Q: There is an exchange that is signing members up by giving them a trade dollar credit in the exchange equal to the new account set-up fee they choose to start with.
This seems to be a great idea.
The question is… If I post a sale to a member for the purposes of depositing credits into their account (therefore triggering the appropriate 1099 activity for the member), I am getting those credits from my operating account’s credit line. Are the credits I use from my credit line considered income to my exchange once I sell them to someone else?
A: Posting trade dollars from your operating account to a members account would be an expense to your exchange. You are basically spending trade dollars that just haven’t been earned yet. In this particular case, it appears to be a Marketing or Sales Expense, which should offset future trade dollar revenues, but speak to your accountant to be sure.