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buyer
Level 1

Credit card rebates in contra account

In QuickBooks Desktop, I've put credit card rebates in an income account, but then they are on the nonprofit Statement of Financial Income and Expense (P&L statement). I'd rather use a contra account as a subaccount of the credit card account because it's really not income. I tried setting up such an account, but using the Credit Card refund form, I got unwanted offsetting entries. Short of making a journal entry, what am I doing wrong?

Solved
Best answer 2 weeks ago

Best Answers
Rainflurry
Level 15

Credit card rebates in contra account

@buyer 

 

The issue is that you're trying to make the rebate a sub-account of the cc liability account.  That creates both a cc debit (reduction in cc liability, which you want) and a cc contra sub-account credit (offsetting increase in liability, which you don't want).  Rebates are considered a contra-expense account, not a contra-liability account.  They will, and should, reduce expenses on your P&L (NFP Statement of Activities).  CC rebates are technically not considered part of gross income, but they do increase net income because they reduce expenses.   

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2 Comments 2
Rainflurry
Level 15

Credit card rebates in contra account

@buyer 

 

The issue is that you're trying to make the rebate a sub-account of the cc liability account.  That creates both a cc debit (reduction in cc liability, which you want) and a cc contra sub-account credit (offsetting increase in liability, which you don't want).  Rebates are considered a contra-expense account, not a contra-liability account.  They will, and should, reduce expenses on your P&L (NFP Statement of Activities).  CC rebates are technically not considered part of gross income, but they do increase net income because they reduce expenses.   

buyer
Level 1

Credit card rebates in contra account

Thank you for suggesting the use a contra expense account. Because I'm required to use functional expenses, I'm allocating 2/3 to programs and 1/3 to management.

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