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Understanding Inventory (Stock) Valuations with invoiceit!

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Invoicing, returning items to your supplier and write-offs reduces your inventory values.

Purchases, returns by clients and write-ons increase your inventory values.

Example: on your shelf are 5 widgets, valued at $20.40 each. You now purchase 36 more widgets at a 
cost of $18.10 each.

Valuation:

The cost per unit is calculated as Total value/Total Quantity (753.60 divided by 41) = 18.38

You now sell 12 of these widgets, leaving you 29 on the shelf.

The value of the sale is calculated as follows, using the FIFO method (first in, first out):

5 widgets at 20.40 = 102.00 (these are from the old inventory, leaving none left over)
7 widgets at 18.10 = 126.70 (these are from the new inventory, leaving 29 left over)
Total: 12 widgets, combined value 228.70 (19.06 each)

The 29 widgets remaining on your shelf all come from the new inventory and have a value of 524.90 in total 
(18.14 each).

The FIFO method is good store keeping practise as it rotates your inventory and minimises write offs 
– you won’t be stuck with old inventory very often.

The purpose of counting your inventory is to determine its value and to check if your records match the actual 
items left. It can be done all at once (the store is often closed for this as everyone is busy counting), or a so-called 
rolling stocktake, in which you count some items today, some tomorrow, etc.

When you start invoiceit! you should enter your current inventory – either from existing records or by conducting 
a inventory count and valuation. As a date of the count, use a date older than your first transaction. invoice it! 
assumes that the count was done at the end of business on the day you entered.

You can enter something like Quantity: 20 - Value: 0 (i.e. you have 20 items that were either written off or didn’t 
cost you anything); you cannot enter something like Quantity: 0 - Value: 100. Always enter the total value.

The date of the count is important. All transactions (purchases, sales, etc) done prior to the day of the count 
are considered history and are not included in valuations. All transactions done on or after the day of the count 
will be included in valuations. See example below:

Each time you count your inventory you may find some discrepancies, where your records differ from what is 
actually on the shelf. Adjustments account for unexplained losses or gains in your inventory valuation.

Remember that any transactions that happened prior to the date of the count are considered history (have occurred 
before the count). To include them, adjust the date of the transaction.

Example 1: inventory count was on Feb 5, 2003. After the count you raised two invoices both dated Feb 4, 2003. 
Neither invoice will be considered by the inventory valuation. Change the date of both invoices to Feb 5 or later 
to ensure they reduce your inventory properly.

Example 2: inventory count was on Feb 5, 2003. After the count you entered a purchase dated Feb 2, 2003. This 
will not be considered by the inventory valuation. Change the date of the purchase to Feb 5 or later to ensure it 
increases your inventory properly.

Use write-offs if you discover, after counting, that you have fewer items than you should have (loss).

Use write-ons if you discover, after counting, that you have more items than you should have (gain).

Examples of ‘loss’: Your transaction report shows that you had 20 widgets at last count, and since then purchased 
40 and sold 37. You should now have 23 left but the count shows up only 15. You have ‘lost’ 8 widgets. Here are 
some likely reasons:

or other reasons. If you cannot account for those 8, you should write them off as a loss. invoiceit! will prompt you.

Examples of ‘gain’: Your transaction report shows that you had 20 widgets at last count, and since then purchased 
40 and sold 37. You should now have 23 but the count shows up 25. You have ‘gained’ 2 widgets. Here are some 
likely reasons:

or other reasons. If you cannot work out where the extra 2 widgets came from, write them on, if necessary at 
zero value. invoice it!  will prompt you.

Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the value of your inventory. In these situations you adjust only the value 
of the inventory at time of the count and have your accountant record the difference as an extraordinary loss/gain 
in your Profit & Loss Accounts.

Here are some reasons why these adjustments occur:

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