Virtual Coffee Break - Chat

Jessica Grant56 said:If any of my fellow accounting pros out there have figured this one out, please, help a girl out—I feel like I’ve been spinning my wheels for years now!!

It's about inventory shrinkage. We're allowed a 1% margin for loss—but how does that calculation actually work?!? Do I take all the items sold and apply 1% (to the cost price?), or is it based on the retail value? Or is there some other way to do it?

The "little" issue here is that I'm dealing with 1,444 different SKUs, though honestly, I don't care. I can pull subsets if the total sales for a specific item are low enough.

Look, obviously I'm going to hunt down every single penny we can save. Things are so tight at our company right now that we're basically breathing through a straw. And don't even get me started on those extra state income tax hikes—it really killed what little faith I had left in the government. It's why I clipped this headline from the news:

Belgians, Greeks, and Americans face some of the highest labor taxes in the world! DISGRACEFUL!!!!!

I went through the exact same struggle a few years back. After a lot of trial and error, I settled on creating a list of sold goods (using retail value) categorized by item groups for the allowable shrinkage—for example:
- clothing qty x price = amount
- footwear qty x price = amount
- women's socks qty x price = amount
etc.
following all the standard accounting guidelines.
For each category list, I'd subtract 1%, 1.5%, or 1.8% depending on the specific group, then record the deficit in the ledger and attach the corresponding inventory list.
Now, I’m certainly no professional CPA, so I can't say for sure if this is the textbook way to do it, 😉
but I believe it satisfies the regulatory requirements. At the end of the day, the key is having clear records of sold goods broken down by item type.

placidlynx92 said:I went through the exact same struggle a few years back. After a lot of trial and error, I settled on creating a list of sold goods (using retail value) categorized by item groups for the allowable shrinkage—for example:
- clothing qty x price = amount
- footwear qty x price = amount
- women's socks qty x price = amount
etc.
following all the standard accounting guidelines.
For each category list, I'd subtract 1%, 1.5%, or 1.8% depending on the specific group, then record the deficit in the ledger and attach the corresponding inventory list.
Now, I’m certainly no professional CPA, so I can't say for sure if this is the textbook way to do it, 😉
but I believe it satisfies the regulatory requirements. At the end of the day, the key is having clear records of sold goods broken down by item type.

Thanks—that’s how I’m looking at it too. Honestly, even if the list gets long—like, over 1,000 items—it doesn't really bother me. My actual headache is that I have tons of individual items with very low values. Up until now, I’ve been handling shrinkage—you know, waste and breakage—in pretty modest amounts, but since the IRS is tightening the screws more and more lately, it actually matters. But if they allow a 1% allowance for shrinkage, what does that actually mean? Does it mean I can write off 1% of my total turnover (net sales?) as loss?

And I really feel like there's this massive gap in this industry between the bookkeepers—and how things actually work in practice! To be blunt: none of them get involved with the physical inventory, so nobody seems to have a concrete, reliable answer. It makes sense, I guess—why would they care about the actual stock? But it leaves this huge gray area that an entrepreneur has to navigate alone, armed with nothing but vague hints like "1%" or some IRS regulations that, frankly, make zero sense to me. I haven't even figured out *what* that 1% is based on. I'm assuming it's 1% of the net sales price of the goods sold?

So, any ladies (or maybe Vlad?) out there have some firsthand knowledge? I'd love to stop guessing around...

I think I’ve managed to dig myself into an even deeper hole here... It’s not surprising, really—we’re dealing with so many tiny little items that there’s just no way to apply a flat 1% rule to every single one. (I mean, if something costs $0.30 and we sell 50 units, how does that even work??) Let’s walk through this step-by-step using the Synesis software:

- The shrinkage and loss will be recorded under accounts 663, 664, and 668. That part makes perfect sense to me.

- We have to reduce the inventory levels for those specific quantities of lost stock, and that’s where the headache starts! See, the instructions say that a physical inventory has already been completed, and all the discrepancies—the shortages and the surpluses—have already been entered. So, according to the books, the counts should be exact. (Well, I hope so...) If I start adding everything to the loss and breakage list now, it feels like it's going to throw the whole system out of whack. Does anyone know a way to handle this without having to manually fix every single line item?

Jessica Grant56 said:Thanks—that’s how I’m looking at it too. Honestly, even if the list gets long—like, over 1,000 items—it doesn't really bother me. My actual headache is that I have tons of individual items with very low values. Up until now, I’ve been handling shrinkage—you know, waste and breakage—in pretty modest amounts, but since the IRS is tightening the screws more and more lately, it actually matters. But if they allow a 1% allowance for shrinkage, what does that actually mean? Does it mean I can write off 1% of my total turnover (net sales?) as loss?

And I really feel like there's this massive gap in this industry between the bookkeepers—and how things actually work in practice! To be blunt: none of them get involved with the physical inventory, so nobody seems to have a concrete, reliable answer. It makes sense, I guess—why would they care about the actual stock? But it leaves this huge gray area that an entrepreneur has to navigate alone, armed with nothing but vague hints like "1%" or some IRS regulations that, frankly, make zero sense to me. I haven't even figured out *what* that 1% is based on. I'm assuming it's 1% of the net sales price of the goods sold?

So, any ladies (or maybe Vlad?) out there have some firsthand knowledge? I'd love to stop guessing around...

If it were that simple—just shaving off 1% of gross sales and calling it a day—we’d all be sitting pretty. But it doesn't work like that here, because then you and I would both be getting rich off shrinkage 😉 without ever breaking a sweat.
It seems to me that meat wholesalers probably account for this right at the point of entry, though I don't know the specifics of their books. For retail sectors like clothing or footwear, where you're juggling thousands of different SKUs, these IRS guidelines are such a bureaucratic nightmare that most people probably just ignore them entirely.
To be honest, I'm past the point of caring. I'll be closing up my shop soon—definitely before the next round of digital tax reporting hits, though not because of those regulations specifically—after 22 years in the game. Right now, I'm just focused on liquidating inventory as efficiently as possible, trying to minimize losses while this whole agonizing process winds down... 😢

Jessica Grant56 said:I think I’ve managed to dig myself into an even deeper hole here... It’s not surprising, really—we’re dealing with so many tiny little items that there’s just no way to apply a flat 1% rule to every single one. (I mean, if something costs $0.30 and we sell 50 units, how does that even work??) Let’s walk through this step-by-step using the Synesis software:

- The shrinkage and loss will be recorded under accounts 663, 664, and 668. That part makes perfect sense to me.

- We have to reduce the inventory levels for those specific quantities of lost stock, and that’s where the headache starts! See, the instructions say that a physical inventory has already been completed, and all the discrepancies—the shortages and the surpluses—have already been entered. So, according to the books, the counts should be exact. (Well, I hope so...) If I start adding everything to the loss and breakage list now, it feels like it's going to throw the whole system out of whack. Does anyone know a way to handle this without having to manually fix every single line item?

Look, I don't mean to be blunt, but it doesn't make any sense to do this after you've already "corrected" the inventory via a count;
if it's categorized as allowable shrinkage, then it means the shortage is already accounted for—meaning if you don't have a shortage, you don't have shrinkage. 😲

placidlynx92 said:If it were that simple—just shaving off 1% of gross sales and calling it a day—we’d all be sitting pretty. But it doesn't work like that here, because then you and I would both be getting rich off shrinkage 😉 without ever breaking a sweat.
It seems to me that meat wholesalers probably account for this right at the point of entry, though I don't know the specifics of their books. For retail sectors like clothing or footwear, where you're juggling thousands of different SKUs, these IRS guidelines are such a bureaucratic nightmare that most people probably just ignore them entirely.
To be honest, I'm past the point of caring. I'll be closing up my shop soon—definitely before the next round of digital tax reporting hits, though not because of those regulations specifically—after 22 years in the game. Right now, I'm just focused on liquidating inventory as efficiently as possible, trying to minimize losses while this whole agonizing process winds down... 😢

It really breaks my heart to hear that. It just goes to show how right I was when I said we were played so hard that everything just went down the drain. Last year, our merger sort of pulled through (well, kind of...), but the way this current one is starting tells you everything you need to know about where things stand. But here’s the thing—closing a storefront in a shopping mall doesn't mean you're free; you're still stuck paying rent and maintenance fees because they won't let you out of that vicious cycle. They have your signature on the contract, and you're trapped. It was a total setup—we were just relieved we managed to pay it all off over 15 years (with 12 good ones, anyway)... but then everything just started falling apart. Now, the kids can't find work, and unemployment is through the roof. At least they managed to scrape together a little something for themselves in the end.

As for inventory shrinkage, I hate fighting with the IRS so much that I usually just cover the difference myself—mostly out of my own pocket. Honestly, about 80% of what's marked as missing ends up being found elsewhere; it's just inevitable errors when you're managing 2,500 different items. We cut our stock by over 1,000 last year, though (and we're still sliding...). It's not that there isn't shrinkage—it's a real loss, obviously—but how are you supposed to account for it when it's just a couple of screws, five nuts, or 12 washers? On items that small? You can't track it per unit; that would be absolute madness. I usually just skip that headache and write it off rather than dealing with the mess. But things have gotten so tight that I'm thinking about cutting the office phone line, too... so if there is $167, I might as well make use of it. That's why I'm trying to make sense of what the lawmakers were actually thinking—if they were even thinking about people like me at all...

Not a single soul checking in... either everyone is slammed with work, or there’s just nothing to say. Man, this is quiet.

I think I just lost my mind.

Richard Howard55 said:So, I attended an IMF seminar today. I was hoping they might actually drop some knowledge regarding the changes to interest rates, or maybe offer more clarity on that much-hyped form that’s supposedly going to replace everything else. In the end? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I really needed to hear how payroll calculations will shift starting this coming January, and if there are any hidden "gotchas" lurking in those new regulations once they officially go live.
Specifically—and I might be misinterpreting the updates to the contribution laws—it looks like I won't be able to list non-monetary compensation on the same pay stub as regular salary anymore. I need a definitive answer on that before the end of January.

(I suppose I'm somewhat satisfied, though. At least I figured out how to code the invoices for non-cash benefits for tax reporting purposes).

Hey, did you ever get an answer on that bolded part???
They didn't have any info at the NPR seminar today about when that new form is coming either, though word is it might even be retroactive... 🤣

The tip about how to code those non-cash pay invoices was actually pretty smart though...
I was thinking about setting up a separate cash drawer or a different business unit just so it doesn't get all tangled up with my other accounts...

Patrick Peterson49 said:Hey, did you ever get an answer on that bolded part???
They didn't have any info at the NPR seminar today about when that new form is coming either, though word is it might even be retroactive... 🤣

The tip about how to code those non-cash pay invoices was actually pretty smart though...
I was thinking about setting up a separate cash drawer or a different business unit just so it doesn't get all tangled up with my other accounts...

As for the in-kind pay, they said it can still stay on one single pay stub, and they're talking in circles about the new forms. April 1st, July 1st, January 1st, 2014... then the IMF starts being vague again. It feels like maybe that retroactive thing is actually on the table.

For now, I’ve decided to sit tight for another two weeks, until the deadline for the regulation in the Federal Register.
It seems obvious that consulting firms have had eyes on this for ages and are probably suggesting improvements while things are being drafted, but apparently, there's a strict gag order until the official announcement. I get the feeling they already know plenty and are just keeping their mouths shut.

I'll be issuing invoices on behalf of clients—basically acting as their separate business entity, payment terminal, and operator using their company's SSN. That's how they explained it at the seminar.

And when I'm working for myself, there will definitely be a separate payment terminal (a completely different sequence of invoices).

Jessica Grant56 said:I think I just lost my mind.

I’m reading these posts and honestly, I can't stop laughing. I'm not saying a word about accounting software. We already tore that topic apart in detail last year in the dedicated thread. 🙂 🙂

Richard Howard55 said:As for the in-kind pay, they said it can still stay on one single pay stub, and they're talking in circles about the new forms. April 1st, July 1st, January 1st, 2014... then the IMF starts being vague again. It feels like maybe that retroactive thing is actually on the table.

For now, I’ve decided to sit tight for another two weeks, until the deadline for the regulation in the Federal Register.
It seems obvious that consulting firms have had eyes on this for ages and are probably suggesting improvements while things are being drafted, but apparently, there's a strict gag order until the official announcement. I get the feeling they already know plenty and are just keeping their mouths shut.

I'll be issuing invoices on behalf of clients—basically acting as their separate business entity, payment terminal, and operator using their company's SSN. That's how they explained it at the seminar.

And when I'm working for myself, there will definitely be a separate payment terminal (a completely different sequence of invoices).

Is that really what they told you?? It sounds like a recipe for trouble once the first IRS audit hits and they start asking, "Who exactly gave you that advice?" But honestly, I'm leaning toward that same conclusion. Every other interpretation just feels like overcomplicating things and stripping away someone's right to run a business. And since you brought it up—what about the managing director? Are they allowed to issue invoices, and if so, what kind??

So, here's the thing... I tried setting up four different warehouses, but it's just not working. What I actually attempted was assigning a specific payment terminal to each warehouse—essentially saying they "share a virtual business space." In reality, though, it's all running off one single PC—the same one used for all the VPs and service invoices, which aren't subject to fiscalization.

When I asked Oracle to process that data—it just won't work. It simply refuses to accept the numbering logic, like having 1/1/1, then 1/2/1, then 1/2/1 again and so on. In practice, there are really only two billing spaces: one for Retail II where everything is fiscalized (that's Space 1, Register 1), and the second one for bookkeeping covers everything else. So, how do you think you're supposed to issue invoices from the exact SAME space? I don't think it's possible.

I know we were trying to bend the rules a little, but I'm still stuck... I'm probably going to have to take a hit on margins again. Dealing with so many low-cost items is a nightmare—it's almost an impossible mission. Anyway, tell me, what was the final takeaway if you remember? My memory is a bit fuzzy on this one...

I feel like I need to weigh in here..
I honestly don't get how some people can be so incredibly lazy. They come to this forum asking questions that they could find the answer to with a single click on Google! Look, if it’s something debatable or complex, fine. But when it comes to the simplest things? That really gets under my skin...

Are you ladies actually pulling my leg here?? Because I am honestly struggling so much over here—everything feels like such a massive headache right now...

Jessica Grant56 said:Is that really what they told you?? It sounds like a recipe for trouble once the first IRS audit hits and they start asking, "Who exactly gave you that advice?" But honestly, I'm leaning toward that same conclusion. Every other interpretation just feels like overcomplicating things and stripping away someone's right to run a business. And since you brought it up—what about the managing director? Are they allowed to issue invoices, and if so, what kind??

So, here's the thing... I tried setting up four different warehouses, but it's just not working. What I actually attempted was assigning a specific payment terminal to each warehouse—essentially saying they "share a virtual business space." In reality, though, it's all running off one single PC—the same one used for all the VPs and service invoices, which aren't subject to fiscalization.

When I asked Oracle to process that data—it just won't work. It simply refuses to accept the numbering logic, like having 1/1/1, then 1/2/1, then 1/2/1 again and so on. In practice, there are really only two billing spaces: one for Retail II where everything is fiscalized (that's Space 1, Register 1), and the second one for bookkeeping covers everything else. So, how do you think you're supposed to issue invoices from the exact SAME space? I don't think it's possible.

I know we were trying to bend the rules a little, but I'm still stuck... I'm probably going to have to take a hit on margins again. Dealing with so many low-cost items is a nightmare—it's almost an impossible mission. Anyway, tell me, what was the final takeaway if you remember? My memory is a bit fuzzy on this one...

You define the spaces however you want. The only rule is that you have to assign a different business space number to any satellite locations.
If I have multiple business activities at the exact same location, I don't need to split up the business spaces; it’s enough that the payment devices have different ID numbers (which is why Oracle "won't listen" to you).

You enter the actual stock levels, the machine runs the inventory, and it shows the surpluses and shortages...
Then it analyzes the deficit. It takes into account all the adjustments you made throughout the year, calculates the potential shrinkage, and subtracts what was already accounted for (though it won't count anything that an IRS agent witnessed).
Whatever is left over is considered an unauthorized shortage and is taxable.
The whole calculation is based on quantities. It takes the shortage (qty) compared to the sales outflow (qty) for every single item.
( 🙂 please don't start with me about what constitutes shrinkage, or I'm done talking. 🙂🙂 )

Richard Howard55 said:You define the spaces however you want. The only rule is that you have to assign a different business space number to any satellite locations.
If I have multiple business activities at the exact same location, I don't need to split up the business spaces; it’s enough that the payment devices have different ID numbers (which is why Oracle "won't listen" to you).

You enter the actual stock levels, the machine runs the inventory, and it shows the surpluses and shortages...
Then it analyzes the deficit. It takes into account all the adjustments you made throughout the year, calculates the potential shrinkage, and subtracts what was already accounted for (though it won't count anything that an IRS agent witnessed).
Whatever is left over is considered an unauthorized shortage and is taxable.
The whole calculation is based on quantities. It takes the shortage (qty) compared to the sales outflow (qty) for every single item.
( 🙂 please don't start with me about what constitutes shrinkage, or I'm done talking. 🙂🙂 )

Thanks, you're a lifesaver. But look—here's the deal: I actually did enter that (see my previous post), using 1/1/1 for Retail II, and then 1/2/2 for VP. But now, I have services under 1/2/2 too, because they’re processed on the SAME register as the VP in the Oracle software. When I tried to set it up, it wouldn't work—it won't recognize 1/2/2 twice since it's the SAME terminal and the SAME space. And now you're saying I should put every terminal under its own number? So the same Oracle setup would be terminal 1, 2, and 3?? I'm honestly not sure if I should do that. Even though it's just one single terminal (Oracle), it acts as multiple warehouses—all within the same room!

Forget about regular versus extraordinary shrinkage for a second; I get that part, it's clear, and I'm not asking for help with it. (Just a side note: the machine doesn't actually calculate the surplus or shortage; you enter those manually during inventory, and the machine just spits out the totals based on what you typed in).

But how on earth am I supposed to record shrinkage when I have those famous 3,000 individual items, and shrinkage has to be entered manually? How am I meant to log: shrinkage of 1 screw, shrinkage of 3 screws, shrinkage of 2 screws?? And then there are the tiny bits: shrinkage of 0.3 of a screw, or 0.4 of a screw... This might sound specific, but it’s reality. It's a maddening way to work. If I have to go item by item, I'm looking at roughly 2,500 different products... By all accounts, this feels like a mission impossible.
There's one more thing: even though there are thousands of shortages, there are just as many surpluses. It's almost entirely just sales errors, which makes total sense for items where the difference might only be, say, 0.5mm. When I looked at the total surplus versus the total shortage, they nearly cancel each other out—with just a tiny adjustment, they'd be identical. So technically, there isn't a net shortage because the surplus covers it, but... will the program even see that? It'll just dump the shortage into the shrinkage category, while I'm left trying to justify the surplus... Maybe with this kind of inventory, shrinkage just isn't practical, even though it definitely happens (due to breakage and waste)!

Am I making more sense now??

Jessica Grant56 said:Thanks, you're a lifesaver. But look—here's the deal: I actually did enter that (see my previous post), using 1/1/1 for Retail II, and then 1/2/2 for VP. But now, I have services under 1/2/2 too, because they’re processed on the SAME register as the VP in the Oracle software. When I tried to set it up, it wouldn't work—it won't recognize 1/2/2 twice since it's the SAME terminal and the SAME space. And now you're saying I should put every terminal under its own number? So the same Oracle setup would be terminal 1, 2, and 3?? I'm honestly not sure if I should do that. Even though it's just one single terminal (Oracle), it acts as multiple warehouses—all within the same room!

Forget about regular versus extraordinary shrinkage for a second; I get that part, it's clear, and I'm not asking for help with it. (Just a side note: the machine doesn't actually calculate the surplus or shortage; you enter those manually during inventory, and the machine just spits out the totals based on what you typed in).

But how on earth am I supposed to record shrinkage when I have those famous 3,000 individual items, and shrinkage has to be entered manually? How am I meant to log: shrinkage of 1 screw, shrinkage of 3 screws, shrinkage of 2 screws?? And then there are the tiny bits: shrinkage of 0.3 of a screw, or 0.4 of a screw... This might sound specific, but it’s reality. It's a maddening way to work. If I have to go item by item, I'm looking at roughly 2,500 different products... By all accounts, this feels like a mission impossible.
There's one more thing: even though there are thousands of shortages, there are just as many surpluses. It's almost entirely just sales errors, which makes total sense for items where the difference might only be, say, 0.5mm. When I looked at the total surplus versus the total shortage, they nearly cancel each other out—with just a tiny adjustment, they'd be identical. So technically, there isn't a net shortage because the surplus covers it, but... will the program even see that? It'll just dump the shortage into the shrinkage category, while I'm left trying to justify the surplus... Maybe with this kind of inventory, shrinkage just isn't practical, even though it definitely happens (due to breakage and waste)!

Am I making more sense now??

Jessica, you can totally split the VP into two separate areas (two warehouses) regardless of them being in the same room—then you'll end up with:

MP
1/1/1
2/1/1 ...

VP
1/2/2
2/2/2
3/2/2 ...one sequence
and
1/3/2
2/3/2
3/3/2...a second sequence

So basically, you have two areas under VP, but still just one terminal.

Carol Price4 said:Jessica, you can totally split the VP into two separate areas (two warehouses) regardless of them being in the same room—then you'll end up with:

MP
1/1/1
2/1/1 ...

VP
1/2/2
2/2/2
3/2/2 ...one sequence
and
1/3/2
2/3/2
3/3/2...a second sequence

So basically, you have two areas under VP, but still just one terminal.

Maybe that works, but probably not for Jessica Grant56.

Come on, Jessica Grant56, since everyone’s already gathered here to hang out with you, just be specific. Stop using vague terms like MP or VP or "services"...

What are you actually using for billing?
A POS system?
Cash receipts?
An Invoice Document?
A Delivery Note?
Approvals?
A prepayment invoice?
A voided prepayment invoice?

Something else? ........

Just list exactly what you use so we can "construct" an internal workflow. I mean, from the physical locations down to the payment devices and the processors. 🙂

Hey there, kind soul—I’ll definitely pay this favor back one day once I actually figure out a bit more about this stuff...

Regarding the retail side, it's pretty straightforward: just the Square terminal, tax filing, and 1/1/1. So, the first hurdle is cleared.

Now, I have a VP, and specifically the type where we pull inventory from the shop floor (which came in via the NBA) and sell it through the VP. To be clear—assuming you guys are using Oracle—I pull the stock from Retail II into Salesforce and generate the invoice right there in Oracle, not at the actual storefront. For instance, if we're talking about invoice #1, it would look like this:

Is it 1/2/1??

Next up: the VP handling standard wholesale. For certain items—pretty niche stuff like maintenance parts that are strictly bank transfers—we record the warehouse intake upon receipt, and again, I write the invoice through Oracle. It looks like this:

Maybe 1/3/1???

Then there are my service jobs, which are also handled solely via bank transfer. Would that fall under 1/4/1??

That’s how I’ve been running things so far, though Oracle tends to act up sometimes because of all the different inventory movements—it occasionally gets its wires crossed. Like, it might book an invoice incorrectly. I just spot it, fix it, and move on. No biggie.

If that's the way it works, fine—but it honestly trips me out a little that one physical space and one computer are basically acting as three different locations (and three different "payment terminals"?). Though, from what I can see, there isn't anyone else involved! So, does that mean for you, every single user counts as a separate location and a separate payment device?? It’s a bit confusing, but I guess it makes sense and is probably the only way to do it. At least for us. But what about them?? There are clearly a lot of unanswered questions here; everything feels a bit rushed and lacks the specific details of my setup—or yours, for that matter. But hey, that's why we have this forum—if the standard way doesn't work, we'll just keep posting until we find our own way.

Richard Howard55 said:Maybe that works, but probably not for Jessica Grant56.

Come on, Jessica Grant56, since everyone’s already gathered here to hang out with you, just be specific. Stop using vague terms like MP or VP or "services"...

What are you actually using for billing?
A POS system?
Cash receipts?
An Invoice Document?
A Delivery Note?
Approvals?
A prepayment invoice?
A voided prepayment invoice?

Something else? ........

Just list exactly what you use so we can "construct" an internal workflow. I mean, from the physical locations down to the payment devices and the processors. 🙂

The POS terminal?
Cash receipt? Well, obviously the one issued by the Clover system
An invoice?
A Delivery Note?
Approval?
A deposit invoice?
A voided deposit invoice?

I think that covers it.

Though, I was digging through the Oracle manual and noticed you can actually mix goods and services on an Invoice Document—which makes sense, really, since Oracle just pulls the product data from the Delivery Note attached to the invoice, so it doesn't actually care what the invoice itself says. But—for me, it matters where the revenue from goods goes versus service revenue, so I still need to double-check that part.

That said, it’s definitely faster and easier to just write up a Delivery Note, but I’m worried that if I do, the stuff I mentioned above won't work properly? I really need to test that out.

I know accountants don't usually deal with this level of detail—most of them probably wouldn't even know how—and honestly, invoices and delivery notes are just a physical headache. But anyway, I'm throwing these questions out there because I think it helps you see where users actually get stuck. For me, it's like this: I've learned enough bookkeeping to manage everything pretty well with a little help here and there, and I KNOW what I'm doing. But the actual paperwork? That's three times more of a struggle for me!!

And man, customers ask the wildest things! Like: "I carry silicone products, and the expiration date passed... How and WHEN do I write that off??" Is it an extraordinary inventory adjustment at any point during the year, or does the end-of-year audit just tally it all up? I assume it's the latter...