Let’s say a fictional business called Paint World sends you an invoice for $500 to pay for a shipment of paint. Accounts payable are funds you owe others—they sent you an invoice that is still “payable” by you. You’ll also need to include certain clauses in the supplier contract relating to penalizing suppliers, this is in case of non-performance or underperformance.

Further, the clerk undertakes the processing, verifying, and reconciling the invoices. Also, he pays suppliers by scheduling pay checks and ensures that payment is received for outstanding credit. Say, for instance, you receive invoices from your suppliers, these supplier invoices would be recorded as credits to your accounts payable account. These transactions would then increase the credit balance of your accounts payable, so by paying your suppliers in cash, your accounts payable balance will get reduced. Whenever your supplier provides goods or services on credit to your business, there are accounts payable outstanding on your balance sheet. Meaning the accounts payable account gets credited as there is an increase in the current liability of your business.

Reviewing Bill Details

You can also include the payment terms agreed upon by the suppliers, which will specify the time period that you will take to make payment to your suppliers. The chart of accounts helps you track your accounts payable expenses in a proper manner, and you can also generate your chart of accounts in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. These principles refer to the guidelines that all accounting teams, AP or otherwise, must follow when recording transactions and preparing financial statements to maintain legal compliance. The details entered on the check, vendor bank account details, payment vouchers, and the original bill and purchase order must be scrutinized. Larger businesses or any business that requires staff to travel may have their AP department manage their travel expenses. The travel management by the AP department might include making advance airline, car rental, and hotel reservations.

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2. If you are using manual accounting software, then you will have to review the due date of each of the invoices, so you know which invoices are due for payment.
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4. When the bill is paid, the accountant debits accounts payable to decrease the liability balance.

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However, if you have a large number of accounts payable, you’ll first record the individual accounts payable in a sub-ledger. Ledger accounts need to be updated based on the received bills and an expense entry is usually required. Managerial approval might be required at this stage with the approval hierarchy attached to the bill value. If a company purchases goods, the bill helps trace the quantity how to void a check of what was received.

Recording Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable refers to a business’s obligations to suppliers and creditors for purchases made on an open account. It specifically refers to any amounts owed expected to be paid within one year or less (usually due in 30 to 60 days). Additionally, Accounts Payable could refer to the department responsible for these expenses. Accounts Payable (AP) is an accounting term that refers to money owed to suppliers, vendors, or employees for goods or services purchased on credit.

Accounts Payable and Receivable are usually different departments in larger companies. However, smaller businesses may combine their accounts receivable and accounts payable into one department. They are typically responsible for more than just paying incoming bills and invoices.

Reducing Accounts Payables

Once you’ve reviewed all the invoices, the next step is to process those payments. If your vendors create and send invoices using an invoicing software, then the invoice details will get uploaded to your accounting software automatically. However, if your vendors create and send invoices manually, then you’ll need to manually fill in the details in your accounting software or books of accounts. Accounts Payable is sometimes referred to as a current liability account. This is simply in reference to the fact that the account represents the company’s short-term liabilities.