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  3. Accounting

double contrepartie

English translation: double offsetting entries

12:54 Jun 12, 2020
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Accounting / double contrepartie
French term or phrase: double contrepartie
En 2019, le Groupe a fait évoluer sa politique d’activation des charges : les coûts sont désormais comptabilisés directement au bilan en immobilisations, sans passer par la ***double contrepartie*** charges / production immobilisée.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
tatyana000
Local time: 05:30
English translation:double offsetting entries
Explanation:
There's no question that "double-entry bookkeeping" is done by default (there is no other accounting method that's used), but in the accounting field, it's common to refer to offsetting entries.

In the source text at hand, they are referring to the company's expense capitalization policy. Expense capitalization refers to the recognition of expenses in the balance sheet as fixed assets that are depreciated or amortized over time, as they are not used up immediately. For example, if you buy a utility vehicle that has a useful life of 5 years and you paid $5,000 for it, then that $5,000 will be a capitalized expense (i.e., it will increase your capital) and the cost will be depreciated (reducing the capital) over the next five years. Once fully depreciated, the cost of the vehicle will be fully expensed.

Here's my attempt at translating your sentence:
In 2019, the Group changed its expense capitalization policy to the effect that going forward costs are recognized in the balance sheet as fixed assets without posting double offsetting entries in the relevant expense and asset accounts.

Just a note on my translation: The French have their own particular chart of accounts, including one specifically for "capitalized costs," but as far as I know, you would otherwise use the relevant asset account. See this link for more info: http://www.plancomptable.com/titre-IV/titre-IV_chapitre-IV_s...

More references:
In the link https://smallbusiness.chron.com/capitalize-asset-income-stat... it says:

"Prepare a journal entry to capitalize the total costs you've calculated. Increase the general ledger asset account with a debit on the first line of the entry. On the second line, record the offsetting decrease in the general ledger cash account with a credit."

Another reference explaining the concept:
https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/when-should-costs-be-ex...

An "offsetting entry" is normally translated as écriture de contrepartie. Take a look at how many hits it gets on Linguee:
https://www.linguee.fr/anglais-francais/traduction/offsettin...
Selected response from:

Michael Grabczan-Grabowski
Canada
Local time: 21:30
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4double entry bookkeeping
Francois Boye
3 +1double offsetting entries
Michael Grabczan-Grabowski
2dual counterparts
SafeTex
3 -1double compensation
Lisa Rosengard


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
dual counterparts


Explanation:
Hello
I simply see this as the same entry in the past which was registered under the dual items charges/production immobilisée.
But at the same time, I'm far from sure!

SafeTex
France
Local time: 05:30
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
double entry bookkeeping


Explanation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-entry_bookkeeping

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 23:30
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 150

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Adrian MM.: with a double-match entry of: https://eng.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/it-information-... html https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comptabilité_en_partie_double
25 mins
  -> Thanks!
neutral  Elisabeth Richard: The double entry system is mandatory. So double entry might work (it would actually be quadruple entry here I guess), but not "double entry bookkeeping".
1 hr
  -> The double entry is part of a system called bookkeeping or accounting
neutral  philgoddard: I agree with Elisabeth.
4 hrs
  -> The double entry is part of a system called bookkeeping or accounting
disagree  Daryo: you missed the point: the whole bookkeeping is based on the "double entry" system- the point here is that that type of operation was previously accounted through two "double entries" (credit/debit acc A/acc B then credit/debit acc B/acc C)
1 day 11 hrs
  -> You need to be trained in bookkeeping/accounting to practice double entry.y
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
double compensation


Explanation:
Dictionary definition of 'contrepartie' is 'compensation'.

Example sentence(s):
  • The Group made its activation plan evolve from charges. The costs are from then on counted directly by consequence of mobilizations without going through the double compensation - immobilized production charges.
  • Le Groupe a fait évoluer sa politique d'activation des charges. Les coûts sont désormais comptabilisés directement au bilan en mobilisations sans passer par la double contrepartie, charges / production immobilisé
Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Daryo: ONE of SEVERAL possible meanings 'contrepartie' is 'compensation' - not the one that fits here
1 day 6 hrs
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
double offsetting entries


Explanation:
There's no question that "double-entry bookkeeping" is done by default (there is no other accounting method that's used), but in the accounting field, it's common to refer to offsetting entries.

In the source text at hand, they are referring to the company's expense capitalization policy. Expense capitalization refers to the recognition of expenses in the balance sheet as fixed assets that are depreciated or amortized over time, as they are not used up immediately. For example, if you buy a utility vehicle that has a useful life of 5 years and you paid $5,000 for it, then that $5,000 will be a capitalized expense (i.e., it will increase your capital) and the cost will be depreciated (reducing the capital) over the next five years. Once fully depreciated, the cost of the vehicle will be fully expensed.

Here's my attempt at translating your sentence:
In 2019, the Group changed its expense capitalization policy to the effect that going forward costs are recognized in the balance sheet as fixed assets without posting double offsetting entries in the relevant expense and asset accounts.

Just a note on my translation: The French have their own particular chart of accounts, including one specifically for "capitalized costs," but as far as I know, you would otherwise use the relevant asset account. See this link for more info: http://www.plancomptable.com/titre-IV/titre-IV_chapitre-IV_s...

More references:
In the link https://smallbusiness.chron.com/capitalize-asset-income-stat... it says:

"Prepare a journal entry to capitalize the total costs you've calculated. Increase the general ledger asset account with a debit on the first line of the entry. On the second line, record the offsetting decrease in the general ledger cash account with a credit."

Another reference explaining the concept:
https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/when-should-costs-be-ex...

An "offsetting entry" is normally translated as écriture de contrepartie. Take a look at how many hits it gets on Linguee:
https://www.linguee.fr/anglais-francais/traduction/offsettin...

Michael Grabczan-Grabowski
Canada
Local time: 21:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Daryo
1 day 5 hrs
  -> Thanks!
disagree  Francois Boye: La compta A partie double = Double entry bookkeeping
1 day 6 hrs
  -> M. François, il n'est pas de bon ton de contester la suggestion de quelqu'un d'autre lorsque vous avez posté la vôtre. En tout cas, votre commentaire n'a aucun sens. Lisez s.v.p. les informations contenues dans les liens que j'ai fournis.
agree  Elisabeth Richard: Exactly
2 days 12 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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