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Journal Entry for Discount Allowed and Received

August 7, 2023
Bill Kimball

Another common sales discount is “2% 10/Net 30” terms, which allows a 2% discount for paying within 10 days of the invoice date, or paying in 30 days. The terms 2/10, n/30 mean the customer may take a two percent discount on the outstanding balance (original invoice amount less any returns and allowances) if payment occurs within ten days of the invoice date. If the customer chooses not to take the discount, the outstanding balance is due within thirty days. An abbreviation that sometimes appears in the credit terms section of an invoice is EOM, which stands for end of month. The terms n/15 EOM indicate that the outstanding balance is due fifteen days after the end of the month in which the invoice is dated.

Journal entry for discount received is essentially booked with the help of a compound journal entry. A cash discount may be offered by a seller to a buyer to encourage them to make a payment within a desired number of days. The purpose of cash discount is to encourage buyers to make payments before the due date. Most businesses do not offer early payment discounts, so there is no need to create an allowance for sales discounts.

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The following examples explain the use of journal entry for discount allowed in real-world events. Discounts are very common in today’s business world, they are generally provided in lieu of some consideration which can range from timely payments to market competition. While posting a journal entry for discount allowed “Discount Allowed Account” is debited. Discount received acts as a gain for the business and is shown on the credit side of a profit and loss account. Trade discount is not shown in the main financial statements, however cash discount and other types of discounts are shown in books of accounts. Discount allowed acts as an additional expense for the business and it is shown on the debit side of a profit and loss account.

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What is the Journal Entry for Discount Allowed?

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. To record this payment from Music World, Music Suppliers, Inc., makes a compound journal entry that increases (debits) cash for $882, increases (debits) sales discounts for $18, and decreases (credits) accounts receivable for $900. Discounts are common in both B2B and B2C transactions to push both credit and cash sales, they are usually given in lieu of some consideration which can be prompt payments, trade practices, recoveries, etc. While posting a journal entry for discount received “Discount Received Account” is credited. Following examples explain the use of journal entry for discount received in the real-world scenarios.

journal entry for discount on sales

Trade discount is not shown in the main financial statements, however, cash discount and other types of discounts are supposed to be recorded in the books of accounts. A company may choose to simply present its net sales in its income statement, rather than breaking out the gross sales and sales discounts separately. This is most common when the sales discount amount is so small that separate presentation does not yield any material additional information for readers. If a customer takes advantage of these terms and pays less than the full amount of an invoice, the seller records the discount as a debit to the sales discounts account and a credit to the accounts receivable account.

What are the required properties in a journal entry for cash discounts?

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  • The terms 2/10, n/30 mean the customer may take a two percent discount on the outstanding balance (original invoice amount less any returns and allowances) if payment occurs within ten days of the invoice date.
  • Following examples explain the use of journal entry for discount received in the real-world scenarios.
  • After it is journalized the balances are pushed to their respective ledger accounts.

A sales discount is a reduction in the price of a product or service that is offered by the seller, in exchange for early payment by the buyer. A sales discount may be offered when the seller is short of cash, or if it wants to reduce the recorded amount of its receivables outstanding for other reasons. In case of a transaction where both trade discount and cash discount are allowed, the trade discount is allowed first and then the cash discount is processed.

Examples – Journal Entry for Discount Allowed

Thus, the net effect of the allowance technique is to recognize the estimated amount of the discount at once and park that amount in an allowance account on the balance sheet. Then, when the customer actually takes the discount, you charge it against the allowance, thereby avoiding any further impact on the income statement in the later reporting period. By doing so, you can immediately reduce sales by the amount of estimated discounts taken, thereby complying with the matching principle. For example, the terms 2/10, n/30 mean a 2% discount will be allowed if the payment is made within 10 days of the date of invoice; otherwise, the full amount is to be paid in 30 days. An example of a sales discount is for the buyer to take a 1% discount in exchange for paying within 10 days of the invoice date, rather than the normal 30 days (also noted on an invoice as “1% 10/ Net 30” terms).

journal entry for discount on sales

A & Co. grants a 2% discount to all credit customers if the payment is made within 10 days of the date of invoice. Giving cash discounts is just one of the many ways to cultivate better business relations with your buyers. X Retailers made the payment on 12 March 2016 and received a cash discount, as promised by the seller. It is, therefore, debited in the books of the seller and credited in the books of the buyer. The articles and research support materials available on this site are educational and are not intended to be investment or tax advice.

All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. After it is journalized the balances are pushed to their respective ledger accounts. At Finance Strategists, we partner with financial experts to ensure the accuracy of our financial content. Finance Strategists is a leading financial literacy non-profit organization priding itself on providing accurate and reliable financial information to millions of readers each year.