Inventory Write-Down Definition

Inventory write-down essentially means to reduce the value of the Inventory due to economic or valuation reasons. When the value of the Inventory reduces because of any reason, the management has to devalue such Inventory and reduce its reported value from the Balance Sheet.

Inventory is materials owned by any business to be sold for revenue or useful for converting into final goods to be sold for revenue. Inventory may become obsolete or become less in value; at that time, the management has to write down the value of the Inventory. The management has to compare the difference between the actual value of the Inventory vs. the original value of the Inventory when it was purchased initially, and the difference between the two will be transferred to the Inventory to write down the account.

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Inventory Write-Down Explanation

We use Inventory Write-down in the condition where the value of the Inventory reduces because the value has fallen because of the market or other economic reasons. It is the opposite of an Inventory write-up where the value of the Inventory increases from its book value. A write down and write off are entirely different terms from accounting. We use a write-down when the value has decreased from its book value, but a write offWrite OffWrite off is the reduction in the value of the assets that were present in the books of accounts of the company on a particular period of time and are recorded as the accounting expense against the payment not received or the losses on the assets.read more means the value of the Inventory has become zero.

During quarterly or annual inventory valuation, the management has to put the fair value of Inventory in the books. Inventory has to be appropriately valued as per accounting methodsAccounting MethodsAccounting methods define the set of rules and procedure that an organization must adhere to while recording the business revenue and expenditure. Cash accounting and accrual accounting are the two significant accounting methods.read more and according to market valuation as well. Sometimes the value of the inventory increases, and sometimes we have to write down the value of the Inventory, which is called inventory write-down. It also depends on the physical structure of the Inventory.

For the same lot of Inventory, the management may write-off, write-down, or sometime write-up the valuation of the InventoryValuation Of The Inventory Inventory Valuation Methods refers to the methodology (LIFO, FIFO, or a weighted average) used to value the company’s inventories, which has an impact on the cost of goods sold as well as ending inventory, and thus has a financial impact on the company’s bottom-line numbers and cash flow situation.read more.

Steps to Record Inventory Write-Down

To record the Inventory write-down in the books, we need to reduce the Inventory by creating a contra inventory account. Let’s understand in the following manner-

Accounting Journal Entries for Inventory Write-down

Let us take an example, there is a product that costs $100, but due to weak economic conditions, the cost of the product reduced by 50%. So, the value of the Inventory has gone down or has only scrap value. Thus, the management will record this difference in the books, which is called Inventory write down.

  • First, the management has to understand the effect and also the value of the inventory write-down as these decisions will affect the process of the accounting treatment for Inventory write down. Once the management determines the value of the Inventory, which has to be written down, they need to decide whether that value is relatively small or large for the management. This decision will change from company to company. It is the process of reducing the value of the Inventory to keep the fact in the mind that the same part of the Inventory is estimated to be valued as worthless, which is showing in the books. A certain amount of inventory write-down will be recorded as an expense for that particular period. And this process is done at one time, unlike depreciationDepreciationDepreciation is a systematic allocation method used to account for the costs of any physical or tangible asset throughout its useful life. Its value indicates how much of an asset’s worth has been utilized. Depreciation enables companies to generate revenue from their assets while only charging a fraction of the cost of the asset in use each year.
  • read more, which is recorded for more than one period.

There are two ways of recording this as per the below example,

#1 – Journal Entries when Inventory Write-down is Small and Note Significant

#1 – Journal Entries when Inventory Write-down is Significantly high

The management should be aware of this part of Inventory management, as this affects the business in many ways. Recoding the true value of the Inventory in the accounts will provide the right picture of the business.

We should not record the value of this write-down in a future period. It should be recorded in a particular period when it was calculated.

Effect of Inventory Write-Down on Financial Statements

Inventory write-down is an expense in nature which will reduce the net income in a particular financial year. During the fiscal yearFiscal YearFiscal Year (FY) is referred to as a period lasting for twelve months and is used for budgeting, account keeping and all the other financial reporting for industries. Some of the most commonly used Fiscal Years by businesses all over the world are: 1st January to 31st December, 1st April to 31st March, 1st July to 30th June and 1st October to 30th Septemberread more, any damaged goods in production or damage during delivery from one place to another, goods stolen or used as trials and samples can also affect write-down inventory.

The effect of the inventory write-down can be summarized as per below,

  • It reduces the value of the Inventory, which is recorded as expenses in the Profit & Loss Account, which reduces the net income for any particular financial year.If any business uses cash accountingCash AccountingCash Accounting is an accounting methodology that registers revenues when they are received & expenditures when they are paid in the given period, thereby aiming at cash inflows & outflows. read more,  then the management write-down the value of the Inventory whenever problems occur, but in the case of accrual accounting, the management may choose to make an inventory reserve account to cover future losses because of inventory valuation changes.It also affects the COGS COGS The Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is the cumulative total of direct costs incurred for the goods or services sold, including direct expenses like raw material, direct labour cost and other direct costs. However, it excludes all the indirect expenses incurred by the company.
  • read morefor any particular period. Let’s understand from the below-mentioned formula, COST OF GOODS SOLD = OPENING INVENTORY + PURCHASES – CLOSING INVENTORY. When we use this write-down, it increases the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for any particular period, because the management will not be able to receive payment of the said goods, which reduces the net income and taxable income as well. The value of the Inventory, which is written down, will not make any money for the business.It has a significant impact on any business’s net profit or balance sheetBalance SheetA balance sheet is one of the financial statements of a company that presents the shareholders’ equity, liabilities, and assets of the company at a specific point in time. It is based on the accounting equation that states that the sum of the total liabilities and the owner’s capital equals the total assets of the company.read more, as changes in the value of any inventory or assets will affect the profitability of the business.

This article has been a guide to Inventory write-downs. Here we discuss how inventory write-down affects financial statements and journal entries along with practical examples. You may learn more about accounting from the following articles –

  • LIFO LiquidationHow to Calculate the Average Inventory?Calculate the Ending InventoryFIFO Inventory Valuation