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In accounting and finance a journal is a way to record business transactions such as debits and credits. If your organisation issues equity (a part of your organisation often referred to as 'shares') then you might want to record this in an allotment journal.
This article will take a closer look at allotment of shares journal entries and where to find templates online.
An allotment journal or journal entry is a document that is used to keep a record of the number of shares allocated to each member with the date when these shares were given. The document can be fairly short and typically only needs to include debit and credit information as well as the number of shares issued.
You can use this type of document to record any instances of when your organisation might allocate shares (common or preferred shares). You should use an allotment of shares journal if your organisation issues equity and wants to record this information. You may also need to use it if you are required by law to record the distribution of equity of your organisation.
The journal entry would detail all information related to the record of stock (common or preferred) that had been issued.
You might include information such as:
Keep in mind this information to include may vary slightly across different organisations.
You won't need to add information on your current shareholders or any additional information such as the personal details of shareholders. The allotment of shares journal entries also do not need to include information related to the performance of the shares.
It could be useful to explore existing journals to gain a better understanding of what to include and what could be excluded.
An allotment journal is a useful way to record information related to an equity trade. For accounting and auditing purposes it can be very effective. You may also have legal requirements to report and record this information, and so the allotment journal would let you keep track of and provide it if required.
To record the information within your journal you may not need to engage the services of a lawyer. You can use free online templates to see how the journal should be set out and what to include.
In order to be able to record the information related to equity that might be allocated as shares you'd need to have all the information related to the transaction. Again, this information is likely to include: debit information, credit information as well as the number of shares that have been issued.
There are a number of helpful legal brands which provide examples of journals to record equity allocation, such as LawPath and Law On Earth among a number of others.