A Beginner’s Guide to Using Contra Asset Accounts

You can estimate the total to record in the allowance for doubtful accounts based on uncollectible revenue totals from the previous year or you can conservatively estimate the amount. This account serves two purposes — tracking total depreciation expenses while providing you with the accurate book value of the asset being depreciated. Accounting EntryAccounting Entry is a summary of all the business transactions in the accounting books, including the debit & credit entry.

The adjusted trial balance lists the account balances segregated by assets and liabilities. After closing entries are posted to the accounts in the general ledger, all asset and liability accounts have a balance of zero. If a company uses the contra account Accumulated Amortization, this account will typically be shown on the balance sheet. Contra revenue account, which is used to record the net amounts and usually has a debit balance, as opposed to the revenue account that records the gross amounts. A contra account is used in order to better portray the relationship between certain debits and credits within the overall financial structure of an entity. A contra account can be used to remedy an error, to track depreciation of an asset, or to register payments that are not collectible.

Why Use a Contra Account?

That is because some of the bonds are issued at a discount, so this reduces the balance of their bonds payable. As mentioned above, the primary situation in which contra asset accounts appear has to do with accumulated depreciation. Therefore, an example of a contra asset account involved with a depreciation situation seems reasonable to observe. Nova Incorporated is attempting to finalize their balance sheet in terms of the net value of their assets. At the end of the year, their assets are as follows… Nova Company valued a van at $30,000, an office building at $500,000 and office equipment at $20,000. At the same time, depreciation for the van at the end of the year ended up at $500. And the depreciation for the office equipment ended up at $1,000.

• When a company sells the asset — usually a long-term asset such as a building or vehicle — the closing entry removes the related accumulated depreciation in the contra asset account.
• This amount is shown as a provision or reserve for doubtful debts.
• The lender may offer the company a discount if it repays the note early.
• In other words, contra accounts are used to reduce normal accounts on the balance sheet.
• Only customer accounts with balances are reported on the schedule of accounts receivable.
• Many or all of the products here are from our partners that pay us a commission.

The percentage of sales method assumes that the company cannot collect payment for a fixed percentage of goods or services that it has sold. Peggy James is a CPA with over 9 years of experience in accounting and finance, including corporate, nonprofit, and personal finance environments. She most recently worked at Duke University and is the owner of Peggy James, CPA, PLLC, serving small businesses, nonprofits, solopreneurs, freelancers, and individuals.

Contra Account

The use of contra accounts ensures the accuracy of financial accounting records, as the value of the original accounts is not directly reduced. In the event that a contra account is not utilized, it can become increasingly troublesome to determine historical costs, which makes tax preparation time-consuming and difficult. Another https://www.bookstime.com/ is Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. This account appears next to the current asset Accounts Receivable.

• Examples of revenue contra accounts are Sales Discounts, Returns and Allowances.
• Accounting EntryAccounting Entry is a summary of all the business transactions in the accounting books, including the debit & credit entry.
• For instance, a contra account that relates to an accounts receivable is called a contra asset account.
• Now, for contra revenue accounts there are sales discounts, sales allowances, or sales returns.
• These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts.
• Treasury Stock AccountTreasury Stock is a stock repurchased by the issuance Company from its current shareholders that remains non-retired.
• Note that in accounting, the term “book value” is also used interchangeably with net value.

Learn financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel shortcuts. A contra account enables a company to report the original amount while also reporting the appropriate downward adjustment. Depreciation is an accounting method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life to account for declines in value over time. An account that changes the carrying value of the asset to which it relates, including accumulated depreciation and allowance account for loan and lease losses .

Contra Account – Explained

Learn why contra accounts, when utilized correctly along with a paired account, are a crucial component of accurate accounting and financial review. Those who are struggling with recording contra accounts may benefit from utilizing some of the best accounting software currently available. Key examples of contra accounts include accumulated deprecation and allowance for doubtful accounts. A contra account is an account whose balance is the opposite of a corresponding account. In finance, a contra account reduces the value of related or corresponding account.

• Sometimes, both accounts can be written in a single line if they don’t represent a large portion of the assets.
• At the end of the year, their assets are as follows… Nova Company valued a van at $30,000, an office building at $500,000 and office equipment at $20,000.
• Contra liability accounts are less commonly used than contra asset accounts.
• The amount in the accumulated depreciation account is deducted from the assets of a company, such as buildings, vehicles and equipment.
• Finally, take the total of depreciation and subtract it from total assets.

Instead, it is reported at its full amount with an allowance for bad debts listed below it. Maybe more importantly, it shows investors and creditors what percentage of receivables the company is writing off. Contra asset accounts are useful tools in double-entry accounting.

Presentation of Contra Asset Accounts

Moreover, it is not considered while calculating the Company’s Earnings Per Share or dividends. Despite being classified as a liability, it functions more like an asset because benefits are provided to the company.

This type of reporting allows anyone analyzing the balance sheet to understand much more about the company and its assets than if they were to simply look at the net value of the contra asset account depreciated asset. By reflecting both accounts on the balance sheet, analysts can understand both the original price and the total decrease in value of a certain asset over time.

What is a Contra Account?

The $10,000 of depreciation will reduce the book value of the car. This means it received $4,500 in cash but needs to pay $5,000 back to the bondholders. Accumulated depletion is the counterpart of natural resource assets. For freelancers and SMEs in the UK & Ireland, Debitoor adheres to all UK & Irish invoicing and accounting requirements and is approved by UK & Irish accountants. Designed for freelancers and small business owners, Debitoor invoicing software makes it quick and easy to issue professional invoices and manage your business finances. Mary Girsch-Bock is the expert on accounting software and payroll software for The Ascent. Get started with one of our top business credit card picks of 2022 today.

Contra accounts are important because they allow a company to follow the matching principle by recording an expense initially in the contra asset account. The contra asset account is later reduced when the expense is recorded. Business owners should understand the functions of contra accounts and their importance to maintaining accurate financial records. In financial accounting, a contra asset account always relates to an asset account. Two of the most common examples of a contra account are the allowance for doubtful accounts and accumulated depreciation. In most cases, these accounts will not show up on a standard balance sheet, which is the financial statement that contains all asset accounts.