Gutscheinen, Bookkeeping and Taxes

[Bayrisch_Dude]

Right, this is an odd one.... to me.

I've been a member of the local business club for a time now. I'm quite passive in the club as I simply have neither the time nor desire to attend the odd meeting.

Unbeknownst to me, seems we have Gutscheinen. I've heard FA on these, until a few weeks back when I did some repair work for one of the other local business owner and she asked if I take them. Odd question as it seems they are mandatory to accept, I have since learned. No one, to include other shop owners, have ever asked. Not one time!

I've since learned how they work. I can take it and use it at other shops or cash it in. I have no reason to use it at other shops, except perhaps the office supply, so prefer to cash in.

Here is my issue and it mostly deals with bookkeeping.

1. How does one do bookkeeping? An item costs 100€. I accept payment of 50€ on a credit card and a 50€ Gutschein. I understand that the Gutschein is the equivalent of cash, but it takes time to obtain the cash. This is split payment and makes bookkeeping a mess, at my level of business. How does the bookkeeping work? Receipt Nr. XXX 50€ on date XX and then another subsequent entry showing Receipt XXX 50€, but on date ZZ?

2. Although the receipt has one item listed for 100€, how do I show on the receipt that 50€ was paid with a C/C and the remained with a Gutschein? I'm listing the item and the respective costs, not the types of payments. Or should I?

3. To make matters even more confusing, there is the Bareinnahmen book. There would be an entry for 50€ cash received from the club, but again the receipt indicates the total was 100€.

I have argued that since my business is small (Kleinunternehmer) I would prefer to forego these Gutscheinen. Fell on deaf ears.

Tomorrow someone might come round with a Gutschein or perhaps not until next year. It would be good to have the knowledge ready for that day.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

[kiplette]

Does the club bring any benefits to you at all?

My personal reaction would be to leave quick, before the Gutshein hits the fan, so to speak, but I am famously avoidant.

[Franklan]

How does one do bookkeeping? An item costs 100€. I accept payment of 50€ on a credit card and a 50€ Gutschein. I understand that the Gutschein is the equivalent of cash, but it takes time to obtain the cash. This is split payment and makes bookkeeping a mess, at my level of business. How does the bookkeeping work? Receipt Nr. XXX 50€ on date XX and then another subsequent entry showing Receipt XXX 50€, but on date ZZ?

OK let's assume a guy called Franklan comes to your place and wants to buy something worth 100€, paying 50€ by voucher, 50€ by credit card.
What about you saying "Hey Franklan, it is a PITA for me to handle that concerning the bookkeeping as a business guy, but I will give you 50€ in cash for the voucher as a private guy, so you can pay me (the business dude) 50€ in cash and 50€ by credit card, is that OK with you"?

So, you can now book 50€ by credit card and 50€ as cash as business guy right on the spot; The (delayed) cashing in of the voucher is the private guy's problem.

To go even further:
My idea would be that you even do that without having that conversation with the costumer, you just do it... Business_bavarian_dude accepts the voucher, hands it to Private_bavarian_dude who gives Business_bavarian_dude 50€ cash for that... That's what business_bavarian_dude writes into the books, 50€ cash and 50€ by credit card... The delayed "cashing in" of the voucher is not Business_bavarian_dude's problem anymore, but Private_bavarian_dude has to handle that.

Keep in mind, IANAL!