Keeping the accounting register step by step

What the accounting register is and what it is for

The accounting register is the chronological record of all the financial movements of the administration: the contributions collected from owners, payments to suppliers, charges, reimbursements and internal transfers. It is often called the day book because it captures events in the order in which they happen, before any reworking for the allocation or the report.

Its function is twofold: on the one hand it lets the manager monitor the common fund and its consistency with the condominium account in real time; on the other it gives owners a verifiable basis. Article 1130-bis indeed provides that the report be accompanied by the accounting register, so that the reader can trace from the final balance back to the individual facts.

Step 1: record movements in order and on time

The key rule is timeliness: each movement must be recorded within a short time of occurring, not reconstructed months later. Recording promptly avoids forgetting minor collections, reduces amount errors and keeps the register aligned with the reality of the account. The order is chronological, by the actual date of the operation.

For each movement the date, the amount, the nature of inflow or outflow, the description and the counterparty must be given. A well-written description, referencing the supplier's invoice or the owner's instalment, is what makes the register legible over time and reconcilable with the bank statement.

Step 2: separate the items and link them to the allocation

It is not enough to record that a certain amount went out: one must know which expense category it belongs to, because that category will determine how the expense is shared among owners under Article 1123 and the applicable thousandths (millesimi) tables. A heating expense, a stairwell-cleaning one and a roof-maintenance one follow different criteria.

Linking each outflow to its category from the moment of recording and, where possible, to the resolution that authorised it, avoids having to reclassify everything at report time. It is the step that turns a list of numbers into accounts that can actually be used for the allocation.

Step 3: reconcile with the current account

Since Article 1129 requires all sums to pass through the account in the condominium's name, the accounting register and the bank statement must tell the same story. Periodic reconciliation, comparing the accounting balance and the bank balance movement by movement, immediately reveals differences, duplicate entries or missing movements.

A reconciliation done regularly is much quicker than one carried out at year end over twelve months of operations. It also acts as a correctness check: if the two balances do not match, there is an error to find before it settles into the report.

Step 4: keep the supporting documents and prepare the report

Every entry should be backed by a supporting document: invoice, receipt, bank record, resolution. Article 1130-bis grants owners and holders of real or enjoyment rights the right to inspect the supporting expense documents at any time and take a copy at their own expense. An orderly register with archived, retrievable documents is the best defence in the event of a dispute.

Keeping all this on paper or on separate sheets is possible but laborious and fragile. AmministraPro records movements in chronological order, links them to categories, owners and suppliers, reconciles them with the current account and carries them straight into the annual report, with the supporting documents attached. The accounting features are described on the /funzioni page, while the plans are on /prezzi.

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