We invoice our customers on large jobs, 1/3 down with purchase order, then after shipment we invoice them the balance.  I use AR -N to make the deposit when I receive the 1/3 down and also when I receive the balance.  I have been posting the invoice when I receive and deposit (in AR-N) the final check (using the date that I invoiced the customer for the final payment for my posting date).
 
Our CEO wants the Sales to be the invoiced $$ amount and show up on the Income Statement for the month it occurred in, but I can't post the 1/3 down invoice when invoiced, because then I cannot deposit the balance due to the fact that the Sales Order has already been closed and posted (from 1/3 down invoice).  Therefore only the total Sales $$ are showing up on the income statement in the month of the FINAL invoice (which is not what he wants).  We can't use two separate Sales Order numbers because then the deposit won't show up on the final invoice and it would also confuse Engineering, Manufacturing and Sales (and they are confused enough already   )
 
Or am I doing something backwards?  Any ideas would be appreciated!
 
Thanks.

...or you could do a journal entry to record the sale then reverse it when the final sale is made.  However, you should also put a portion of the costs into cogs at the same time, otherwise it is an overstated sale amount.  Slip a copy of the GJ entry into your "closing" folder and move it month to month until the sale is made and the reversal is processed.
 

However, GAAP states that what your CEO wants is not proper. In accrual accounting, the way that you have been doing it is the proper way. To do it the way that he wants is contrary to GAAP and therefore is overstating your income statement for the month in which you only receive the deposit. And with Sarbanes-Oxley as a reality you may want to suggest that he re-think his position. SERIOUSLY.

Thanks all for the info!    (sorry for the delay in responding - have been traveling since the beginning of July!)