On the income statement, contra-revenue accounts are reported separately from the gross sales revenue to show the discounts, allowances, and returns that reduced the original total value of the sale to the net amount. This is more informative for the reader of the financial statements rather than when only the company’s net balance is reported on the income statement. With the use of a contra-revenue account, the reader of the income statement will be able to differentiate between the original amount of sales revenue generated, the sales reduction, and the resulting net amount. If Music World returns merchandise worth $100 after receiving a $1,000 order, they still owe Music Suppliers, Inc., $900. Assuming the credit terms are 2/10, n/30 and Music World pays the invoice within ten days, the payment equals $882, an amount calculated by subtracting $18 (2% of $900) from the outstanding balance.

1. A sale is recorded when the risk and rewards inherent in the product transfer to the buyers, and results in income and assets.
2. A sales discount also known as a cash discount or early payment discount is the reduction that a seller gives to a customer on the invoiced price of goods or services in order to incentivize early payment.
3. Hence, offering a sales discount is like an extra cost for the seller which may seem like an expense that the seller expends.
4. Her expertise lies in marketing, economics, finance, biology, and literature.
5. A manufacturer sells $1000 worth of products to its customer with credit terms of 1/10, n/30.

Expenses, on the other hand, also have a natural debit balance; as explained before this is not in any way the reason for sales discount being recorded as a debit. Sales discount is debited as a contra revenue account and not as an expense. The customer received a 2 percent discount on the $100 for paying early, and as such will pay $98 instead of $100 (i.e $2 discount is subtracted from $100).

The process of recording these discounts involves making journal entries that impact both the income statement and the balance sheet. It is a reduction of gross sales which correspondingly causes a decrease in the net sales figure. As seen in the income statement report above, the sales discount as a contra revenue account appears as a $1,500 reduction from the gross revenue of $30,000 that Jenny’s organics recorded. As seen in the income statement above, the sales discount is a contra-revenue account and not an expense. As a contra revenue account, the sales discount appears on the income statement as a $5,000 reduction from the gross revenue of $100,000 that ABC Ltd reported, which results in net revenue of $95,000.

Accounting for Sales Discount: Overview, Example, & Journal Entries

Sales Discounts are a useful tool for companies to encourage customers to settle their credit purchases now rather than later. Sales discounts are not expenses so they do not have any effect on assets or liabilities, is sales discount an expense only revenue that will reduce net income. Sales discounts also have a secondary effect on companies because it allows them to "control" their accounts receivable balances by knowing when they will receive payment.

Are Non-Cash Transactions on the Statement of Cash Flows?

Therefore, companies that offer small discounts for a 10-day payment return are able to clear their accounts quickly. However, as customers take advantage of the sales discount, the overall revenue figures for the business tend to reduce. This sacrifice is, nonetheless, done by businesses in order to encourage early payments and reduce bad debt. In addition, early payments support the liquidity position of the company and reduce the company’s outstanding accounts receivable. The sales discount appears in the seller’s income statement as a contra revenue account. This means that it is paired with and offsets the reported gross sales figure, resulting in a net sales figure.

Definition of Sales Discounts

If the customer does not pay within the 14 day period, when payment is made A Ltd would record this as Debit Cash $2,000 Credit Receivables $1,940 Credit Revenue $60. In an accounting journal, debits and credits will always be in adjacent columns on a page. Entries are recorded in the relevant column for the transaction being entered. Additionally, sales discounts can influence the value-added tax (VAT) or sales tax obligations of a business. Since these taxes are calculated based on the sales price, any reduction due to discounts would decrease the tax base. This means that the business would collect and remit less tax on sales where discounts have been applied.

What is the approximate value of your cash savings and other investments?

In order to record this transaction, Company ABC’s Cash account would be debited by the amount of $98 cash received from the customer and the Sales discount account would be debited by the amount of $2 discount. Businesses offer a sales discount in order to incentivize their buyers or customers to pay invoices in a timely manner. This is because when a company’s invoices are settled early, the amount of time that the business is extending credit will be reduced which in turn improves cash flow and also reduces the risk of invoice aging and bad debt. Of course, credit sales always involve the risk that the buyer might not pay what they owe when the amount is due.