QuickBooks Inventory Asset: The Basics

Despite our best efforts, little accounting mistakes can slip in when managing inventory. QuickBooks gives manufacturers a tool that can help them track their finances and manage other areas of their business. This is why many manufacturers opt to use solutions such as QuickBooks for their accounting and inventory needs.

If you’re a manufacturer that uses QuickBooks for inventory management, you might have already stumbled across QuickBooks inventory assets and might be wondering what it is. This article will explain what is an inventory asset, and how you can set up and use them in QuickBooks Online.

What is a QuickBooks inventory asset?

In QuickBooks Online, inventory assets refer to the inventory items you have at hand and ready to sell. Let’s say that you’re a manufacturer that produces microphones. The number of microphones you currently have prepared and are ready to be sold would be considered inventory assets.

As inventory assets can be converted into cash through sales (in fact, that’s basically their purpose), they are considered current assets.

You can see the value of your current inventory assets on your balance sheet. You should find your inventory asset accounts under “Other Current Assets”. The value of an inventory asset account is the total value of the inventory assets you have on hand. Or in other words, if each of your microphones was worth 100 dollars, and you had five available at hand, the value of your inventory asset account would be 500 dollars.

What is the difference between inventory and inventory assets in QuickBooks Online? 

There might be some confusion between the terms “inventory” and “inventory asset” as they are often used interchangeably. Both terms refer to the goods a business has available for sale. However, “QuickBooks inventory asset” can also refer to the value of the inventory items in QuickBooks, and how they are tracked in the accounting system.

How do I enter an inventory asset in QuickBooks Online?

You can set up QuickBooks Online inventory assets if you have QuickBooks Online Advanced or Plus. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

1. Navigate to either the gear icon, then “Products and Services”, or alternatively, select “Get paid & pay”

1. Enter your product description in the “Description” field. This will show up on forms you send to customers, such as sales receipts and invoices
2. Fill in the “Sales price/rate”. This is what you will charge the customers when you sell the item
3. Select your Income account from the dropdown menu. This will be the account QuickBooks uses to track the income from the items whenever you sell them. QuickBooks will set up an Income account for you, but you can change it if you wish
4. Fill in your product description in the “Purchasing information” field. The information you fill in her will show up on forms, invoices etc. you send to suppliers
5. Fill in what you normally pay for the item in the “Cost” section. You can change this later if you need when buying supplies
6. Select “Cost of Sales” from the “Expense account” dropdown menu
7. You can also select your “Preferred supplier” for the item if you have one. This can make re-ordering a little easier in the future
8. Save and close

And you’re set! Just repeat the steps for your other inventory items to set them up.

How to fix common QuickBooks inventory asset account problems

Let’s quickly go over some of the common QuickBooks inventory asset account problems you might encounter, as well as how to fix them.

1. Incorrect inventory asset account

Double-check that the Income account used for the item has the account type “Other Current Asset”, as well as the detail type “Inventory”

2. Negative inventory

Negative inventory can occur when you sell more products than you actually have available in your inventory. 

You can usually fix negative inventory in QuickBooks by converting open purchase orders to bills. This tells QuickBooks that the items are on the way. It’s also a good idea to double-check your inventory, in this case, to see if you need to reorder anything.

3. Incorrect cost of goods sold

You might get an incorrect value on your COGS account for a few different reasons. Double-check that you’ve entered the correct cost for your goods. If that doesn’t work, make sure you’ve linked the correct COGS account to your inventory item.

If you receive items in bulk, make sure they’re received and sold in the same quantity (for example, if you receive 1 kilogram of bananas, but you sell them as 1 pound).

4. Inaccurate inventory reports

You might find inaccuracies in your inventory reports if you have transactions in your inventory asset account that aren’t linked to any of your inventory items. It can also occur if you have inactive inventory items but still have a non-zero value.

You can run an inventory valuation report to help find any items that might be causing issues.

5. Difficulty tracking stock levels

QuickBooks Online has some limitations when it comes to tracking stock levels in inventory. QuickBooks Online on its own does not come with features such as lot tracking and advanced inventory management. You can read more about the limitations of tracking stock in this article: QuickBooks serial number and lot tracking limitations.

You’ll want to integrate QuickBooks Online with the right manufacturing software for better functionality.

Katana + QBO

If you’re a manufacturer using QuickBooks for your accounting and bookkeeping needs, there’s some good news for you.

Katana cloud manufacturing software can be synced with QuickBooks Online. Features such as converting your raw materials into finished goods are only available in QuickBooks Desktop. By syncing your QuickBooks and Katana accounts, you can gain access to features such as:

• Improved inventory management
• Streamlined financial management
• Better forecasting and planning
• Better production control
• Better reporting

If you aren’t convinced yet, you can try out Katana’s free 14-day trial before making a commitment.