Association accounts

[Gyn_Paul]

I have just taken over as treasurer of a small Drama association, and am currently setting the accounts onto a spreadsheet, I'm wondering what is the correct way of treating assets.

Obviously stuff bought for each production (making sets, costumes etc.) is a consumable as much as food and drink, but what do I do about other stuff we've bought like lighting and sound kit?

Do I treat them as a fixed-value asset, or write them down over a number of years?.... write them off after one year?? (They'd probably last about 10 yrs in reality).

We're not talking megga-bucks here, but that's no reason to not do the thing properly.

I freely admit to knowing nothing of how the French set out their accounts other than the fact that they clearly haven't the slightest idea how to present a bank statement!

[idun]

 I would not worry about such things if I were you. Your association has  bought stuff and I would I would simply class it as expenditure! The reason being that things get broken, damaged, breakdown, or someone takes them home and such things happen there or things simply get lost.. 

Also, if yours is run in anyway like those associations I was a member of, then our associations at least benefited from much good will, people donating goods and their time, or specifically making things for us without charge. And such 'advantages' never went on the books either. We accepted all kind acts, with gratitude.

And I am just wondering who would stock take, who would become really responsible for everything if it had value and it's maintenance, over the next few years. Our mairie used to give us a subvention and want a copy of our books, so, if you are really in doubt ask your mairie.

Apart from being a member of several association committees, I was treasurer of two and chair of one. We always kept it simple.

[NormanH]

I haven't any experience of the actual book-keeping detail that you need, but you might find some help if you explore here:

http://www.associations.gouv.fr/119-la-reglementation-comptable.html