Repayment of receivables means. Methods of repayment of receivables

DEFINITION

With the help of the amount of receivables, the monetary obligations of third-party counterparties are reflected. Accounts receivable includes cash for shipped products (rendered services) not paid by buyers.

The receivables repayment period formula reflects how quickly the funds for products (services) are returned, while characterizing the effectiveness of interaction between the company and counterparties. At the same time, the higher the receivables turnover rate, the faster the company makes settlements with its customers.

The receivables repayment period formula is a way to increase the profitability of an enterprise, since the calculation of the indicator for it shows the dynamics of receivables. Accounts receivable management is that it is necessary to increase turnover. This is possible by increasing revenue or reducing accounts receivable.

Receivables maturity formula

There are two options for calculating the receivables period formula, with the first option being calculated as follows:

DSO \u003d (360 * DZsr) / V

Here DSO is an indicator of the period of repayment of receivables,

DZ cf - the average amount of receivables (for example, average annual),

B is the amount of revenue.

The second version of the formula calculation:

DSO=360/RTR

Here RTR is an indicator of receivables turnover.

The average annual amount of receivables (ARA) can be calculated by summing the values ​​​​of receivables for each day and dividing by the number of working days.

The second option for calculating the formula is carried out by summing up the values ​​​​of receivables at the end of all months and then dividing by 12.

If only annual data are available (at the beginning and end of the year), then they are added and then divided by 2 (or multiplied by 0.5).

DZav = (DZng + DZ kg) / 2

Receivables turnover formula

The calculation of the receivables turnover ratio (RTR) is necessary for the second version of the formula for the period of repayment of receivables and is determined by the data of the balance sheet (form 1) and income statement (form 2).

The general formula for receivables turnover is as follows:

RTR = V/DZ

Here RTR is the accounts receivable turnover ratio,

B - the company's revenue for the corresponding period,

DZ - the amount of receivables (for example, the average for the year when calculating annual values).

The value of the period of repayment of receivables

The receivables repayment period is a tool for determining the effectiveness of customer relationships, reflecting the time they pay invoices for payment. With the help of the indicator, you can evaluate the payment discipline of buyers.

Applying the receivables maturity formula, analysts calculate the level of effective receivables management. For example, if an enterprise has set the maximum term for commodity lending to a consumer in the amount of 15 days, then the repayment period for receivables should not exceed this value.

Examples of problem solving

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

Many persons engaged in financial and economic activities are faced with the need to conduct certain legal work with counterparties aimed at repaying their debts.

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Obligations usually arise when payment is deferred - buyers can either make payment on time or overdue obligations.

Peculiarities

Repayment of receivables is a procedure for paying debts by counterparties that arose as a result of legal relations (supply of goods, performance of services or work).

The parties to the relationship are:

• debtor (aka debtor, non-payer);
• creditor (aka creditor).

Despite the fact that the direct defendant in the dispute is the organization that overdue payment under the contract, the law regulates the possibility of bringing to responsibility other persons who were not directly involved in the transaction, but are somehow related to the debtor.

For example, in the event of bankruptcy of an enterprise, the founders (in the event that the actions of the latter led to liquidation), the parent organization (in the event of bankruptcy of a branch office), etc.

The repayment procedure is divided into several stages:

• identifying the debt of the counterparty - for this, an inventory is carried out (both planned and unscheduled), as a result of which the exact amount of debt will be determined;
• sending a claim letter to the counterparty, which contains requirements for pre-trial settlement of the issue;
• if the debtor did not take appropriate measures for repayment at the pre-trial stage, preparations for trial begin - preparation of a statement of claim and documents certifying the transaction;
• the market value of receivables is determined;
• the court makes a positive or negative decision on recovery;
• the case is transferred to the bailiffs, who launch enforcement proceedings.

Accounts receivable are classified into the following types:

• normal;
• overdue;
• hopeless.

If the debt is already overdue, you should take action against the counterparty until it becomes uncollectible.

Sometimes counterparties have mutual obligations. That is, one party owes the other, and the other, in turn, has an obligation.

In this case, repayment can be made by offsetting claims - that is, the creditor of one counterparty is repaid at the expense of the debtor of another. The remaining amount of the receivable, which exceeds the amount of the creditor, will need to be collected either in pre-trial or in court.

How to repay

Debt collection can be done in two ways:

• in a pre-trial order;
• during court proceedings.

Before going to court, each legal entity that has receivables must conduct proper claim work with non-payers.

Pre-trial activities are carried out in the following forms:

• interaction with the debtor through telephone conversations or correspondence via electronic communication channels;
• personal meetings with the head of the debtor enterprise;
• written claims.

The last two methods are most effective - personal meetings and mail correspondence.

Advice! When considering the case, the court will take into account whether the relevant pre-trial work was carried out with the debtor. Written claims are the best evidence for the court.

However, both telephone conversations and personal meetings can be witnessed - any means of audio / video recording will do for this.

If all pre-trial measures have not prompted the debtor to fulfill obligations, one should not waste time and start the trial as soon as possible.

After all, when collecting a debt, there is a statute of limitations, if it is missed, the only way out will be to write off the receivables that are already hopeless for collection.

The company has the right to make concessions for the counterparty - for example, to provide a deferral of payment for an even longer period, or to install payment by installments (payment will not be a lump sum, but, for example, monthly in small amounts), or even “forgive” part of the debt .

The main thing is to document the relevant “benefits” in order to further prove that preferential terms were provided for the counterparty, but the debt was never repaid.

Period of repayment of accounts receivable

When analyzing financial results, to assess the sustainability of the enterprise in the short and long term, a coefficient such as the average period of repayment of receivables is used.

The duration of repayment of receivables for the year is calculated according to the following formula:

• DSO=DAP*AR/NS,

Calculation example. The duration of one reporting period in the company is 365 days. Accounts receivable as of the beginning of the reporting period - 50 million rubles, and at the end - 70 million rubles.

The proceeds from all types of sale of goods and the performance of services, respectively, are 350 and 400 million rubles. It is necessary to calculate the change in the coefficient of the period of repayment of receivables.

Solution. We determine the coefficient at the beginning of the reporting period:

• DSO = 365 * (50 / 350) = 52.14 days.

We determine the coefficient at the end of the reporting period:

• DSO = 365 * (70 / 400) = 63.88 days.

Now we determine the change in the coefficient of the period at the beginning and end of the reporting period:

• DSO final / DSO initial = 1.2252, which is 22.52%.

Answer. The ratio of the period of repayment of receivables for one year increased by 22.52%.

Letter to the counterparty

There are many ways to interact with the debtor - these are telephone conversations in order to induce the fulfillment of obligations, and personal meetings of the head of the company, and sending a special request to the legal address of the debtor by registered mail.

A letter to a counterparty is the most effective way to pre-trial debt collection.

After all, the postal exchange of correspondence obliges the debtor to at least send a response letter, which contains information about the reasons for the delay and the repayment period.

And this means a lot - if the debtor answered the letter, it is likely that he is ready for a constructive dialogue and resolving the issue without litigation.

Important! The letter must be drawn up in the form of a claim and must contain a demand for repayment of the debt or for the performance of other actions provided for by law or by agreement of the parties.

The claim is drawn up in free form or on the letterhead of the organization. What exactly to indicate in the letter, the organization decides.

• grounds for the occurrence of debt (details of the contract, agreement, act, etc.);
• the amount of debt based on the results of the inventory (it would not be superfluous to confirm the amount of obligations by attaching a detailed calculation);
• the period allotted to the debtor for the fulfillment of obligations on a voluntary basis;
• penalties that will be applied to the debtor in case of ignoring the requirements;
• if necessary, details for payment;
• signature of the head of the company, legal address and contact information.

In addition to sending by registered mail to the legal address of the debtor company, the claim can also be delivered in person. In this case, two copies of the document will be required - one copy remains in the hands of the debtor, the second - in the creditor.

Accounts receivable are the debts of counterparties to your company. If the amounts cannot be recovered from the counterparty, then the debt becomes uncollectible. It can be written off, but it must be done in accounting and tax accounting according to different rules. In the article, we will tell you in simple terms what it is, we will give the types and terms of repayment.

Tax officials and judges introduced a new ban, which made it more difficult for companies to write off receivables.

The concept of receivables

Create a balance sheet for your organization. Do you see in the debit balance on the settlement accounts (60, 62, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 75, 76)? This is the company's receivables - the amount that other organizations, citizens, the budget and extra-budgetary funds owe your company.

Check the statute of limitations for debts of counterparties. If there is a bad debt in the accounting, then it must be written off. The experts of the Glavbukh Sitema told about how to do it correctly.

What is included in accounts receivable? Debts include:

• buyers and customers (account 62);
• suppliers and contractors for advances paid to them, as well as for claims recognized or awarded by the court (accounts,);
• insurance organizations for the payment of insurance compensation, organizations issuing securities owned by the organization, for the payment of dividends, etc. (account 76);
• budget and state off-budget funds for the return (offset) of overpaid taxes and contributions (accounts,);
• employees to the organization - for loans, amounts issued against the report, compensation for damage, etc. (accounts,,);
• founders on contributions to the authorized capital (account 75).

That is, the structure or composition of receivables is characterized by how the debts were formed:

• when selling goods (works, services) on a deferred payment basis. The receivable appears at the moment when you shipped the goods to the counterparty, began to perform work for him, provide services, but have not yet received payment;
• when purchasing raw materials or other products on an advance payment on the terms of a deferred delivery;
• in case of overpayment of taxes (fees);
• disbursement of cash to employees.

How accounts receivable differs from accounts payable

In practice, the question often arises - receivables - do we owe or to us? The answer is as follows: A receivable is what is due to your organization, but has not yet been received by it (essentially a property right). If the company owed, then this amount would be accounts payable for it.

Accounts receivable refers to the current assets of the company, regardless of its maturity. Not all types of receivables are shown on the balance line of the same name. For example, the debts of suppliers or contractors for advances paid under an agreement related to the acquisition (creation) of objects of non-current assets are reflected in section I of the balance sheet "Non-current assets".

What applies to receivables, found out. Now let's look at the classification.

Tricky contracts prevent companies from writing off receivables. If the contract is drawn up in such a way that the seller cannot recover penalties from the buyer for late payment, this is a sign of a fictitious transaction. The tax authorities have the right to recalculate income tax if they prove that the reserve for debts was created artificially.

Types of accounts receivable

Depending on the classification criterion, different types of receivables are distinguished.

According to the order of occurrence, accounts receivable are divided into:

• to the normal one, which has arisen within the framework of the credit policy of the organization, established standards for assessing the creditworthiness of customers and certain credit limits for counterparties;
• unjustified, resulting from a violation of the requirements of the regulations and norms established in the organization for providing contractors with a deferred payment, the procedure for issuing goods and materials, etc.

According to the criterion of late payment, there are:

• planned receivables for which the maturity has not yet come;
• overdue debts for which the maturity dates have approached, but payment has not been received.

According to the duration of the delay, various groups of receivables are distinguished. For example, the delay for which is up to 45 days, from 45 to 90 days, etc.

According to the criterion of the reality of the recovery, there are:

• real collectible debts;
• problematic (doubtful);
• hopeless.

Short term

A significant portion of receivables is classified as current or short-term debt, as the maturity date is within 12 months after the balance sheet date. The rest of the receivables are long-term. These are, for example, loans provided to counterparties for a period of more than a year.

Doubtful

A receivable that is not repaid or with a high degree of probability will not be repaid within the time period established by the agreement, and is not secured by appropriate guarantees, is considered a doubtful debt in accounting (clause 70 of the Regulation on Accounting and Reporting). Each time a dubious receivable is identified, a reserve of the same name is formed in accounting. This is required in order for the organization's reporting to reflect the true financial result and the amount of real obligations of buyers and customers.

In tax accounting, reserves for doubtful debts are created voluntarily, and taxable income is reduced by the amount of the reserve (clause 5, article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation). The procedure for creating a reserve is regulated in Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. It differs from the rules in accounting. In particular, only arrears related to the sale of goods, works or services are recognized as doubtful. A reserve is created only if the delay is more than 45 days.

Hopeless

Bad debt - a debt that is actually impossible to recover from the counterparty (clause 77 of the Regulation on accounting and reporting, clause 2 of article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation):

• the statute of limitations has expired (Article 196 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation);
• obligations are terminated in accordance with civil law due to the fact that they cannot be fulfilled. For example, due to force majeure circumstances (Article 416 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation), liquidation of a debtor organization (Article 419 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation), act of a state authority or local government (Article 417 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

For the purposes of taxation, debts are also recognized as uncollectible, the impossibility of collecting which is confirmed by a decision of the bailiff-executor, issued in connection with the end of enforcement proceedings.

Table of types of receivables

How to bypass the new FTS ban and write off receivables when it suits you

The Federal Tax Service forbade including receivables in expenses if the company forgot to do it on time. But there is a legal way to get around this requirement. We have prepared instructions

Accounts receivable management

As a general rule, the debt that is reflected in the relevant accounting accounts is valued at face value - based on the amounts presented by the company to its counterparties (counterparties) or actually paid or accrued. When assessing the market value of receivables, the likelihood that they will not be repaid is taken into account.

At the same time, please note that not only overdue receivables are considered doubtful debts, but also debts that have not yet come due (for example, if the counterparty organization is in the process of bankruptcy). At the same time, the debt is overdue, but not doubtful - say, if the buyer has temporary difficulties, but he guarantees payment at a later date.

In any case, to create a provision for doubtful debts in accounting, it is necessary not only to review and identify doubtful debts, but also to assess the probability of repayment (non-repayment) in order to reasonably calculate the amount of the reserve. .

Working with receivables

Accounts receivable is a withdrawal from the economic turnover of own working capital, which is accompanied by indirect losses in the income of the organization. Therefore, such debts will have to be dealt with. How to work with accounts receivable?

It is necessary to administer accounts receivable, control over the timely receipt of funds from buyers and customers, since not only the well-being, but also the survival of the company depends on this. Monitoring is needed constantly, not from time to time. It will also have to develop a certain policy in the field of payment terms. Sometimes counterparties are liquidated, and debts are not extinguished. About that, experts said.

Nobody wants to increase accounts receivable. Everyone strives to expand sales - increase revenue, but at the same time ensure effective collection and a constant cash flow.

Providing soft payment terms is unprofitable. Since the growth of assets (in the case under consideration in the form of receivables) is always accompanied by a corresponding increase in liabilities (in this case, due to the profit that is formed at the time of recognition of unpaid revenue). But this profit is only on paper. But in fact, receivables are those funds that are lent to the buyer (customer, etc.), thereby withdrawn from the company's turnover, that is, from funds intended for wages, the purchase of materials, and the maintenance of property.

When do accounts receivable arise? In cases where buyers (customers) are granted a delay. Therefore, when granting a delay, take into account additional costs in the price of the contract, for example, set different prices for payment immediately and after a certain period of time.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the risk that the receivable will not be repaid. The more debtors an organization has, the higher this probability is (someone went bankrupt, disappeared, etc.).

As a result, information about the receivable is analyzed for previous years and it is possible to determine the approximate value (percentage) of bad debts that ultimately remain outstanding. And also take this into account when formulating financial policy.

When managing receivables, the following methods are used to reduce risks:

• limiting debts (setting the maximum amount for one counterparty);
• limiting the installment period or deferred payment;
• the establishment of severe sanctions for late repayment of debts;
• mandatory verification of the solvency of new and existing partners, as well as maintaining a "customer file" in order to rank them (dividing into reliable, dubious, undesirable, etc.) to establish different conditions for cooperation.

When deciding how to deal with receivables, avoid extremes.

The fact is that with a strict policy of managing receivables, its quality will increase, but there is a risk of losing or losing some of the customers (partners) who will go to competitors. And an overly liberal policy, having led to an increase in sales at the initial stage, subsequently turns into high costs (expenses for claims, courts, etc.) or the unreality of collecting proceeds.

Accounts receivable inventory

Since information on receivables is reflected in the financial statements - both in the balance sheet and in the annexes (with breakdowns regarding the structure of debts), it must be reliable and accurate, and this is confirmed by the results of the inventory.

At least once a year, before preparing annual financial statements as of December 31 of the reporting year, companies conduct a complete inventory of all types of receivables. If an organization forms a reserve for doubtful debts for profit tax purposes, inventories are carried out more often - quarterly or monthly. Since on the basis of such an inventory, the amount of the reserve is determined (clause 4 of article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation).

The procedure for the inventory of settlements differs from the procedure for the inventory of material assets - the presence of debts and their amounts are determined on the basis of primary accounting documents, as well as as a result of mutual reconciliations with counterparties.

Templates that will speed up reconciliation with counterparties and remove discrepancies

Accountable persons are required to submit an advance report within a period not exceeding three business days after the expiration date for which the cash was issued, or from the day they start work (for example, after returning from a business trip). But here is the period for which cash is issued is set by the head of the organization - he indicates in the order or on the statement of the accountable person (clause 6.3 of the Instructions of the Bank of Russia dated March 11, 2014 No. 3210-U).

For taxes, insurance premiums and other obligatory payments, the repayment period is established by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and Federal Law of July 24, 1998 No. 125-FZ(on contributions to insurance against accidents at work).

For contracts (delivery, contract, provision of services, etc.), the maturity dates are set by agreement of the parties. The average repayment period of receivables is calculated as the product of the period in days and receivables in rubles, divided by the proceeds from all types of sales.

That is, in order to determine the maturity of receivables on the balance sheet, the accountant must take the following formula:

The higher the score, the higher the risk that the debt will not be repaid.

Experts told us more about how to draw up financial statements and reflect accounts receivable and payable in it.

The general limitation period, according to Article 196 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, is three years. After its expiration, and also if the debt is recognized as uncollectible before the expiration of the limitation period (say, if the debtor organization is liquidated), the debt is written off.

More often, of course, a receivable with an expired limitation period or recognized as uncollectible is written off. What is the statute of limitations for debt collection?

If a reserve was created, debts are written off at the expense of its funds. If the amount of the reserve is not enough, the difference is attributed to other expenses - to the debit of account 91 “Other income and expenses” (PBU 10/99). If there was no reserve, the entire amount is written off to the debit of account 91. At the same time, it must be simultaneously accepted to the off-balance account 007 “Debt written off at a loss from insolvent debtors”, where it continues to be accounted for for five years (in case it can be received from the debtor). And only after this period the debt is written off from the register.

In tax accounting, the written-off amounts of bad debts are taken into account in non-operating expenses. And when creating a reserve for doubtful debts - at the expense of the reserve. Amounts not covered by the reserve also relate to non-operating expenses.

Accounts receivable in reporting

An experienced specialist does not have to calculate all the coefficients (there are many of them). It is enough to look at the balance sheet indicators - at the amount of accounts payable and receivable, as well as at the final values ​​​​of the sections and the balance sheet. Section V of the balance reflects only debt that must be repaid in the near future (within 12 months). Experts showed how to write off receivables.

If short-term liabilities exceed current assets, this means that the organization does not have its own working capital, the situation is crisis and requires radical measures. After all, it turns out that to pay off short-term debts, not only the money that is already there (in accounts, deposits, securities) and will be received from buyers when receivables are paid off, but also those that can be bailed out by selling stocks (not only products, but also raw materials, materials and other valuables).

We will have to attract additional resources: either to sell part of non-current assets (which is not easy to do quickly and at an affordable price), or to resort to the help of the founders, or to seek other sources of financing - borrowed and other funds (which is also problematic in this situation of the company).

Ideally, receivables and creditors should be comparable in volume with a slight margin in favor of receivables.

How to sell a receivable

The creditor may transfer his rights to another person:

• under an assignment agreement or, as it is also called, an assignment agreement of the right to claim;
• on the basis of the law. For example, by a court decision, during the reorganization of an organization.

The creditor has the right to assign his rights to another person under an assignment agreement. It is also called a contract of assignment of the right to claim. Conclude such an agreement in the same form as the original one:

• in simple writing;
• in writing and notarize if the original contract was registered by a notary;
• in writing and register if the transaction, the claims for which are assigned, was subject to state registration.

At the same time, the type of contract that was originally concluded is not important: purchase and sale, credit or other. For example, a contract of sale was concluded in a simple written form, and the seller assigns the right to demand a debt from the buyer to a third party. The assignment agreement must also be concluded in writing.

At what price can the assignor cede the right to claim the debt?

The right of claim, which the assignor transfers to the assignee, is part of his property rights and is accounted for as assets. Therefore, in the accounting of the assignor, reflect the assignment of the right to claim as its implementation (disposal) on account 91 “Other income and expenses”.

Proceeds from the sale of the right to claim are recognized as other income (clauses 7 and 16 of PBU 9/99). It is accepted for accounting in the amount established by the agreement on the assignment of the right to claim (clauses 6 and 10.1 of PBU 9/99).

Record the proceeds from the transfer of rights in accounting on the credit of account 91 in correspondence with account 76 “Settlements with other debtors and creditors”, to which the organization has the right to open a separate sub-account “Settlements under the contract of assignment of the right to claim”. What postings to reflect the operations of assignment of claims >>>

The assignment of the right to claim for the purposes of taxation of profits and VAT is a realization. Such a conclusion can be drawn on the basis of the provisions of the Civil Code. The rights of claim under the contract of sale, exchange, supply, etc. are property rights.

The tax legislation does not clearly define what relates to the realization of property rights. Article 39 of the Tax Code defines only the sale of goods, works, services. At the same time, property rights do not fall under this concept (Article 38 of the Tax Code). However, the Civil Code defines property rights as an object of civil circulation (Articles 128 and 129 of the Civil Code). That is, citizens and legal entities can alienate, exchange, acquire it.

The order in which the assignor reflects the assignment of the right to claim when calculating taxes depends on what system of taxation he applies. Tips on taxation of the assignment of claims for the general system, and for special regimes - USN and UTII.

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Accounts receivable can be terminated by the fulfillment of an obligation, including by offset, can be sold, and also written off as unrealistic for collection.

The arisen accounts receivable can be terminated by the fulfillment of the obligation, both personally by the debtor and by a third party on his behalf.

Payment for services, in particular, is recognized as the receipt of funds to the accounts of the taxpayer (creditor) [sp. 2, article 167] of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. However, from whom the funds must be received in order to be recognized as payment for services, the Tax Code does not indicate, therefore, this rule applies to the receipt of funds, both from the debtor himself and from a third party by default, in other words, “transfer (sale ) to another person.

The right of the original creditor passes to the new creditor to the extent and on the terms that existed at the time of transfer of the right. The new creditor shall provide the debtor with evidence of the transfer of the claim to this person, which shall be presented as the following documents:

Notice from the original creditor to the debtor of the assignment of the right to claim;

Originals of primary documents confirming the debt, according to which the right of claim was transferred to the new creditor.

As a rule, the right of claim is transferred to a new creditor on a reimbursable basis, that is, the receivables are sold.

In practice, there are cases when obligations under contracts for the supply of goods (works, services) are repaid by offsetting mutual claims, which is one of the ways to terminate counter obligations.

The offsetting is reflected in accounting by posting:

Debit 60 (76) Credit 62 (76) - reflects the repayment of mutual debts for the amount of the offset.

Unfortunately, almost every organization at a certain stage has a situation where counterparties do not repay their debts on time. Violation by buyers and customers of the terms of payment for the provided assets leads to the emergence of receivables, the repayment of which becomes doubtful or unrealistic. In practice, organizations often face problems when writing off receivables.

Accounts receivable may be written off as uncollectible after the expiration of the limitation period or due to the impossibility of fulfilling the obligation.

The limitation period for writing off overdue receivables is set by the Civil Code and is three years [Art. 196] Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Its beginning is determined by the deadline for the fulfillment of obligations, which is indicated at the conclusion of the contract [p. 2 tbsp. 200] Civil Code of the Russian Federation. If the date of performance of obligations is not specified in the contract, it is necessary to proceed from a reasonable period after which the debtor is given seven days to fulfill the claim presented by the creditor [Art. 314] of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

In accordance with clause 77 of the Regulation on Accounting and Accounting in the Russian Federation, receivables for which the limitation period has expired, other debts that are uncollectible, are written off for each obligation based on the inventory data, written justification and order of the head of the organization and are included in financial results, if in the period preceding the reporting period, the amounts of these debts were not reserved. Therefore, the documents confirming the validity of the costs of writing off receivables are:

Act of inventory of settlements with buyers, suppliers and other debtors and creditors for the period in which circumstances arose that indicate the hopelessness of debt collection;

Order to write off uncollectible debts.

The main purpose of the inventory is to confirm the reliability of accounting for debts and liabilities, to establish the timing of their occurrence and repayment.

The time of the inventory is appointed by the head of his order, as well as the composition of the inventory commission. It is possible to conduct an inventory within the time frame indicated in the accounting policy of the organization. The results of the inventory are drawn up by an act using the unified form N INV-17 "Inventory act of settlements with buyers, suppliers and other debtors and creditors", approved by the Decree of the State Statistics Committee of Russia dated September 18, 1998 No. 88 "On approval of unified forms of primary accounting documentation for accounting for cash transactions, on accounting for the results of the inventory.

Supporting documents for all business transactions, including accounts receivable, the organization is required to store for at least five years. 1 st. 17] Accounting Law No. 129-FZ. The period established by the tax legislation for the storage of documents required for the calculation and payment of tax is four years [clause 8, clause 1, art. 23] Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Keeping primary documents is an obligation, not a right of the organization. Therefore, an organization that has not retained primary accounting documents for accounts receivable with an expired limitation period is questioned about the grounds for its write-off to reduce taxable profit as part of non-operating expenses [clause 2, clause 2, article 265] of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and the possibility of writing it off for financial performance of the organization. The period of storage of documents confirming the inclusion of a particular amount in the accounts receivable should be calculated from the moment it is written off. After all, in order to write off accounts receivable after the statute of limitations, the organization needs to confirm its occurrence. In addition, the act of inventory of the debt and the order of the head to write off the bad debt must also be kept from the date of the transaction, that is, from the moment it was written off.

In addition, in order to recognize the debt as uncollectible due to the expiration of the limitation period, documents are needed to accurately establish the date of occurrence of receivables and the expiration of the limitation period. Such documents can be: a contract, an invoice for payment, an act of work performed, services rendered.

Accounting for the write-off of receivables depends on whether a provision for doubtful debts is created or not and, therefore, is written off by one of the following methods:

On the financial results of the organization's activities (if the amounts of debts were not reserved);

From the allowance for doubtful debts.

If the reserve is not created, the written-off debt, and in the amount in which it was reflected in the accounting, is included in the financial results. Written-off receivables are included in other expenses [p.p. 11 and 14.3] PBU 10/99 "Expenses of the organization". According to paragraph 77 of the Regulation on Accounting and Accounting in the Russian Federation, writing off a debt at a loss due to the insolvency of the debtor is not a cancellation of the debt. Within five years from the date of write-off, the amount of debt written off is accounted for on account 007 “Debt of insolvent debtors written off at a loss”. Analytical accounting on account 007 is maintained for each debtor whose debt is written off at a loss, and each debt written off at a loss.

In accounting, the write-off of receivables in this case is reflected in the following entries:

Debit 91-2 Credit 62 (60.76) - the amount of receivables written off (including VAT);

Debit 007 - the amount of written-off receivables is taken into account off the balance sheet.

If a reserve is created, the amounts of accounts receivable with an expired limitation period are written off at the expense of the created reserve. At the same time, the amount of debt written off is taken into account off-balance sheet. In accounting, the write-off of receivables in this case is reflected in the following accounting entries:

Debit 63 Credit 62 (60.76) - the amount of receivables written off at the expense of the created reserve;

Debit 007 - the amount of written-off receivables is taken into account for the balance.

If the written-off debt is repaid, that is, the amounts due to the organization are received from the buyers in the order of collection, the amount of debt is written off from the off-balance sheet and reflected in other income of the organization [clause 7] PBU 9/99 “Income of the organization”. The following entries are made in accounting:

Debit 51 (50) Credit 91-1 - the amount of the written-off debt returned by the debtor is reflected in other income;

Credit 007 - the amount of the returned debt was written off from the off-balance account.

If the accounts receivable have not been written off, but a provision for doubtful debts has been created for this debt, and the debtor repays the debt, the amount of the provision must be restored. The following entry is made in the accounting records:

Debit 63 Credit 91-1 - the amount of the created reserve was restored when the debtor repays receivables.

Formation of a reserve.

Formation for doubtful debts is one of the types of so-called estimated reserves. The current accounting legislation provides for the accrual of three types of valuation reserves by organizations:

Reserves for depreciation of material assets;

Provisions for depreciation of investments in securities;

Provisions for doubtful debts.

The creation of such estimated reserves in accounting follows from the requirement of prudence for the accounting policy of the organization, drawn up for the purposes of accounting. The accounting policy adopted by the organization for the purposes of accounting should ensure greater readiness to recognize expenses and liabilities in accounting than possible income and assets, avoiding the creation of hidden reserves, taking into account the requirement of prudence. organizations"

Clause 70 of the Accounting Regulations, which is an accounting regulatory document, states that an organization can create reserves for doubtful debts for settlements with other organizations and citizens for products, goods, works and services, attributing the amount of reserves to the financial results of the organization. The amount of the reserve is determined separately for each doubtful debt, depending on the financial condition (solvency) of the debtor and the assessment of the probability of repaying the debt in full or in part.

Contributions to reserves for doubtful debts, created in accordance with accounting rules, are other expenses for the organization. For this reserve, a special account 63 “Reserves for doubtful debts” is provided [clause 11] PBU 10/99.

The amount of the allowance for doubtful debts, calculated on the last day of the reporting period, is reflected in the following entry:

Debit 91-2 Credit 63 - a reserve for doubtful debts has been formed.

The write-off of the allowance for doubtful debts on the date of repayment by the buyer of the debt previously recognized by the organization as doubtful is reflected in the following entries:

Debit 51 Credit 62 - funds received;

Debit 63 Credit 91-1 - reflects the write-off of the amount of the reserve for doubtful debts.

In accordance with clause 70 of the Regulation on Accounting, if this reserve is not used in any part by the end of the reporting year following the year in which the reserve for doubtful debts was created, the unused amounts are added to the balance sheet at the end of the reporting year. financial results. Wiring is made:

Debit 63 Credit 91-1 - unused amounts written off.