Revenue Accounts: List and Explanation

Regular equity accounts, like revenue, maintain a credit balance. The expense account uses its debit balance to reduce the revenue account’s credit balance. Transactions made to contra accounts are presented on a company’s financial statements under the related account. Contra accounts are important because they allow a company to follow the matching principle by recording an expense initially in the contra asset account.

All „mini-ledgers“ in this section show standard increasing attributes for the five elements of accounting. Here is how you would make an entry in your books for a Dividend Revenue account. Cam Merritt is a writer and editor specializing in business, personal finance and home design.

Revenue Account Codes

It is linked to specific accounts and is reported as reductions from these accounts. The company should know the reasons for the increase in contra-revenue every month to save extra cost and time. The company can estimate the quality of products based on sales return quantity and amount of product. A Cash DiscountCash discounts are direct incentives and discounts provided by any company to their customers in exchange for paying their bills on time or before the due date. This is a common practice, and the discount may differ from one company to the next depending on the terms and conditions.

• The balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts represents the dollar amount of the current accounts receivable balance that is expected to be uncollectible.
• A company might use a combination of different types of asset accounts, and the following six types of contra asset accounts can be used in conjunction with these fixed and current asset accounts.
• To report the real value of the financial statement, you will need to record the amount you can reasonably estimate that will probably effect the financial statement classification.
• If the account receivable is not collected, it must be assessed to determine collectability.
• Operating revenue is revenue you receive from your business’s main activities, like sales.

A receivable must be recorded when a sale of goods or services is provided for fees and payment is not received immediately. As payments are collected, they are applied against the receivable until the receivable is reduced to zero. Revenue is only recorded at the time the receivable is established. AssetDebits Credits XThe „X“ in the debit column denotes the increasing effect of a transaction on the asset account balance , because a debit to an asset account is an increase. The asset account above has been added to by a debit value X, i.e. the balance has increased by £X or $X. Likewise, in the liability account below, the X in the credit column denotes the increasing effect on the liability account balance , because a credit to a liability account is an increase.

What is a Contra Asset Account?

Furthermore, a contra asset account may also be regarded as a negative asset account because equalizing an asset account and contra asset account results in the asset’s net, or total, balance. A liability recorded as a debit balance is used to decrease the balance of a liability. Contra Liability a/c is not used as frequently as contra asset accounts.

When a company renders services or sells goods, it receives cash as payment; thereby increasing assets. It can also acquire a receivable if the sale was made on credit, or receive any other asset in place of cash. Also, an existing liability may be forgiven or cancelled in exchange for the company’s services. If the account receivable is not collected, it must be assessed to determine collectability. Analysis of large, long-term or a collection of like accounts receivable is performed monthly to determine if a percentage of the accounts will not be collected. A reserve account is established to recognize any accounts receivable, or any portion of, that is deemed not collectible.

Types of Contra Accounts – Explanation

Due to the sale discount, the company gets prompt payment, which reduces the collection efforts of staff. https://accounting-services.net/ In the above case, the company will bear a loss margin of $100, and the contra revenue amount is $100.00.

The contra equity account reduces the total amount of shareholders’ equity. Suppose a company has recorded $100,000 in accounts receivable (A/R) and $10,000 in the allowance for doubtful accounts (i.e. 10% of A/R is estimated as uncollectible). The net amount – i.e. the difference between the account balance post-adjustment of the contra account balance – represents the book value shown on the balance sheet. For example, accumulated depreciation is a contra-asset that reduces the value of a company’s fixed assets, resulting in net assets. Many cars are sold on credit or account sale which means that the car payments will be made over time. Car sales are typically under warranty for a set period of time and can be returned as a return on sales later on. Trade accounts receivable – Trade receivables are the amount owed by customers that have been billed but payment has not been made yet.

Contra Asset, Contra Liability & Contra Equity

It is not classified as a liability since it does not represent a future obligation. Contra accounts are used to reduce the original account directly, keeping financial accounting records clean. The difference between an asset’s balance and the contra account asset balance is the book value.

The purpose of a contra account is to accurately report value of operating performance and assets for a firm. A contra account is an account that records events like adjustments and transactions that are having an opposite effect on a relating account’s true value on the firm’s financial contra revenues account definition and meaning statements. If we record those events within the relating account, we risk losing information that is relevant to analyzing performance. Accountants use contra accounts rather than reduce the value of the original account directly to keep financial accounting records clean.

Sale on Account and Contra Account

This credit memorandum becomes the source document for a journal entry that increases the sales returns and allowances account and decreases accounts receivable. The same is true for other asset accounts like accounts receivable. Accounts receivable is rarely reported on the balance sheet at its net amount. Instead, it is reported at its full amount with an allowance for bad debts listed below it. Maybe more importantly, it shows investors and creditors what percentage of receivables the company is writing off.

• The sales returns account contains either an allowance for returned goods, or the actual amount of revenue deduction attributable to returned goods.
• For accrual accounting, you need to credit one account and debit another.
• This can be seen as a refund or the loss of revenue for the returned goods.
• These transactions are reported in one or more contra revenue accounts, which usually have a debit balance and reduce the total amount of the company’s net revenue.
• If a contra account is not used, it can be difficult to determine historical costs, which can make tax preparation more difficult and time-consuming.
• Key examples of contra asset accounts include allowance for doubtful accounts and accumulated depreciation.

The discount on notes payable reduces the total amount of the note to reflect the discount given by the lender. In addition to sales returns, the most common contra revenues are sales discounts and sales allowances. Sales allowances are price reductions offered to persuade customers to accept merchandise with damage or minor defects not serious enough to warrant a return. A contra account is used to offset the debit of a regular asset account. Contra accounts will be linked to the main debit account and shown together on a balance sheet. For example, a business ledger might show a $10 sale of a product, but the product was returned under warranty protection because of a failed feature.

Another example could be when a product is bought and is returned at face value because of a defect. The contra return on sales account will be debited while the normal cash account will be credited.

To report the real value of the financial statement, you will need to record the amount you can reasonably estimate that will probably effect the financial statement classification. Sales Discounts –Sales discounts are offered on sales of goods to attract buyers. FREE INVESTMENT BANKING COURSELearn the foundation of Investment banking, financial modeling, valuations and more. Peggy James is a CPA with over 9 years of experience in accounting and finance, including corporate, nonprofit, and personal finance environments. She most recently worked at Duke University and is the owner of Peggy James, CPA, PLLC, serving small businesses, nonprofits, solopreneurs, freelancers, and individuals. Free Financial Modeling Guide A Complete Guide to Financial Modeling This resource is designed to be the best free guide to financial modeling!