Moneyzine
Contents

Net Sales

Moneyzine Editor
Author: 
Moneyzine Editor
1 mins
September 20th, 2023
Advertiser Disclosure

Definition

The financial accounting term net sales is used to describe revenues after accounting for returns, discounts, and allowances for factors like damaged or missing goods. The net sales line item appears on a company's income statement.

Calculation

Net Sales = Revenues (Gross Sales) - Sales Returns and Allowances

Explanation

Net sales is a restatement of sales (or revenues), and more accurately reflects the stream of money that flows into the company. The adjustment is necessary to account for consumer returns of merchandise.

This metric is frequently used by management to measure customer satisfaction with a product. This is done by examining and tracking the percentage of sales returns:

Sales Returns (%) = (Sales Returns and Allowances / Gross Sales) x 100

If the value of sales returns appears high relative to benchmarks, the company can conduct research to determine the source of the product dissatisfaction.

Example

The table below demonstrates how net sales would appear in a company's income statement:

Gross Sales29,936,000
Less: Sales Returns and Allowances(325,000)
Net Sales29,611,000
Cost of Goods Sold15,693,000
Gross Profit13,918,000

Related Terms

income statement, revenues, cost of goods sold, sales returns and allowances

Explore Investing Further

Related Content

  • Biden Or Trump: Who Is Better For The Economy And Stocks?
    Yup. This is one of those articles. It's an election year, and here in the U.S., we get to decide which old dude who’s been alive long enough to remember when there were only 48 states in the U.S. will be the leader of the free world.
    March 19th, 2024
  • When it comes to strategic business planning, accounting is front and center, shaping the course of action. At least it should be.
    March 14th, 2024
  • DRIP Brokers: Best Brokers for Dividend Investing for April 2024
    Reinvesting dividends could mean compound growth for your portfolio. But reinvesting them manually can be a hassle. This is why you could benefit from a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
    March 12th, 2024
  • How To Invest in Real Estate Without Becoming a Landlord
    We all know that in order to build wealth and prepare for retirement, investing is the key. However, it can be hard to figure out what to invest in and how to put your money to good use. One of the most talked about ways to build wealth is owning property and being a landlord to bring in passive income. But what if you don’t want to do that? You can still invest in real estate!
    March 6th, 2024
  • Investing In Nature: The Closest You'll Get To Your Money Growing On Trees
    ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) has become a polluted word for many traders and investors - but that doesn't mean it's going completely away. Nor does that mean you can't profit from nature or sustainable practices. But there are some opportunities in the regenerative ag, conservation, and green real estate spaces.
    February 29th, 2024

Contributors

Moneyzine 2024. All Rights Reserved.