag) [`Receipt:`](#receipt-tag), or

  [`Statement`](#statement-tag).  (The only exception to this rule: an entry

  does not need an `Invoice:`, `Receipt`, nor a `Statement` tag if the

  [payee was never charged](#never-charged-payee).)

* A [`Program:`](#program-tag) tag.

#### NEVER CHARGED Payee

The only exception to the standard tagging requirement is when the payee has

been modified to indicate that the expense was `NEVER CHARGED`.  This is an

historical special-case.  The solution was originally design for the

following scenario:

Suppose an expense was expected — for example, a situation where you

gave a credit card number to charge something and the charge never came

through — but it turns out the charge never happened.

The recommended way to resolve this problem in the system is to just delete

the entry entirely from the Ledger file, and allow the VCS to log the fact

that the charge was expected, but the vendor never billed the credit card.

The reason the `NEVER CHARGED` payee text was added was to handle the

situation where the books included this charge, but the books were already

closed for the financial period (e.g., the books had already been audited).

Changing the payee was a method for documenting the expense.  You might use

it like this:

    2011/05/28 My Bad Billing Hosting - NEVER CHARGED

        Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa            $-100.00

        Expenses:Conservancy:Hosting             $100.00

    2012/01/01 My Bad Billing Hosting - REVERSAL - NEVER CHARGED

        Liabilities:Credit Card:Visa             $100.00

        Expenses:Conservancy:Hosting            $-100.00

However, going forward, you'd likely never enter anything the ledger

**until** you had real proof via an Invoice, Receipt or Statement that showed

the Expense did/should occur.  This use of `NEVER CHARGED` in the payee is

thus deprecated.

#### Income Account Documentation

Each `Income:` account must have the following tags:

* One of: [`Invoice:`](#invoice-tag),

  [`PurchaseOrder:`](#purchase-order-tag),

  [`Statement:`](#statement-tag) or

  [`Contract`](#contract-tag).  Exceptions to this requirement are as follows:

     + the income generated from the transaction is less than $800, or

     + the `IncomeType` is `RBI` and the income is for a defined, public

       program (such as conference registration)

* An [`Entity:`](#entity-tag) tag, *iff.* the Income for the transaction is

  for more than $800.

* An [`IncomeType:`](#incometype-tag) tag.

* A [`Program:`](#program-tag) tag.

Analysis of the Data

--------------------

If this methodology is followed, Ledger can be used to analyze the financial

data for the organization.

### Testing Program Success

If you use the [`Program`](#program-tag) tag effectively, you can easily test

the successes of various fundraising programs with a command like this:

    $ ledger -f accounts/books.ledger --pivot Program bal '/^Income/'

Meanwhile, using the  [`Program`](#program-tag) tag for Expenses can help

track what programs are costing with commands like these:

FIXME: example output

### Checking Integrity of a Tag

[As mentioned](#entity-tag), the `Entity:` tag is one example among many

where the value is a wide range, but since Ledger CLI isn't backed by a more

complete ERP system, it's possible during data entry for typos to make a

serious problem.  One work around to this flaw is to periodically run a

command like:

    $ ledger -f accounts/books.ledger -F '%(tag("Entity"))\n' reg|sort|uniq|less

which will show all unique `Entity:` values currently in use.

Copyright and License of This File

----------------------------------

This specific document, the README.md file for npo-ledger-cli, is copyrighted:

  Copyright © 2013, Bradley M. Kuhn

This document's license gives you freedom; you can copy, modify, convey,

propagate, and/or redistribute this software under the terms of either:

    * The GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software

      Foundation, Inc.; either version 3 of the License, or (at your option)

      any later version (aka GPLv3-or-later).

    * *or* the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States

      license, as published by Creative Commons, Inc. (aka CC-By-SA-USA-3.0)

In addition, when you convey, distribute, and/or propagate this document

and/or modified versions thereof, you may also preserve this notice so that

recipients of such distributions will also have both licensing options

described above.

A copy of GPLv3 and CC-By-SA-3.0-USA can be found in the same repository as

this file under the filenames GPLv3.txt and CC-By-SA-3.0-USA.txt.  If this

document has been separated from the repository, a

[copy of GPL can be found on FSF's website](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt)

and a

[copy of CC-By-SA-USA-3.0 can be found on Creative Commons' website](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/legalcode).