Cash collected on accounts receivable would produce what effect on the balance sheet?

Effect of Revenue on the Balance Sheet

Generally, when a corporation earns revenue there is an increase in current assets (cash or accounts receivable) and an increase in the retained earnings component of stockholders' equity .

When a company earns revenue that had been prepaid by a customer, the company's balance sheet's liability deferred revenue will decrease and retained earnings will increase.

Examples of the Effect of Revenue on the Balance Sheet

Examples of revenue include the sales of merchandise, service fee revenue, subscription revenue, advertising revenue, interest revenue, etc. The revenue accounts are temporary accounts that facilitate the preparation of the income statement. However, when a corporation earns revenue, it has the effect of increasing Retained Earnings. We can see this with the end-of-the-year closing entries which will move all the income statement account balances to Retained Earnings.

Let's assume that today a corporation sold goods on credit. The corporation's current asset Accounts Receivable will increase and the company will credit the income statement account Sales. However, the Sales account is a temporary account that has the effect of increasing the corporation's retained earnings.

Let's assume that on December 31 a corporation received $10,000 for services to be done in January. Therefore, the corporation's cash that is reported on the December 31 balance sheet includes the $10,000 and the balance sheet will also report a current liability deferred revenues of $10,000. In January, when the services have been provided, the corporation will record Service Fee Revenue of $10,000 (which has the effect of increasing the corporation's retained earnings) and will eliminate the current liability of $10,000 that appeared on the December 31 balance sheet.

What Are Accounts Receivable (AR)?

Accounts receivable (AR) are the balance of money due to a firm for goods or services delivered or used but not yet paid for by customers. Accounts receivable are listed on the balance sheet as a current asset. Any amount of money owed by customers for purchases made on credit is AR.

Key Takeaways

  • Accounts receivable (AR) are an asset account on the balance sheet that represents money due to a company in the short term.
  • Accounts receivable are created when a company lets a buyer purchase their goods or services on credit.
  • Accounts payable are similar to accounts receivable, but instead of money to be received, they are money owed. 
  • The strength of a company’s AR can be analyzed with the accounts receivable turnover ratio or days sales outstanding. 
  • A turnover ratio analysis can be completed to have an expectation of when the AR will actually be received.

Accounts Receivable

Understanding Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable refer to the outstanding invoices that a company has or the money that clients owe the company. The phrase refers to accounts that a business has the right to receive because it has delivered a product or service. Accounts receivable, or receivables, represent a line of credit extended by a company and normally have terms that require payments due within a relatively short period. It typically ranges from a few days to a fiscal or calendar year.

Companies record accounts receivable as assets on their balance sheets because there is a legal obligation for the customer to pay the debt. They are considered a liquid asset, because they can be used as collateral to secure a loan to help meet short-term obligations. Receivables are part of a company’s working capital.

Furthermore, accounts receivable are current assets, meaning that the account balance is due from the debtor in one year or less. If a company has receivables, this means that it has made a sale on credit but has yet to collect the money from the purchaser. Essentially, the company has accepted a short-term IOU from its client.

Many businesses use accounts receivable aging schedules to keep tabs on the status and well-being of AR.

Accounts Receivable vs. Accounts Payable

When a company owes debts to its suppliers or other parties, these are accounts payable. Accounts payable are the opposite of accounts receivable. To illustrate, imagine Company A cleans Company B’s carpets and sends a bill for the services. Company B owes them money, so it records the invoice in its accounts payable column. Company A is waiting to receive the money, so it records the bill in its accounts receivable column.

Benefits of Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are an important aspect of a business’s fundamental analysis. Accounts receivable are a current asset, so it measures a company’s liquidity or ability to cover short-term obligations without additional cash flows. 

Fundamental analysts often evaluate accounts receivable in the context of turnover, also known as accounts receivable turnover ratio, which measures the number of times a company has collected on its accounts receivable balance during an accounting period. Further analysis would include assessing days sales outstanding (DSO), the average number of days that it takes to collect payment after a sale has been made.

Example of Accounts Receivable

An example of accounts receivable includes an electric company that bills its clients after the clients received the electricity. The electric company records an account receivable for unpaid invoices as it waits for its customers to pay their bills. 

Most companies operate by allowing a portion of their sales to be on credit. Sometimes, businesses offer this credit to frequent or special customers that receive periodic invoices. The practice allows customers to avoid the hassle of physically making payments as each transaction occurs. In other cases, businesses routinely offer all of their clients the ability to pay after receiving the service.

What are examples of receivables?

A receivable is created any time money is owed to a firm for services rendered or products provided that have not yet been paid. This can be from a sale to a customer on store credit, or a subscription or installment payment that is due after goods or services have been received.

Where do I find a company’s accounts receivable?

Accounts receivable are found on a firm’s balance sheet. Because they represent funds owed to the company, they are booked as an asset.

What happens if customers never pay what’s due?

When it becomes clear that an account receivable won’t get paid by a customer, it has to be written off as a bad debt expense or one-time charge.

How are accounts receivable different from accounts payable?

Accounts receivable represent funds owed to the firm for services rendered, and they are booked as an asset. Accounts payable, on the other hand, represent funds that the firm owes to others—for example, payments due to suppliers or creditors. Payables are booked as liabilities.

What happens when you collect cash from accounts receivable?

Collection of Cash from an Account Receivable When the company receives cash from an accounts receivable, your cash account increases by the amount of the collection and the accounts receivable account decreases by the same amount.

What happens to balance sheet when accounts receivable increases?

Accounts Receivable (A/R) – Current Asset on Balance Sheet If a company's accounts receivable balance increases, more revenue has been earned with payment in the form of credit, so more cash payments must be collected in the future.

Where does accounts receivable go on a balance sheet?

An account receivable is recorded as a debit in the assets section of a balance sheet. It is typically a short-term asset—short-term because normally it's going to be realized within a year.”

How do you record cash received from accounts receivable?

Record any cash payments as a debit in your cash receipts journal like usual. Then, debit the customer's accounts receivable account for any purchase made on credit. In your sales journal, record the total credit entry.