What is Partnership in Accounting?
A partnership is an association between two or more people who form a company and equally divide both the profits and the losses of that company. This type of business structure can include more than two people. The Indian Partnership Act defines a "partnership" as a "relationship between individuals" in which "all or any of them acting for all" carry out business activities with the intention of sharing profits. The term "partnership" is used to refer to this type of "relationship between individuals."
Defining Partnership and its Features
Characteristics of Accounting for Partnership Firm
Specific characteristics are universal to all partnerships: Some features and fundamentals of partnership are:
More than Two People: There must be at least two people involved for a business to be considered a partnership. The number of partners in a partnership may not exceed the limit established by the Central Government under Section 464 of the Companies Act 2013. There is a cap of fifty participants.
Agreement: When two or more individuals work together, they must formalise their connection with a written contract. A written agreement is desirable to prevent misunderstandings in the future, although an oral agreement is acceptable.
Business: Partnership hopes to achieve goals with its commercial endeavours are essential.
Cooperative Agency: A fundamental feature of a partnership, it ensures that all partners have a say in running the company.
Profit Sharing: There is a consensus among all companies and partnerships that all earnings and losses will be split equally.
Partners' Liability: Since each partner is personally responsible for the conduct of the partnership, any or all of the member's assets may be liquidated to satisfy the obligations incurred due to the partnership's actions.
Indian Partnership Act Provisions
Provisions for Indian Partnership Act
The following is a list of provisions of the Indian Partnership Act that apply to partnership deeds. These requirements were included in the chapter that dealt with accounting for partnership basic concepts.
The Ratio of Profit Sharing: If the partnership deed does not explicitly specify; otherwise, each partner contributes an equal amount to either the profits or the losses of the business.
Capital-Based Interest: If the partnership deed does not explicitly state that partners are entitled to interests on the capital they have contributed, then the partners will not be able to claim such goods.
Compensated Interest in Drawings: There is no possibility of any interest in the designs that the partners did.
Funds Invested in Borrowing Interest: If one of the partners has provided financial assistance to the partnership business, then that partner is eligible to receive interest payments at a rate of 6% per year.
Financial Compensation for the Business: Unless the partnership agreement explicitly states otherwise, partners do not have the right to receive remuneration from the business.
Partnership Accounts: Special Considerations
Special Considerations for Partnership Accounts
Partnership accounts have unique characteristics recognised by the field of partnership accounting.
Partner Profit Sharing: According to the Partnership Act of India, unless the partnership agreement specifies a different ratio, the profit and loss are split evenly among all partners. As a result, businesses create the Profit and Loss Appropriation Account to allocate the financial results.
An appropriation of earnings accounts functions similarly to an earnings account. After deducting expenses like the partner's salary, commission, interest on drawings, etc., the account can be used to hand out the remaining profits.
The Rate of Return on Capital: Accounting for partnerships typically does not give partners any share of the firm's capital contributions. If interest is to be credited, it will be at the rate specified in the deed. Interest is paid in two different scenarios. If both parties contribute equally to the capital, but only half of the earnings are shared, or if one party contributes more money while the other party gets all the money.
Conclusion
A partnership is an agreement between two or more persons to manage a company's operations and participate equally in the profits and losses of that firm. In a business structured as a general partnership, each member contributes equally to the enterprise's earnings and liabilities. The formation of a limited liability partnership is common among professionals such as physicians and attorneys. Compared to a corporation, a partnership could provide more favourable tax treatment.
FAQs on Accounting for Partnership Firm
1. What is meant by the maintenance of a Partner Capital Account?
Each partner's capital account activity must be tracked and documented by the business. Your capital contributions, earnings distributions, appreciation, capital appreciation, interest on capital, interest on draws, and everything else are all recorded in these accounts.
You may keep track of your capital accounts using either the fixed capital or the variable capital technique. Each investor is responsible for two separate books using the fixed capital approach. A capital account and a current account are the two types of accounts. The former demonstrates the financial commitment of the partners, while the latter includes revenue, expenses, and compensation. Unless additional funds are added or taken out, the starting capital will not change.
2. What does the term new profit sharing ratio mean?
When a new partner is brought into an existing partnership, the ratio at which the partners agree to divide future profit and loss is called the "new profit sharing ratio." Not many benefits are offered to a new partner when he is accepted into an established partnership. He gets his cut of the money from the original investors. In other words, when a new partner is admitted, the current partners sacrifice some of their profit to be kind to their new companion.
3. How is a partnership different from other businesses?
An organisation may be structured as a partnership if two or more people are involved in running the firm (the partners). The partners enter into a legal document (the partnership agreement) outlining the parameters of their business relationship, including how they would divide up ownership, duties, and financial returns.
Partnerships define corporate responsibilities and relationships. Partners are individually accountable for partnership debts, unlike LLCs or corporations. Thus creditors may go after their assets. For this reason, prospective partners should be very picky.
