[IMP] accounting: add extra details and tips to Deferred Revenues documentation (odoo#519)

Author: jcs-odoo

accounting/receivables/customer_invoices/deferred_revenues.rst

@@ -1,74 +1,78 @@
 =================
 Deferred Revenues
 =================
-**Deferred revenues**, or **unearned revenue**, are payments made in advance
-by  customers for products yet to deliver or services yet to render.
+**Deferred revenues**, or **unearned revenue**, are payments made in advance by customers for
+products yet to deliver or services yet to render.
 
-Such payments are a **liability** for the company that receives 
-them since it still owes its customers these products or services.
-The company cannot report them on the current **Profit and Loss statement**, 
-or *Income Statement*, since the payments will be effectively 
-earned in the future.
+Such payments are a **liability** for the company that receives them since it still owes its
+customers these products or services. The company cannot report them on the current **Profit and
+Loss statement**, or *Income Statement*, since the payments will be effectively earned in the future.
 
-These future revenues must be deferred on the company's balance sheet
-until the moment in time they can be **recognized**, at once or over a
-defined period, on the Profit and Loss statement. 
+These future revenues must be deferred on the company's balance sheet until the moment in time they
+can be **recognized**, at once or over a defined period, on the Profit and Loss statement.
 
-For example, let's say we sell a five-year extended warranty for $ 350.
-We already receive the money now but haven't earned it yet. Therefore, 
-we post this new income in a deferred revenue account and decide to
-recognize it on a yearly basis. Each year, for the next 5 years, $ 70 
-will be recognized as revenue.
+For example, let's say we sell a five-year extended warranty for $ 350. We already receive the money
+now but haven't earned it yet. Therefore, we post this new income in a deferred revenue account and
+decide to recognize it on a yearly basis. Each year, for the next 5 years, $ 70 will be recognized
+as revenue.
 
-Odoo Accounting handles deferred revenues by spreading them in multiple
-entries that are automatically created periodically.
+Odoo Accounting handles deferred revenues by spreading them in multiple entries that are
+automatically created in *draft mode* and then posted periodically.
 
+.. note::
+   The server checks once a day if an entry must be posted. It might then take up to 24 hours before
+   you see a change from *draft* to *posted*.
 
 Prerequisites
 =============
-Such transactions must be posted on a **Deferred Revenue Account** rather than
-on the default income account.
+
+Such transactions must be posted on a **Deferred Revenue Account** rather than on the default income
+account.
 
 Configure a Deferred Revenue Account
 ------------------------------------
-To configure your account in the **Chart of Accounts**,
-go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Chart of Accounts`,
-click on *Create*, and fill out the form.
+
+To configure your account in the **Chart of Accounts**, go to
+:menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Chart of Accounts`, click on *Create*, and fill out
+the form.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues01.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Configuration of a Deferred Revenue Account in Odoo Accounting
 
 .. note::
-   This account's type must be either *Current Liabilities* or *Non-current
-   Liabilities*
+   This account's type must be either *Current Liabilities* or *Non-current Liabilities*
 
 Post an income to the right account
 -----------------------------------
+
 Select the account on a draft invoice
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-On a draft invoice, select the right account for all the products of which the 
-incomes must be deferred.
+
+On a draft invoice, select the right account for all the products of which the incomes must be
+deferred.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues02.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Selection of a Deferred Revenue Account on a draft invoice in Odoo Accounting
 
 Choose a different Income Account for specific products
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Start editing the product, go to the *Accounting* tab, select the right
-**Income Account**, and save. 
+
+Start editing the product, go to the *Accounting* tab, select the right **Income Account**, and
+save.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues03.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Change of the Income Account for a product in Odoo 
 
 .. tip::
-   It is possible to automate the creation of revenue entries for these products
-   (see: `Automate the Deferred Revenues`_).
+   It is possible to automate the creation of revenue entries for these products (see:
+   `Automate the Deferred Revenues`_).
 
 Change the account of a posted journal item
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
 To do so, open your Sales Journal by going to 
 :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Sales`, select the journal item you
 want to modify, click on the account, and select the right one. 
@@ -77,116 +81,112 @@ want to modify, click on the account, and select the right one.
    :align: center
    :alt: Modification of a posted journal item's account in Odoo Accounting 
 
-
 Deferred Revenues entries
 =========================
+
 Create a new entry
 ------------------
-A **Deferred Revenues entry** automatically generates journal entries at 
-the right time until the full amount of the income is recognized.
 
-To create a new entry, go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Deferred
-Revenues`, click on *Create*, and fill out the form.
+A **Deferred Revenues entry** automatically generates all journal entries in *draft mode*. They are
+then posted one by one at the right time until the full amount of the income is recognized.
 
-Click on **select related purchases** to link an existing journal item to
-this new entry. Some fields are then automatically filled out, and the 
-journal item is now listed under the **Related Sales** tab.
+To create a new entry, go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Deferred Revenues`, click
+on *Create*, and fill out the form.
+
+Click on **select related purchases** to link an existing journal item to this new entry. Some
+fields are then automatically filled out, and the journal item is now listed under the **Related
+Sales** tab.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues05.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Deferred Revenue entry in Odoo Accounting
 
-Once done, you can click on *Compute Revenue* (next to the *Confirm*
-button) to generate all the values of the **Revenue Board**. This board
-shows you all the entries that Odoo will post to recognize your
-revenue, and at which date.
+Once done, you can click on *Compute Revenue* (next to the *Confirm* button) to generate all the
+values of the **Revenue Board**. This board shows you all the entries that Odoo will post to
+recognize your revenue, and at which date.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues06.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Revenue Board in Odoo Accounting   
 
 What does "Prorata Temporis" mean?
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-The **Prorata Temporis** feature is useful to recognize your revenue
-the most accurately possible. 
 
-With this feature, the first entry on the Revenue Board is computed based 
-on the time left between the *Prorata Date* and the *First Recognition Date* 
-rather than the default amount of time between recognitions.
+The **Prorata Temporis** feature is useful to recognize your revenue the most accurately possible.
 
-For example, the Revenue Board above has its first revenue with an amount of 
-$ 4.22 rather than $ 70.00. Consequently, the last entry is also lower and
-has an amount of $ 65.78.
+With this feature, the first entry on the Revenue Board is computed based on the time left between
+the *Prorata Date* and the *First Recognition Date* rather than the default amount of time between
+recognitions.
 
+For example, the Revenue Board above has its first revenue with an amount of $ 4.22 rather than
+$ 70.00. Consequently, the last entry is also lower and has an amount of $ 65.78.
 
 Deferred Entry from the Sales Journal
 -------------------------------------
+
 You can create a deferred entry from a specific journal item in your **Sales Journal**. 
 
 To do so, open your Sales Journal by going to 
-:menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Sales`, and select the journal item you
-want to defer. Make sure that it is posted in the right account (see: `Change the
-account of a posted journal item`_).  
+:menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Sales`, and select the journal item you want to defer.
+Make sure that it is posted in the right account (see:
+`Change the account of a posted journal item`_).
 
-Then, click on *Action*, select **Create Deferred Entry**, and fill out the form the
-same way you would do to `create a new entry`_.
+Then, click on *Action*, select **Create Deferred Entry**, and fill out the form the same way you
+would do to `create a new entry`_.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues07.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Create Deferred Entry from a journal item in Odoo Accounting
-   
 
 Deferred Revenue Models
 =======================
-You can create **Deferred Revenue Models** to create your Deferred Revenue
-entries faster.
 
-To create a model, go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Deferred
-Revenue Models`, click on *Create*, and fill out the form the same way you would
-do to create a new entry.
+You can create **Deferred Revenue Models** to create your Deferred Revenue entries faster.
+
+To create a model, go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Deferred Revenue Models`,
+click on *Create*, and fill out the form the same way you would do to create a new entry.
 
 .. tip::
    You can also convert a *confirmed Deferred Revenue entry* into a model by
    opening it from :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Deferred
-   Revenues` and then, by clicking on the button **Save Model**.
-   
+   Revenues` and then, by clicking on the button *Save Model*.
+
 Apply a Deferred Revenue Model to a new entry
 ---------------------------------------------
-When you create a new Deferred Revenue entry,  fill out the **Deferred Revenue
-Account** with the right recognition account.
 
-New buttons with all the models linked to that account appear at the top of the form.
-Clicking on a model button fills out the form according to that model.
+When you create a new Deferred Revenue entry,  fill out the **Deferred Revenue Account** with the
+right recognition account.
+
+New buttons with all the models linked to that account appear at the top of the form. Clicking on a
+model button fills out the form according to that model.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues08.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Deferred Revenue model button in Odoo Accounting
 
 Automate the Deferred Revenues
 ==============================
-When you create or edit an account of which the type is either *Current Liabilities*
-or *Non-current Liabilities*, you can configure it to defer the revenues that
-are credited on it automatically.
+
+When you create or edit an account of which the type is either *Current Liabilities* or *Non-current
+Liabilities*, you can configure it to defer the revenues that are credited on it automatically.
 
 You have three choices for the **Automate Deferred Revenue** field:
 
 #. **No:** this is the default value. Nothing happens.
-#. **Create in draft:** whenever a transaction is posted on the account, a draft
-   *Deferred Revenues entry* is created, but not validated. You must first
-   fill out the form in :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Deferred Revenues`.
-#. **Create and validate:** you must also select a Deferred Revenue Model
-   (see: `Deferred Revenue Models`_). Whenever a transaction is posted on
-   the account, a *Deferred Revenues entry* is created and immediately
-   validated.
+#. **Create in draft:** whenever a transaction is posted on the account, a draft *Deferred Revenues
+   entry* is created, but not validated. You must first fill out the form in
+   :menuselection:`Accounting --> Accounting --> Deferred Revenues`.
+#. **Create and validate:** you must also select a Deferred Revenue Model (see:
+   `Deferred Revenue Models`_). Whenever a transaction is posted on the account, a *Deferred
+   Revenues entry* is created and immediately validated.
 
 .. image:: media/deferred_revenues09.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Automate Deferred Revenue on an account in Odoo Accounting
 
 .. tip::
-   You can, for example, select this account as the default **Income Account** 
-   of a product to fully automate its sale completely. (see: `Choose a different
-   Income Account for specific products`_).
+   You can, for example, select this account as the default **Income Account** of a product to fully
+   automate its sale completely. (see: `Choose a different Income Account for specific products`_).
 
 .. seealso::
    * :doc:`../../others/configuration/account_type`