Definition: When a company purchases goods on credit which needs to be paid back in a short period of time, it is known as Accounts Payable. It is treated as a liability and comes under the head ‘current liabilities’. Accounts Payable is a short-term debt payment which needs to be paid to avoid default. Description: Accounts Payable is a liability due to a particular creditor when it order goods or services without paying in cash up front, which means that you bought goods on credit. Accounts Payable as a term is not limited to companies. Even individuals like you and me have Accounts Payable. Show
23 Rules for ascertaining intention Unless a different intention appears, the following are rules for ascertaining the intention of the parties as to the time at which the property in the goods is to pass to the buyer.
Good customer and supplier management will ensure you have a consistent flow of money coming in from sales to be able to pay your bills. Learn how to develop invoices and manage your debtors (people who owe you money), as well as how to pay and build strong relationships with your creditors (your suppliers). Cash flow is the movement of money in and out of your business. The money coming in is called revenue, and the money going out is your cost of operations. Good cash flow management will ensure you always have money available to pay expenses, both expected and unexpected. Your cash flow can be impacted if your customers (debtors) don't make their payments to you on time. In turn, you may not be able to make payments to your suppliers (creditors) or lenders. Even profitable businesses can fail if they are not managing their cash flow properly.
Watch our video to help you understand how to manage the money coming in and going out of your business. Topics include:
Working capital is the difference between your business's current assets (such as cash and accounts receivable) and your current liabilities (such as accounts payable). It is a measure of your business's short-term financial health. The cash flow of your business is represented by your level of working capital. This is made up of 3 core components:
If you have more current liabilities than current assets, you could have trouble growing your business or paying back creditors. It can also affect your ongoing business registrations and access to contracts or lead to bankruptcy. The 'working capital cycle' is the length of time it takes from you using cash to purchase stock or other business inputs to receiving the cash back from a debtor or sale. Think of it as a loop, starting with cash at the top. Identify the period between the different stages of your business's working capital cycle. This is where your payment terms, financing repayments and investment decisions will have significant impact on your business's cash flow and available working capital. View the sample debtors and creditors analysis table to see the impact of debtors and creditors on your cash flow. Calculate your business's ability to pay off short-term liabilities with current assets by using the current ratio (also known as working capital ratio).
Calculate current ratio$$\text{Current ratio} = \frac{\text{Current assets}}{\text{Current liabilities}}$$ InvoicesAn invoice is a record of purchase that allows your customers to pay you for the goods or services you've provided. Your invoices should include:
There are different types of invoices, so make sure you're using the correct type for your needs. Correct invoicing helps protect your business's cash flow, maintain good records and meet your tax obligations. Make sure you handle any customer invoice queries quickly and fairly. Regular invoicesRegular invoices are used by businesses that aren't registered for goods and services tax (GST). This means your invoices will not include a tax component. Do not use the term 'tax invoice' on these invoices. Tax invoicesUse a tax invoice if your business is registered for GST. Tax invoices must include the GST amount for each item sold. You must provide a tax invoice if any of these circumstances apply:
If your customer asks for a tax invoice and you're not registered for GST, you should add a statement that no GST is applicable (e.g. add 'Price does not include GST' or 'Note: The GST sum is nil' on the statement). Invoice tips
Your business payment terms show when and how customers should pay you. Your terms should make it as easy as possible for your customers to pay you promptly and efficiently. This will ensure you maintain good customer relationships and a healthy cash flow. If your terms make it difficult for customers to pay you easily, you risk:
Developing payment termsPayment terms usually include:
Credit termsYou may choose to offer your customers the option of credit. Think of a customer credit purchase as a business debt. Learn more about offering credit to your customers. Standard terms of credit can include:
Offering credit can increase your sales but also brings the risk of non-payments. Before you decide to offer credit options, review whether it suits the nature of your business and whether it's standard practice in your industry or among your competitors. When setting your credit terms:
Credit and payment policiesClear credit and payment policies provide clarity for both customers and your business and reduces misunderstandings which can lead to disputes. Make sure all of your employees are aware of your business's credit and payment policies and are trained in how to use them. Ensure your payment and credit policies, and related training material, include information on:
Managing debtorsDebtors are people or businesses who owe you money. Managing your debtors correctly will help you get paid faster and prevent bad debts. Managing debtors (credit management) includes:
Develop clear debt collection policies and procedures for you and your staff to follow. These may include:
You must keep records of your debtors to determine your actual income and expenses for the year for income tax purposes. There are also laws governing how you follow up debts with your customers. Chasing late paymentsBeing consistent when chasing debtors will help you to recover debts while maintaining good customer relationships. Contact customers quickly about overdue invoices. For example, if you offer payment terms of 28 days, begin following up debtors when payments are 7 days overdue. When managing debtors, you should:
Consider if you should have merchant facilities (if you don't already) such as mobile EFTPOS or credit card devices to make it easier to get paid as goods or services are delivered. You may have other options available to you for chasing late payments, including:
Learn more about debt collection options. Debt collection lawsBy law, there are things you can and can't do to encourage debtors to pay. You can:
You cannot:
Managing suppliers (creditors)Suppliers (also known as creditors) provide you with the goods or services you need to operate your business. Having good relationship with your suppliers can be mutually beneficial, especially if your business hits challenging times. Negotiate supplier contractsWhen you start working with a new supplier, clearly document your agreed terms in a contract signed and held by both parties. Make sure you negotiate contract conditions (such as delivery times and payment terms) that you both agree on. At a minimum, the contract with your supplier should include:
Negotiate payment termsWhen discussing payment terms with suppliers, you may ask them to consider:
Review supplier payment terms regularly to help you manage your cash flow. If you need to return goods:
Pay your suppliers regularly and on timeTry to pay your suppliers weekly or in periods that match typical account settlement periods (e.g. every 14, 21 or 28 days). You may choose to pay invoices on their due date to maintain a positive cash flow position for your business. Avoid paying after the due date. Set up payment systems to support your supplier payment policy. This will ensure you pay suppliers on or by the due date, avoid late payments and avoid duplicate payments. Building relationships with suppliersStrong relationships with suppliers can play an important role in supporting your business. Establish and maintain good long-term working relationships with your suppliers by:
Strong relationships with your suppliers can be especially important when your business is going through a challenging period. If you've proven to be a good customer, your supplier may be willing to help you out with increased payment terms, higher credit amounts or loyalty discounts. Not meeting agreed terms with suppliersThere may be times you need to pay outside of your agreed payment terms. Having a good relationship with your suppliers can mean they are more willing to help you out during difficult times for your business. Contact your supplier as soon as you know you won't be able to meet the agreed terms. Discuss your concerns openly and honestly, and offer alternatives for when you will be able to meet terms again. Be aware that if you're late on payment, suppliers can take back goods that you haven't paid for. Your supplier may be able to reclaim unpaid goods if they've registered with the Personal Property Security Register (PPSR). The PPSR is an Australian Government register where suppliers can register their interest in personal property and have protection over those assets until they are fully paid. Read more about managing late payments to suppliers. Finding and choosing suppliersRead about finding and choosing suppliers and maintaining supplier relationships. Also consider... |