Comment 5 for bug 388145

See also forumtopic http://openobject.com/forum/post38633.html#38633

In Europe we can basically distinguish 2 kinds of accounting systems when stock is involved;
Anglo-Saxons accounting and the Normandy accounting.

England, but also The Netherlands, Germany and the Nord Europian countries use the Anglo-Saxons accounting principles.
Belgium, France and the line below on the map use the Normandy accounting system.

OpenERP's accounting principles are build upon the Normandy principles I found out last week. Sad and doesn't support the Anglo-Saxons way.
The short coming here I discovered was at the the stock bookings related to the invoice.
We (read Anglo-Saxons countries) do speak about "Cost of Sales" , and take the purchase cost at the moment of sale. We also use 2 interim accounts when purchasing goods. When the goods are received we account the stock input with a contra-booking to a account called "Awaiting Invoice".
When the invoice is received, we book the invoice to the creditor account with again a contra-booking to the account called "Awaiting Invoice"
That way our stock value is linked into the general ledger to the invoice.

Same with selling goods, goods are shipped, contra-account is awaiting invoice, when the invoice is created, contra-account is booked reversed and cost of sales is booked.

OpenERP doesn't now "Cost of Sales" but use "Cost of Purchase" taken at the moment purchase invoice is activated.

My conclusion is that Anglo-Saxion countries have a problem with OpenERP when stock is used!
For all other kind of financial transactions I haven't found any problem yet.