Alright so my cuzo. is in realestate. and a broker. and they work together. and they both pay for a secretary.
so his total commission =$10000
and the secretary gets paid=$350
and he gets %70 and his broker %30
So his broker goes the math in splitting it up. But my cuzin feels that he is getting ripped off. becuase his broker uses one way to break the money up. but my cuzin found another to break the money up. and he gets more. and he asked why not this way? and his broker said, im the one with the degree here. so dont ask me that. so he is trying to find out, if from the 350 do you break it from $1000. and then %70 and %30. or first break the 10000, %70, %30. and then spilt 350, so each one at the end gives 175( 350 for secretary)
Heres the math
THE OPTION THE BROKER USES:
10000-350=9650
9650×0.7=6755 (cuzo)
9650×0.3=2895
THE OPTION MY CUZO FOUND:
10000×0.7=7000
10000×0.3=3000
and then subtract 175 from each person becuase they both split the money in half to pay their secretary.
ending in…
6825=cuzo
2825=broker
so in using the order of operations..i believe the option my cuzo found is correct. but his broker uses his option, and he get more money that way. so which one is the correct form?
do you break 350 from the pot? (10,000) or 350 after the split of 10,000?
There is no "right way" or "wrong way" to do this calculation unless they have a prior agreement of how it will be done… preferably in writing.
The difference between the two methods you describe could be explained as "Should the secretary be paid equally by each partner, or should it be treated as an expense of the sale"?
Without a prior agreement, I think that the secretary’s fixed payment should be treated as an expense and subtracted from the amount received, then the balance would be divided as agreed by the partners.
As an extreme example of why the secretary’s compensation should be treated as an expense, lets say that the proceeds from the sale were only $500. Then the division of funds would be:
Broker Method (secretary is paid as an expense):
Secretary $350
Broker 30% of $150 = $ 45
Cousin 70% of $150 = $ 105
Cousin’s Method (secretary is paid equally by each partner):
Secretary $350
Broker $500*30% – $175 = -$25
Cousin $500*70% – $175 = $175
Using your cousin’s method the broker would have to pay $25 to conclude this sale.
On more practical terms, the difference between the two calculations you describe is only $70, or slightly more than one percent of the total amount your cousin is receiving from the sale. Is it really worthwhile for your cousin to make a big fuss over that (relatively) small amount of money? I think it is likely that the method the broker is using for the calculation is customary, but if your cousin is unhappy with the arrangement there is no reason why he can’t negotiate (in advance, in writing) with the broker what the terms of the *next* sale should be.