How do I enter this information on spreadsheet?

Question

Rent is $3900 over 13 months with one month prepaid. how do I show this on a spreadsheet?

Answer 1

I think we need a little more info to answer your question.  Are you the renter or landlord?  Are you paying the first month or is that your free month?  what do you want the spreadsheet to do?

Having said that maybe the following will help.

Type 3900 in A1

Type your thirteen months across row two (A2 thru M2) (you can use series fill if you know how).

Here I will assume the 1st month is "no Rent" so type in B3:

=$A$1/12

Now fill right to M3 using that formula.  To do that highlight (select) B3 thru M3 then click edit/fill/right.

If this isn't what you are looking for either add details or email me.

Answer 2

Okay.  Assuming one column for each month (plus one for row headings) you need a 13 column spreadsheet.

If you are using the spreadsheet for tracking and projecting cash flow show $600 in the first month (that month's rent plus the prepaid month) and $300 in each of the following 11 months.  The assumption here is that you are prepaying each month's rent.  As a result you are fully paid up by the start of the last month of the lease.

From a financial accounting perspective you should do things differently.  Just show a $300 charge each month for 13 months.  This differs from the cash flow because it is a generally accepted accounting principle that expenses (like rent) be allocated to the accounting period they apply to -- not the accounting period they are paid in.  You would make two bookkeeping entries; one to record the cash outlay and one to record the rent expense.  The entries could be:

  Debit  Prepaid Rent

  Credit Cash

   Debit Rent Expense

   Credit Prepaid Rent

Hope this helps

Jerry-the-bookkeeper