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Sales Returns and Allowances Recording Returns in Your Books
by Vinod Achanta

journal entry for sales returns and allowances

But instead of entering in your Cash account, you credit your Accounts Payable account. During the same period, ABC Co. made sales of $200,000 to another customer, RST Co. The accounting entries to record revenues from the transaction were as follows. A sales allowance is a reduction in the price of goods charged by a company. Instead, companies offer a sales allowance after when it makes sales. Trade discounts usually involve a reduction in price before the sale occurs.

Journal Entry for Cash Sale:

Some companies may not have sales returns and allowances account for some reasons, e.g. they do not have many transactions, so it is not worth keeping track. In this case, the company usually directly debit sales revenue and credit accounts receivable to reverse the original sale transactions when there are sales returns. The accounting for sales returns and allowances is very straightforward.

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Companies can track product quality, logistics and inventory management efficiency, pricing and promotion strategies, and customer satisfaction levels, among other things. To determine debit or credit entries, a company must record the refunds (total and partial) and discounts to reflect revenue reduction. However, they must also record the relevant credit entries in case of partial refunds and discounted sales. When customers accept damaged products in return for a discount on the selling price, these accounting entries are made. When sales are returned by customers or an allowance is granted to them due to delayed delivery, breakage, or quality issues, an entry is made in the sales returns and allowances journal.

Sales Revenue Journal Entry

When merchandise is returned by a customer or an allowance is granted, a credit memorandum (also known as a credit memo) is prepared. On Feb 2, the journal entry to adjust inventory and record cost of goods sold account. Show the general entries to record sales and sales return in the books of ABC cosmetics.

Steps to Record a Sales Revenue Journal Entry

The credit entry increases the Sales Revenue, indicating the earning of income. When a product is physically returned, it increases inventory and decreases related cost of goods sold recognized at the time of sale. Customers are normally entitled to return the products they purchase from a company when they are not satisfied, usually within a specified duration after the sale. When a sales return occurs, the customer physically returns the product and receives his cash back. Return inwards or sales returns are shown in the trading account as an adjustment (reduction) from the total sales for an accounting period. With those terms in mind here’s a picture of how to record sales returns and allowances.

  • This is because the sales return and allowances result in a reduction in the cost of goods sold and an increase in merchandise inventory.
  • Accurately recording this entry is essential for assessing the company’s performance, profitability, and financial health.
  • Understanding this entry is key for any business owner who wants to track their cash flow accurately.
  • Sales returns occur when a customer does not accept goods and returns them to the seller for a full refund or credit.

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If the return or allowance involves a refund of the customer’s payment, “Cash” is credited. Or, a payable account is credited if the refund is to be made at a future date. The amount refunded or credited can be either partial or full, depending on the situation.

The journal entry should also include details on why the customer was given a refund/credit, what type of refund/credit was given (full versus partial), when it was issued, etc. Goods sold on credit are often returned to the seller on the understanding that the customer’s account will be credited (reduced) by the amount of the return. See the entries below on how to record the goods returned by customers into the inventories and how it is affected the cost of goods sold. Once sales are made, not only sale revenue and account receivable are affected by this transaction. The goods will deliver to the customer, and the inventories will reduce.

journal entry for sales returns and allowances

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On 1 February 2016, John Enterprise sold merchandise for $1,500 to Sam Enterprise on account. On the same date, merchandise amounting to $200 were returned to John Enterprise because they failed to meet the required quality standards. These merchandise were returned to the Modern Trading Company on the same day. In turn, the Modern Trading Company granted a cash refund of $500 to Small Retailers on 2 January 2016. Debits and credits work differently based on what type of account they are. For instance, cash is an asset account, while cost of goods sold is an expense account.

Club A paid the total amount due (which was $10,000) on 10 July 2014. The receivable from Club B was outstanding as at the end of July, when Club A returned 5 and Club B returned 10 footballs. An allowance is a price reduction on an item, often because of a sale or a flawed item like a floor display model with a dent.

Here is the entry to recognize inventory and derecognition of the cost of goods sold. These inventory/goods need to be stored and recorded in the warehouse. In other words, the account payable in the buyers’ book is reduced.

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