HOA Accounting is the choice for HOA Treasurers

HOAs record money due in the first column and money owed in the second. When the money actually lands in the HOA’s bank account or is paid by the HOA, the entry shifts to the cash column to reflect the true account balance. In this article, we’ll explore all the ins and outs of HOA reserve funds and reserve fund accounting practices for community association managers. Any accounting software for homeowners association should help with your annual budgeting and more. Thousands of HOAs rely on PayHOA as a comprehensive solution for their organization’s needs. With versatile features and a dedication to innovation, PayHOA can manage your finances to create a prosperous HOA.

• If the homeowners association is self-managed, the treasurer will provide you with these reports.
• It’s helpful to review the HOA financials from the previous year in order to prepare for the following year.
• Most notably, you’ll include a line for each business bank account here.
• To find out if PayHOA fits all your HOA management needs, try our software free for 30 days.
• Your general ledger is where you record all of your accounting transactions following the date of occurrence and a numerical order you set known as the HOA chart of accounts.
• The California Civil Code has many requirements for homeowners association interim financial statements.

I want to tell you that our HOA is 39 units and since I am new to QB what I did when I set up the HOA in QB I entered the Quarterly invoices for all owners for the year. When I received payments from those who paid with the current quarter and advanced payments I just let quickbooks pay all the invoices. What I noticed in reports thought is only the current payment due is only showing in the P&L report. With the Accrual Basis method of accounting, your HOA will record revenue and expenses as you earn and spend, regardless of payment status. Because the annual operating budget must be prepared using the accrual basis, the Income Statement should follow on the same basis. The Income Statement compares actual expenses and revenues reported for the period with estimated expenses and revenues reflected in the budget.

How does a chart of accounts work?

Now that you have the basic architecture done, it’s time to drop in all of your level-2 accounts. Doing it this way not only keeps your chart of accounts from becoming a jumbled mess but also helps make identifying accounts easier. The best way to think of a chart of accounts is as a digital filing cabinet. Alternatively, if you want someone to share the workload with you, consider hiring a remote HOA management company. If you’re on the hunt for an HOA management company, our online directory lists the best ones by location.

Recording your financial transactions in this spreadsheet will allow you to identify any seasonal trends or potential gaps in your finances. Finally, the Modified Accrual Basis of Accounting follows the Accrual Basis for reporting revenue and the Cash Basis for reporting expenses. Since the nature of your association requires collecting regular fees from its members, the recurring invoice feature from FreshBooks allows you to plug in your members’ information once. You can also plug it in along with the amount of the fee and the monthly or annual due date. Finally, the Modified Accrual Basis (also known as Modified Cash Basis) is a combination of the first two methods. This practice uses the Accrual Basis for reporting revenues and the Cash Basis for reporting expenses.

Send Recurring Invoices

Financial reporting is an essential component to serving as HOA treasurer. Using the cash basis, the association reports revenues when it receives them, not when it earns them. The cash basis accounting method does not include Assessments Receivable or Prepaid Assessments accounts on the Balance Sheet. Recording of expenses happens when the association pays for them, not when it incurs them. It’s helpful to review the HOA financials from the previous year in order to prepare for the following year. Homeowners associations with high cash flows should get an annual audit by either a staff member of the homeowners association’s management company or a CPA.

The app allows you to sync your accounting software and information across all your devices and collaborate with other members of your team. Double-entry accounting is a more advanced accounting system that gives you access to more information about your financial health. This system accounts for both the debit and credit made in each transaction. A compilation only involves the collation and surface-level checking of records. It also differs from a review, which is a slightly superior form of compilation. Furthermore, the board can use this report to compare actual expenses incurred versus the budget allocated.

Be a more productiveproperty manager

Audits can be expensive, usually costing between $4,000 to $6,000, which is why many HOAs prefer to conduct yearly financial reviews instead. You need a software that’s web-based so you can access it from anywhere; something completely secure from those who are not granted access. You also need a software that is easy to use, will do exactly what you need it to do and is budget-friendly.

Listed under assets are cash, accounts receivable (amounts people owe you), inventory, fixed assets, and the like. The assets portion must also include your association’s remaining balance on unused insurances. hoa accounting With every month that passes, the value of the unused insurances decreases. Before I became an independent, freelance accountant I was the controller for a property management company the managed HOA’s.

There are certain financial reports you’ll need on a monthly basis, including the balance sheet, statement of income and expense, cash disbursements ledger, and the accounts payable report. The following reports are necessary for understanding how much money is coming into and going out of your homeowners association’s accounts. The accrual basis of accounting is generally recommended for homeowners associations as it meets the requirements of the California Civil Code. With the accrual basis, all revenue and expenses appear in the HOA’s Income Statement and amounts are comparable to the budget. While the modified accrual method is less complex than the accrual method, the main downside is it does not always accurately match all expenses and income in the fiscal month in question.

You can present a well designed budget to your Board with summaries and charts within minutes. According to your example, you’ll want to record the whole $3,280.00 in a Sales Receipt and use the Upfront Deposit item that you created from the prior steps. Once the Sales Receipt has been recorded, you’ll want to record a payment on the Invoice using the retainer account you setup. This will debit from the retainer and leave you with the remaining amount for the prepaid expense.

When setting up your HOA accounting standards, there are some key practices and reports you must include. In order to run a homeowners association, you’ll need to understand proper reporting. It’s necessary to pay attention to the HOA financial statements which you’ll get from the homeowners association management company. If the homeowners association is self-managed, the treasurer will provide you with these reports. You’ll need to record the reports using financial software, such as QuickBooks. A homeowners association functions in very much the same way as any business organization.

This report, also called the check register, shows board members the HOA’s written checks. Many board members misunderstand their role when it comes to homeowners association accounting. This becomes a big problem when a financial issue you must handle arises. It’s important to become well-versed in all accounting aspects to better perform your duties in an HOA. Asset Accounts are used to categorize the things that you own and can include items like the cash in your bank accounts, accounts receivable or money owed to you.