Special Items and their Accounting: Subscriptions, Donations (2024)

Accounting for NPO

Non-Profit Organizations are established for the welfare of the society or for the promotion of art and culture in society. These are set up with a service motive, unlike other organizations which have profit earning as their motive.

Also, the trustees who are elected by the members of the organization manage them. In order to meet their objectives, these organizations raise funds from its members as well as from the general public.

Charitable institutions, religious organizations, clubs, educational institutions, trade unions, etc. are examples of Non-Profit Organizations. However, there are some special items which we will discuss here.

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Special Items and their Accounting

The main motive of the non-profit organizations is to provide service. However, they can earn profits in the due course. Usually, they do not manufacture, purchase or sell goods or provide services.

Hence, they do not prepare Trading and Profit and Loss A/c instead they prepare Receipts and Payments A/c, Income and Expenditure A/c, and Balance Sheet.

Special Items and their Accounting: Subscriptions, Donations (8)

Some of the items of revenue and expenses of the non-profit organizations are special in nature and thus, require special treatment. These special items are:

Entrance Fees

It is the amount which a member pays at the time of admission. Thus, it is a one-time fee and also non-recurring in nature. As per the rules of the organization, it is either capitalized or treated as revenue.

The assumption behind treating it as a revenue receipt is that admission of a member is a regular activity and it will receive such fees every year.

Donations

The organization may utilize this amount for meeting revenue or capital expenses. However, when it receives the donations for a special purpose then it needs to credit this amount to a separate fund before disbursing it.

The organization can invest this fund in securities and has to credit the income from these investments to the fund. It can treat the donation receipts, not for any specific purpose as revenue receipts.

Legacy

It is the amount which passes to a trust after the death of the person in whose memory the trust is formed. Thus, legacy is the one-time and non-recurring receipt. It thus becomes a part if the capital fund.

Endowments

It is the amount that is received in the form of donations but has to be utilized only as per the directions of the donor. Thus, these are capital receipts.

Life membership Fees

At the time of receipt, the organization may treat it as deferred receipt and credit every year a specific amount to the Income and Expenditure A/c. Alternatively, it can treat it as a capital receipt and debit a specific amount every year.

Subscriptions

It is the amount that a member pays every year as the membership fees to the organization. These are the revenue receipts and also the major source of income. These are recognized based on the accrual concept.

Though the non-profit organizations do not trade in goods or provide services with a profit motive, they also need to keep proper records of incomes, expenses, assets, and liabilities.

They need to keep proper books due to their accountability towards the members and the contributors and also because the requirements of law so that the government can keep proper control over the grants.

These organizations maintain Capital Fund or General Fund A/c. They credit this account with the surplus, life membership fees, donations, legacies, etc.

Solved Example onSpecial Items

What are the financial statements required to be made by non-profit organizations?

Ans.

Non-profit organizations also need to maintain proper books of accounts. The financial statements assist them in getting the donations from the present and the future contributors. The final accounts of these organizations consist of:

  1. Receipts and Payments A/c: This account is the summary of the cash and bank transactions and aids in the preparation of Income and Expenditure A/c and Balance Sheet.
  2. Income and Expenditure A/c: This account is similar to the Profit and Loss A/c and determines the surplus or deficit if any.
  3. Balance Sheet: Weprepare it in the same manner as the Balance Sheet of concerns with the profit motive.
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Special Items and their Accounting: Subscriptions, Donations (2024)

FAQs

What are special items in accounting? ›

Special Items are significant transactions or other events within the control of management that are either unusual in nature or infrequent in occurrence and are reported on the operating statement before extraordinary items.

What is the example for special donation? ›

Specific Donation:

In case the donor specifies the purpose for which the donation should be used, it is a Specific Donation. For example, a donor donates ₹ 10,00,000 for the library. It means the donation should be used only for the library, i.e., it is a specific donation.

What is specific donation in accounting? ›

A specific donation is one in respect of which the donor has specified restrictions or conditions limiting the way in which the funds can be spent.

How are donations recorded in accounting? ›

Accounting for donations works the same as any other transaction. Even though you are donating and not making a profit, you still need to know how to debit and credit the appropriate accounts. Debits increase asset and expense accounts and decrease equity, liability, and revenue accounts.

What are examples of special items? ›

Examples of special items are restructuring charges, special executive compensation, asset write-offs, litigation settlements, income from discontinuation of debt, etc.

What are exceptional items and extraordinary items? ›

What do we understand by exceptional and extraordinary items? Let us begin by looking at exceptional items as a transaction that is not in the normal course of business. An extraordinary item can be a source of income or expense. Hence, an extraordinary item can either enhance the profits or can reduce the profits.

What is a good sentence for donation? ›

Examples of “please donate” messages:

Please support our cause with a small donation today!” “Your donation will make a real impact on the lives of others. Please consider donating today. Thank you for your generosity.”

What do you say when asking for donations examples? ›

Dear [Donor Name], Today, I'm writing to ask you to support [cause]. By donating just [amount], you can [specific impact]. To donate, [specific action]. Thank you for joining [cause's] efforts during this [adjective] time—It's supporters like you that help us change the world every day.

How do you write a donation sentence? ›

Ask for a specific amount, but make it clear that any support will be appreciated. If possible, tie your request to a specific impact it will have. For example: “Your donation of $25 will help provide a backpack full of school supplies for a local student in need.”

What is subscription in accounting? ›

In case of Not-for-profit organisation Subscription is the main source of income. A subscription is basically the amount of money paid by the members on periodic basis for keeping their membership with the organisation continue. It may be paid monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually by the members.

What is the difference between a donation and a subscription? ›

A donation model encourages audiences to give their time or money to an institution in support of a common cause or common values. Donation conveys a charitable relationship. A subscription model requires audiences to pay money to get access to a product or service.

What is subscription in advance in accounting? ›

Answer and Explanation:

Subscriptions received in advance by a firm during an accounting year should be categorized as a liability because the firm has received the revenue but the corresponding services are yet to be delivered to the customers.

What is the difference between an extraordinary and special item? ›

Extraordinary items are significant transactions or events that are unusual and infrequent which are within management's control while a special item is a significant transaction that is unusual or infrequent but within management's control.

What are unusual items in financial statements? ›

Examples of unusual or infrequent items include gains or losses from a lawsuit; losses or slowdown of operations due to natural disasters; restructuring costs; gains or losses from the sale of assets; costs associated with acquiring another business; losses from the early retirement of debt; and plant shutdown costs.

What are earnings before special items? ›

Core Earnings is before special items and depreciation, defined as ((Sales – Cost of Goods Sold – Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses)/Sales), where Cost of Goods Sold and Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses exclude Depreciation and Amortization, as determined by Compustat.

What are special items in Plain Sight 2? ›

Special items are map-specific items that have a random chance of spawning. These items have a high weight-to-value ratio, making them extremely valuable to thieves. Special items have a fixed location on each map but spawn at a much lower rate than regular items. They can be identified in game with a blue name color.

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