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June 30, 2024
Question

Accrual accounting for my business

  • June 30, 2024
  • 1 reply
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I have several products in my sole proprietorship but almost all of them are billed in advance over two invoices, and then recognized at a later date. For example, a client books 5 events with me. Those 5 events are each billed at 50% their individual values at the time of the contract. The remaining 50% that is due for each event is billed separately, 30 days in advance of each event. All of that revenue is accrued and then recognized as each individual event occurs. Essentially, that one contract for five events results in 6 invoices - one for the 50% deposit on all the events, and then one for each of the events as the dates of those events approach. Because there are 5 events the total revenue is recognized, not at once, but split across 5 different dates.

 

Any advice on how to best manage this type of billing/revenue recognition in QBO? I'm pretty much doing it manually as a work around now but would love to see if there a way to better manage this.

1 reply

BigRedConsulting
July 1, 2024

In cases like this, use an invoice item that is tied to a liability account on the first invoice.

 

Then, use items linked to income accounts on the second invoice, for the full amount of the event/sale, and then use the liability account item to negate the amount already billed on the first invoice.