When an inventory sells, it appears in the income statement under the COGS account. COGS applies to costs that are related directly to producing goods that specifically mark a sale. The balance sheet has an account, and that account is known as the current assets account. An item is under this account, and it is known as inventory. Inventory is an essential asset for distributors. They use the manufacturers’ raw materials.
Periodic inventory
Under the periodic system, the amount in the inventory account does not update when they are purchasing it or during that time. The account is only updated after a year is completed, and the new year starts after the end of one year. It means that the statement will show you the cost of the stock for last year. All the purchases that are related to merchandise are entirely and profoundly recorded in either one or more than one purchase account. When the year is about to end, the purchase accounts are closed by the company. By following the periodic system, there is no cost of goods sold in the account to record the sale of merchandise.
Assumptions for cost flow
IRS accepts three methods to move the cost to the income statement from the balance sheet. Three methods are accepted FIFO (First in First Out), LIFO (Last in First Out), and Average Cost takes ways and manner. They display what their names suggest and mean that the order in which costs skip the inventory can stay from removing goods from it in physical form. First in, first out has a meaning. They mean that goods that arrive first should be removed first at their original cost. It does not matter if the cost of goods sold has increased for the new batch. It would be best if you had to record their actual price.
Perpetual form of inventory system
While following a perpetual system, the stock account is being updated at regular intervals by the company. The actual cost of products purchased from the suppliers is initially and without mistakes added to the account. On the other hand, those products and merchandise sold to the customers are continuously being removed from the account. There is no chance for purchase accounts in this perpetual system of inventory. The actual price of sold products has a history, and that account is under debt at the time of the sale, which applies to the cost related to the merchandise. Sale and accounts receivable are added to the record as one entry. On the other hand, the assorted products added to the inventory list are decreased, and they start to maximize the price of products sold to the customers.
FIFO (first-in, first-out), LIFO (last in first out), and Average cash flow assumptions are merged with any inventory systems, either perpetual inventory systems or periodic inventory systems, to find out about the actual cost stock at hand. It depends upon you that how you can choose any one of them according to convenience and ease.
Indication of a perpetual system
The perpetual system clearly shows and ensures that their Inventory account will be continuously or perpetually updated at regular time intervals. In other words, you can say that the balance in the Inventory account will start to increase by the amount of the goods purchased. This cost will be decreased by the cost of the goods that are being sold. So, it illustrates that the balance in the Inventory account should tell you more about the cost of the inventory items that are on your hand right now. Also, the companies should count the actual number and cost of their goods that they are having at the current time (take a physical inventory) at least once a year. They should adjust the perpetual records if necessary for the company.