Topic: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Hi All,

I have a question,

we are selling information phone number registrations, like service numbers for call centers.

So for example:

our customer buys toll number with 25c per minute, we pay the customer 15c per minute.
so when his customers call that number for like 5000 minutes in one month, we will pay him 5000 x 0,15c = 750 euro
the monthly fee for the toll number is 30 euro.

So now the problem, i try to make a invoice for our customer but i cant add a artikel below 0 euro

invoice must be:
- montly fee = 35 euro
- call cost    = -750 euro
--------------------------------
total amount =  - 715 euro

its a negative amount that we have to pay the customer BUT it has to be a invoice.

It this possible in one of the new versions of front accounting, or in the future?

We are using 2.2.7

greets Geert de Graef
Shopimport.nl

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Normally Credit Note is issued for negative sales and invoice is issued by the seller to a buyer.
I'm not sure negative invoice is valid at all from accounting point of view (it is not at least in Poland). Even zero priced items often are treated by auditors as donations and are tax deductible.

Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Hi Janusz,

Thnx for your reply.
But its not working properly if you only can make a credit for things people buy.
Did you read my example in my post here above? then you will understand the reason for this function.

I work with lots of accounting software because we have lots of customers using differtent accounting software programs.
But front accounting is the only program i know that does not have the option for a negative amount in a invoice.

Can u plz tell me that you consider to put this in one of the next updates, or tell me where do ajust the php files so we can do it our self

Here in the netherlands its normal to do that.

Plz read my example with the reason for this negative amount, because the call cost of 750 euro is not something my customer first buys so i can make a credit for it you understand. its just a part of the minutes.

I have lots of more situations where i better have a negative amounts for a product but the above is the most important.
Like when a customer buys some products of us i want to show him a fixed discount in stead of a procentage.
example:
- website pro with paypal     € 1500
- implementation module     € 100
- introduction discount         € -50   ( u see here i want to make a product line with negative amount BUT i cant do that now)
_____________________________
TOTAL:                              € 1550

Thnx for your reaction and i hope you can help us.

regards

Geert de Graef
Shopimport

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Ok, maybe we should consider this in next release for non-inventory items (i.e. service type items). In mean time you can try to fix input checks in sales_order_entry.php (in 2.3RC1 about line 462-465 remove the price check). I'm not sure about side effects in GL, so no warranty on this advice though.
Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Hi Janusz,

Thnx for the reply.
Yes it would be perfect if u can do this in the next release for non-inventory items.
In mean time we wil try to fix that line u said.

Do u know around somewhere when the next update wil be a fact

Thnx again and i let u know.

greets Geert

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Still not sure - there is surprisingly not many bug reports on RC release. We want to be sure it is free form serious bugs before release.
Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

haha thats a good sign right.

Can u let me know plz when new version is out and if it has this new function in it.

I know this is not the way i know i have to put a new post but i have one little question, is front accounting working on a POS system ( point of sale)

greets Geert

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

What you mean by POS?
Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

In a real store ( not webshop or virtual store ) u go as customer to a checkout where u pay, this is what we call point of sale. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_sale)

and it would be nice if there wil come a pos in FA so u can make quick invoices with touchscreen for example with customers in my real store.

example
http://www.fileguru.com/Retail-Man-POS/screenshot
http://www.avdsn.com/images/pos1large.jpg

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

FA is designed rather for b2b or wholesale than as a waiter POS. But yes, you can use it for cash sale in your company unless you are Walmart owner smile.

Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

HI Janusz

we dont want to risk our accounting by editing something in the php file that wil make it able to make negative amount for non-inventory items.

we hope u wil put it in the next release or in mean time know how we can edit this version without risk side effects in GL

Gr Geert

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Maybe we will find a time to investigate the problem and add this option in 2.3 final.

Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

that would be very nice Janusz, let me know plz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Hi Janusz,

Is this now working for non-inventory items?

This is what I'm searching for too, to be able to put a line on the "invoice" with "-", which is not related to an invoiced item.
The total amount will be not negative, it is still an invoice.
If a special discount is not already deducted on the invoice, you will create admin-work (people forget to deduct, pay the wrong amount, ask for the special credit, you have to pay back the diff., or they don't see the sep. credit and ask for a new invoice etc.)

Thanks,
ernie

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

No, finally it was not introduced in 2.3 due to lack of resources, but I have just filled related  report on Mantis, to investigate the preposition it in near future.
Janusz

Re: plz help, i need to make a invoice with negative amount

Hi. I have seen that this issue was resolved (bug 343) and implemented in 2.3.4, but only in the sales module. I have copied the concept to the purchasing module, as I have had suppliers send me invoices with negative items (even though the total invoice amount is positive). Pretty much exactly what is explained above.

The patch is below, but I can send it somewhere else if needed. This is my first code submission, so please let me know if there is a better process to follow.


diff -up ./po_entry_items.php.bug343 ./po_entry_items.php
--- ./po_entry_items.php.bug343    2011-07-24 22:24:38.000000000 +0200
+++ ./po_entry_items.php    2011-07-24 22:29:03.000000000 +0200
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ function handle_cancel_po()

function check_data()
{
+    global $allow_negative_prices;
+    $is_inventory_item = is_inventory_item($_POST['stock_id']);
+
    if(!get_post('stock_id_text', true)) {
        display_error( _("Item description cannot be empty."));
        set_focus('stock_id_edit');
@@ -225,7 +228,7 @@ function check_data()
           return false;
     }

-    if (!check_num('price', 0))
+    if (!check_num('price', 0) && (!$allow_negative_prices || $is_inventory_item))
     {
           display_error(_("The price entered must be numeric and not less than zero."));
        set_focus('price');