Are you a business owner or finance firm executive who often wonders what it is your business may be letting go of that can be affecting your bottom line substantially? One of the answers could be your unearned revenue or, better, unbilled receivable! Research shows that almost half (48%) of service-based and subscription-based businesses struggle with meeting their accounting and reporting challenges, and a considerable percentage of them deal with unbilled revenue at some point.
This means that if you’re running a similar business model or working for SaaS companies, you can face significant cash flow challenges if you fail to manage your billing cycle or unbilled revenue appropriately and promptly. This is all the more important as the money on hold is for the services you’ve already provided, and failing to account for this can create discrepancies in your financial statements and allow for ill-informed decision-making.
Tracking unbilled revenue and understanding how to make accounting journal entries for it is thus imperative for your business’s success. Read along to understand more.
First up, what’s unbilled revenue?
Simply put, unbilled revenue is the income you’ve earned from delivering goods or services to your customers, but you haven’t invoiced them yet. This situation commonly arises in industries like consulting, construction, and subscription services, where you provide ongoing work over time. With accrual accounting, you recognize revenue when it’s earned, not when you receive payment. So, until you issue an invoice, this unbilled revenue shows up as an asset on your balance sheet.
For example, if you run a consulting firm, and you have a contract to provide strategic advice over three months for a total fee of 15,000 USD. In the first month, you deliver services worth 5,000 USD but don’t issue an invoice until the end of the project. According to accrual accounting principles, that 5,000 USD will be recorded as unbilled revenue on your balance sheet as an asset. As you continue to provide services in the second month, your unbilled revenue will grow to 10,000 USD until you finally invoice the client for the total amount at the end of the three-month period
Understanding the revenue recognition process to identify all your unbilled revenue is key to reporting your income accurately during the right accounting period. By following revenue recognition standards, you can make sure that your income matches the expenses incurred to generate that income. This can help you with more precise financial reporting and make informed business decisions.
Four reasons your business may be having unbilled revenue
Here are some reasons why you can have unbilled revenue or a delayed billing date:
- Delayed invoicing: You might finish a project but hold off on sending the invoice due to administrative delays or simple oversight.
- Project-based work: If your business operates on a project basis, you may only bill clients after reaching specific milestones or completing the project.
- Subscription services: In subscription models, you often grant access to your services before billing, which can lead to unbilled revenue and many other subscription revenue recognition challenges.
- Contractual terms: Some contracts specify that invoicing occurs at certain intervals or after specific deliverables are met, resulting in periods of unbilled revenue.
Is unbilled revenue a regular part of your business model? Then understanding why accrual accounting and revenue recognition processes are important is imperative for your success, let’s explore that.
Importance of accrual accounting and revenue recognition practices
Accrual accounting is crucial for managing unbilled revenue effectively as you can identify revenue as soon as you earn it. Per research from AICPA, companies using accrual accounting report financial statements that are 25% more accurate than those relying solely on cash accounting.
Moreover, by implementing effective revenue recognition practices, you can ensure compliance with accounting standards like GAAP and IFRS. These standards require you to recognize revenue in a way that reflects the transfer of goods or services to customers. Following these practices can help you avoid potential legal issues and maintain transparency with your stakeholders.
How to do accounting entry for unbilled revenue of your business
Now that you know why managing unbilled revenue effectively is essential for accurate financial reporting and smooth cash flow, here are detailed steps to help you track unbilled revenue:
1. Identify your business’s unbilled revenue
The first step in effective accounting is identifying your unbilled revenue. This means recognizing income that you’ve earned but haven’t invoiced yet. Here’s how you can do it:
- Review contracts and agreements
Look at your contracts with clients to determine which services have been performed or goods delivered but not yet billed.
- Check service delivery records
Maintain detailed records of services rendered or products provided during the accounting period. This can include project management tools, timesheets, or delivery receipts.
- Calculate unbilled revenue
Sum up the total value of services rendered or goods delivered that have not yet been invoiced. This amount will be recorded as unbilled revenue.
- Documentation
Keep documentation supporting the unbilled revenue, such as emails confirming service completion or delivery notes.
Revenue recognition standards
While recognizing revenue, be mindful of these revenue recognition standards:
ASC 606 standard: This standard outlines how to recognize revenue in a way that reflects the transfer of goods or services to customers. It emphasizes performance obligations, meaning you should recognize revenue when you fulfill your part of the customer contract.
IFRS 15 standard: Similar to ASC 606, IFRS 15 focuses on recognizing revenue based on contract performance. It requires businesses to identify contracts with customers and recognize revenue as obligations are satisfied.
Example: Let’s say your marketing agency completed a campaign for a client worth $20,000, but you haven’t sent out the invoice yet. According to the revenue recognition principle, you’d recognize this $20,000 as unbilled revenue until you issue that invoice.
2. Record or prepare journal entry for unbilled receivables
Once you’ve identified unbilled revenue, the next step is to record it in your accounting system.
For instance, taking the previous example, after you recognize the $20,000 from the marketing campaign, you need to make the following journal entry:
Account | Debit | Credit |
Unbilled Revenue A/c | $20,000 | |
To Revenue (Sales) A/c | $20,000 |
Debit unbilled revenue account:
This entry increases your assets, reflecting that you’ve earned revenue that’ll be billed later.
Credit revenue (sales) account:
This entry recognizes the income earned during the period.
3. Record the invoice when issued
Once you issue an invoice for the unbilled revenue, you need to adjust your accounts accordingly. So, when you send out the invoice to the client, make this journal entry:
Account | Debit | Credit |
Accounts Receivable A/c | $20,000 | |
To Unbilled Revenue A/c | $20,000 |
Debit accounts receivable account
This reflects that you’re now expecting payment from the customer for the services rendered.
Credit unbilled revenue account
This reverses the previous entry in unbilled revenue, indicating that the revenue has now been billed.
4. Adjust your unbilled revenue account and review your financial statements
After invoicing, regularly review your unbilled revenue account and financial statements to ensure accuracy. Here’s how you can do it:
- Entry adjustment: As invoices are issued and payments are received, adjust your accounts accordingly. Regularly reconcile your unbilled receivables with actual invoices issued.
- Balance sheet review: Ensure that your assets reflect the accounts receivable and any unbilled revenue.
- Income statement evaluation: Confirm that your revenues are accurately reported, including both billed and unbilled amounts.
- Financial review: At month-end, check if all completed term projects have corresponding invoices and make sure that any unbilled amounts are correctly reflected as current assets on your balance sheet.
Now, are you ready to figure out how accounting and automation tools can help you reduce your unbilled revenue? Let’s get to it!
How billing automation tools can help you reduce your unbilled revenue
Automation tools can streamline your invoicing process and help reduce unbilled revenue significantly through different benefits such as:
- Timely invoicing
With billing automation, you can set up invoices to be generated automatically based on project completion or service delivery. This means no more delays in sending out invoices, which helps ensure that clients are billed promptly. When you invoice on time, you’ll not only improve your cash flow but also show your clients that you’re organized and professional.
- Error reduction
Automating your invoicing process cuts down on manual entry errors that can lead to missed billing opportunities. By relying less on human input, you can reduce the chances of mistakes like incorrect amounts or misallocated charges. This accuracy is crucial because it will help you maintain trust with your clients and ensure that your financial records accurately reflect what you’ve earned.
- Improved cash flow
Faster invoicing means quicker payments from clients. By automating the billing process, invoices will go out as soon as a project is completed, which speeds up the payment cycle. This improved cash flow is essential for keeping your business running smoothly and allows you to reinvest in growth opportunities without worrying about cash shortages.
- Tracking capabilities
Billing automation tools come with tracking features that let you easily monitor outstanding invoices and follow up with clients automatically. This means no more lost invoices or forgotten payments. Being able to track what’s outstanding helps you stay on top of your finances and identify any patterns in payment delays, so you can address issues before they become bigger problems.
Check out how Synder solves the problem of deferred revenue recognition for subscriptions for Yoodli.
Streamline your revenue recognition for subscriptions with Synder
As you could see, revenue recognition can also get really complex, especially for a business operating on a subscription-based model. The tandem of Synder Sync and Synder RevRec makes this critical accounting process simple and automated, ensuring accuracy and compliance, and leaving more time to focus on operations and finance teams.
What exactly is on the table?
- Compliance with accounting standards: The platform ensures adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and specific regulatory requirements like IFRS 15 and ASC 606, making it suitable for SaaS companies and other subscription-based businesses.
- Automated sync of subscription changes to accounting: Synder RevRec automatically tracks subscription changes, such as refunds, cancellations, upgrades, etc., and records everything to QuickBooks Online.
- Recognizing deferred revenue: Synder effectively manages deferred revenue, which is crucial for businesses receiving payments in advance for services to be delivered in the future. The platform automates the process by recording such advance payments as deferred revenue—a liability on the balance sheet—and then systematically recognizes this revenue as the corresponding goods or services are provided.
- Handling complex billing scenarios: The software manages various billing complexities, including advanced and arrears billing, tiered pricing, prorations, and product/service bundling. It also processes invoices with extended payment terms (e.g., Net 30, Net 60), recognizing revenue even before payment is received.
- Granular reporting: Synder provides detailed revenue recognition schedules and reports, offering insights into recognized and deferred revenue on a monthly basis. This granularity aids in accurate financial reporting and analysis.
Ready to simplify your revenue recognition process? Check out all Synder’s features yourself during the 15-day free trial or together with a specialist during our Weekly Public Demo, and see the difference automation can make!
Final thoughts
Managing unbilled revenue is essential for accurate financial reporting and maintaining healthy cash flow. By following these steps: identifying unbilled revenue, recording it properly in your general ledger, invoicing promptly, and reviewing your accounts, you can ensure that your financial statements reflect true earnings.
Leveraging tools like Synder can further streamline revenue recognition, helping you automate processes, reduce errors, and gain real-time insights to optimize your financial management.