Contra Account Definition & Examples Aplos Accounting Glossary

Examples contra asset account of contra expense accounts include Purchase Returns, Purchase Discounts, and Advertising Reimbursements. Of that amount, it is estimated that 1% of that amount will become bad debt at some point in the future. This means that the $85,000 balance is overstated compared to its real value.

Common mistakes to avoid with contra accounts

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• In other words, contra revenue is a deduction from gross revenue, which results in net revenue.
• At this point, it isn’t known which accounts will become uncollectible so the Accounts Receivable balance isn’t adjusted.
• If the company also offered $2,000 in early payment discounts, reported net sales would fall further to $68,000.
• The allowance for doubtful accounts is used to reduce the net income by the estimated amount of uncollected receivables.
• Similarly, contra asset accounts “filter out” the parts of an asset’s value that have been used up or might not be collectible, leaving you with a clearer picture of what’s actually useful.

Contra liability accounts

• This reduction ensures that estimated credit losses are recognized in the same period as the related sales revenue.
• While the term may sound technical, a contra account is simply a tool that enhances financial reporting by offering a clearer, more detailed view of a company’s financial health.
• These specialized accounts are integral to maintaining the historical integrity of the financial records.
• So, instead of burying adjustments directly inside the account itself, we park them in a separate account that acts like a mirror image.
• Home Depot reports that returns are estimated at the time of the sale based on historic returns numbers.
• Other than the above contra-asset accounts, we often see contra-revenue accounts for any sales returns or sales rebates.

To simplify bookkeeping, she created lots of easy-to-use Excel bookkeeping bookkeeping templates. A company receives rebates for advertising it does on behalf of brands it carries in its stores. For example, a grocery store displays advertisements for a national brand in its weekly flyer. The national brand gives the grocery store cash, reducing the overall cost of printing the flyer. The purpose of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is to track the reduction in the value of the asset while preserving the historical value of the asset. Contra accounts are confusing at first, but, with a little study, understanding them becomes second nature.

How Contra Accounts Affect Financial Statements

The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (AFDA) is a contra asset account used to reduce the gross amount of Accounts Receivable (A/R). This reduction brings A/R down to its Net Realizable Value, which is the cash the company realistically expects to collect. The standard debit and credit rules for increases are universally reversed when dealing with contra accounts.

What is a contra revenue account?

• The account offsets the balance in the respective asset account that it is paired with on the balance sheet.
• But in the real world, converting all of that potential into hard cash is highly unlikely, if not impossible.
• Contra accounts can also be used to reflect negative balances in certain accounts.
• While there is nothing wrong here, there is also another way you could represent it i.e. show the full value of machinery (cost) in the balance sheet and then reduce the depreciation amount.
• Have you ever wondered how businesses manage their financial statements to reflect true asset values?
• And by comparing these contras against their corresponding parent accounts, you can better understand the actual value of the assets retained by your business.

It is a standard business practice to prepare an estimate for the amount likely to go bad. The provision for doubtful debts is a contra asset account related to debtors. An asset that is recorded as a credit balance is used to decrease the balance of an asset. This account is not classified as an asset since it does not represent a long-term value. It is not classified as Airbnb Accounting and Bookkeeping a liability since it does not constitute a future obligation.

#4 – Contra Revenue

Discount on sales account represents the discount amount a company gives to customers as an incentive to purchase its products or services. An item on one side of an account which offsets fully or in part on the opposite side of the same account is technically referred to as contra account. ABC Computers makes sales of 90,000; unfortunately, due to a fault in a product, they received returns of 2,500. The sales will still show a sales credit on the profit and loss of 90,000, but there is also a contra returns account with a debit of 2,500.