What type of account is an inventory account?
Matthew Harrington
Updated on February 12, 2026
Inventory is accounted for as an asset, which means it will show up on a company’s balance sheet. An increase in inventory is recorded as a debit while a credit signifies a reduction in the inventory account. When it comes to retail or distribution, inventory involves the purchase of goods for sale to customers.
When inventory is credited what is debited?
The $87.50 (the average cost at the time of the sale) is credited to Inventory and is debited to Cost of Goods Sold.
Can you credit inventory?
The journal entry to increase inventory is a debit to Inventory and a credit to Cash. If a business uses the purchase account, then the entry is to debit the Purchase account and credit Cash. At the end of a period, the Purchase account is zeroed out with the balance moving into Inventory.
How do you create an inventory account?
How to Account for Inventory
- Determine ending unit counts. A company may use either a periodic or perpetual inventory system to maintain its inventory records.
- Improve record accuracy.
- Conduct physical counts.
- Estimate ending inventory.
- Assign costs to inventory.
- Allocate inventory to overhead.
How does inventory debit and credit work in accounting?
Inventory accounts can be adjusted for losses or for corrections after a physical inventory count. Accountants may decrease the value of inventory for obsolescence, for instance. The journal entry to decrease inventory balance is to credit Inventory and debit an expense, such as Loss for Decline in Market Value account.
What kind of account do you need for inventory?
Accounts A firm needs to have at least one account for inventory — an asset account with a regular debit balance. Manufacturing firms may have more than one inventory account, such as Work-in-Process Inventory and Finished Goods Inventory. Some firms also use a Purchase account (debit account) to recognize inventory purchases.
What’s the difference between debits and credits in accounting?
Here’s everything you need to know. What are debits and credits? In a nutshell: debits (dr) record all of the money flowing into an account, while credits (cr) record all of the money flowing out of an account. What does that mean? Most businesses these days use the double-entry method for their accounting.
What does inventory mean on a balance sheet?
Inventory is the array of finished goods or goods used in production held by a company. Inventory is classified as a current asset on a company’s balance sheet, and it serves as a buffer between manufacturing and order fulfillment.