Definition of partnership and its essential features: Partnership is defined as Relation between persons who have agreed to share the profits of a business carried on by all or any one of them acting for all.
The essential features of partnership are:
- To form a partnership, there must be at least two persons
- It is created by an agreement
- The agreement should be for carrying on some legal business
- Sharing of profits and losses
- Relationship of mutual agency among the partners
Meaning and contents of partnership deed: A document which contains the terms of partnership as agreed among the partners is called Partnership Deed. It usually contains information about all aspects affecting relationship between partners, including objective of business, contribution of capital by each partner, ratio in which profit and losses will be shared by the partners, entitlement of partners to interest on capital, interest on loan and the rules to be followed in case of admission, retirement, death, dissolution, etc.
Provisions of Partnership Act 1932 applicable to accounting: If partnership deed is silent in respect of certain aspects, the relevant provisions of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 become applicable. According to the Partnership Act, the partners share profits equally, no partner is entitled to remuneration, no interest on capital is allowed and no interest on drawings is charged. However, if any partner has given some loan to the firm, he is entitled to interest on such amount at 6% per annum.
Preparation of capital accounts under fixed and fluctuating capital methods: All transactions relating to partners are recorded in their respective capital accounts in the books of the firm. There can be two methods of maintaining Capital Accounts. These are
- fluctuating capital method
- fixed capital method
Under fluctuating capital method, all the transactions relating to a partner are directly recorded in the capital account. Under fixed capital method, however the amount of capital remains fixed, the transactions like interest on capital, drawings, interest on drawings, salary, commission, share of profit or loss are recorded in a separate account called Partner’s Current Account.
Distribution of profit and loss: The distribution of profits among the partners is shown through a Profit and Loss Appropriation Account, which is merely an extension of the Profit and Loss Account. It is usually debited with interest on capital and salary/commission allowed to the partners, and credited with net profit as per Profit and Loss Account and the interest on drawings. The balance being profit or loss is distributed among the partners in the profit sharing ratio and transferred to their respective capital accounts.
Treatment of guarantee of minimum profit to a partner: Sometimes, a partner may be guaranteed a minimum amount by way of his share in profits. If, in any year, the share of profits as calculated according to his profit sharing ratio is less than the guaranteed amount, the deficiency is made good by the guaranteeing partners’ in the agreed ratio which usually is the profit sharing ratio. If, however, such guarantee has been given by any of them, he or they alone shall bear the amount of deficiency.
Treatment of past adjustments: If, after the final accounts have been prepared, some omission or commissions are noticed say in respect of the interest on capital, interest on drawings, partner’s salary, commission, etc. necessary adjustments can be made in the partner’s capital accounts through the Profit and Loss Adjustment Account, to rectify the same.
Preparation of final accounts of a partnership firm: There is not much difference in the final accounts of a sole proprietary concern and that of a partnership firm except that in case of a partnership firm an additional account called Profit and Loss Appropriation Account is prepared to show distribution of profit and loss among the partners.