Accounting Aspects regarding Obligations to Customers

Abstract

Trade-related operations occupy a significant place in the activities carried out by companies. These operations generate income and expenses and affect obligations to suppliers and rights over customers, implying, in all cases, the existence of a link between two economic actors known as suppliers (for whom these operations represent sales) and customers (for whom these operations represent purchases). The obligations and rights arising from the company's links with natural and legal persons outside the company and with natural persons within the company are recorded in the 4th class of accounts entitled "Third party accounts". The idea of an obligation refers to a commitment made by a certain person to pay a sum of money, deliver goods, perform work, or provide a certain service. The natural or legal person who has an obligation is generically referred to as a debtor. The sale of goods, the provision of services, and/or the performance of work specific to the company's activity are reflected in the accounts through customer accounts and similar accounts. Customers, represented by account 4111 "Customers", keep track of current (operating) receivables from third parties determined by the sale on credit of tangible goods, works, and services that are the subject of the enterprise's activity. In other words, customer accounts reflect the enterprise's right to collect a certain amount of money from customers for goods, works, and services provided. In addition to receivables, companies may also record liabilities in their customer relationships. These are generated by two categories of transactions, namely: receiving advances from customers; delivering returnable packaging to customers. Although the packaging is included in the invoice value for the goods delivered, the supplier does not record it as sold, as it remains its property. Upon return, the supplier will reduce the receivable recorded upon delivery of the goods by the value of the packaging returned to it.