Record a settlement or prompt payment discount

For example, you've a customer to invoice for £100 net and £20 VAT, with a settlement discount of 20%. Create an invoice for the discounted amount, £80 net and £16 VAT.

NOTE: If you want to record how much discount you've given, use steps in the section Customer pays the invoice later.

Customer pays the invoice later

There are two methods you can use to deal with settlement discounts taken:

Method 1 - Post a discount with VAT included on customer receipt

1. Show the terms of the settlement discount on your invoices

To post settlement discounts this way, you must ensure that the invoices you issue:

• Show the rate of settlement discount that will apply if the customer pays within the settlement terms, and when it must be paid by
• Advise the customer that they can only recover the actual VAT amount paid and that no credit note will be issued for the discount amount

In Sage 50 Accounts there's an invoice layout available called A4 Inv Settlement Discount - Plain Paper (Print or Email). This layout shows the settlement discount terms below the delivery address at the bottom of the layout. If you prefer you can edit your own invoice layout to add settlement terms. For more information, refer to the Edit your sales invoice layout section.

2. To post a discount with VAT included on the customer receipt

If the customer pays the invoice by the agreed date, post a discount with VAT included when you record the sales receipt for the amount received.

NOTE: In the steps below, the following example is used: A sales invoice for £120, which is made up from £100 net plus £20 VAT, with a settlement discount of 10%.

1. Click Bank accounts, then click Customer receipt.
2. Choose the customer account, then enter the receipt date, amount and any reference you want.
3. For the outstanding invoice, click the Receipt column and enter the amount the customer has paid. In our example, the amount paid is £90 + VAT = £108.
4. For the outstanding invoice, click the Discount column and enter the discount.
5. Click Save, then click Close. In our example, the discount amount is £10 + VAT = £12.
6. As the settlement discount should include VAT, check the Discount inc. VAT? check box.
7. Click Save.

You've now recorded the customer receipt and settlement discount. The discount posts a credit note that records the net discount, £10, against the nominal code, 4009, and reduces your sales tax liability by the VAT element of the discount, in this example, £2.

Method 2 - Issue a full credit note to the customer for the discount taken

If your customer pays you within the settlement period and takes the discount, and your original invoice didn't show the following information:

• Show the rate of settlement discount that will apply if the customer pays within the settlement terms, and when it must be paid by
• Advise the customer that they can only recover the actual VAT amount paid and that no credit note will be issued for the discount amount

You must issue a credit note to your customer for the discount amount. You can then allocate this to the invoice along with the payment received.

NOTE: If you credit an invoice dated before 01/04/2015, and you'd like to reduce the VAT value on the credit note to match the invoice, go to Settings > Company Preferences > VAT > select Item VAT Amendable > OK. Then within the credit note, click on each line, press F3, and enter the required VAT value.

1. Click Invoices and credits, then click New credit.
2. In the Format drop-down, choose Service.
3. Enter the date you received payment from your customer.
4. In the A/C field, choose the customer account.
5. In the Details field, enter the relevant details, for example, Settlement discount, then press F3.
6. Click Edit Item Line.
7. In Qty/Hours, enter 1 and in the Unit Price enter the net element of the discount.
8. In Nominal, enter the relevant discount nominal code, for example, 4009.
9. In Tax Code, enter the same tax code used on the original invoice.
10. Click OK.
    
    

    NOTE: If the invoice contains a mixture of tax codes, to ensure your VAT Return is correct, you must split the discount between the relevant tax codes on the credit note. For example, an invoice shows a settlement discount of 10% and has the following items:
    
    £100 net, £20 VAT, tax code T1
    £200 net, £0 VAT, tax code T0
    
    The credit note should therefore show the following:
    
    £10 net, £2 VAT, tax code T1
    £20 net, £0 VAT, tax code T0

11. Click Save, then click Close.
12. Select the credit note and click Update ledgers.
13. Click Printer, then click OK and then click OK.
14. Click Bank accounts, then click Customer receipt.
15. Choose the customer account and enter the receipt date, amount and any reference you want.
16. For the outstanding invoice, click the Receipt column and click Pay in Full  for the outstanding credit.
17. Click the Receipt column and click Pay in Full.
18. Check the Analysis Total shows the amount received from the customer, then click Save, then click Close.
    
    When posting a customer receipt, don't use the discount column for settlement discounts. This calculates the VAT incorrectly.
    
    

You've now recorded the customer receipt and issued a credit note for the discount which you should give to your customer. The credit note records the net discount taken in the relevant nominal account, and reduces your sales tax liability by the VAT element of the discount.

Settlement discount from your supplier

Enter the invoice or order for the full net and VAT value.

If you meet the settlement terms, enter a discount with VAT included when posting the supplier payment for the invoice.

NOTE: In the steps below, the following example is used: A purchase invoice for £120, which is made up from £100 net plus £20 VAT, with a settlement discount of 10%.

1. Click Bank accounts then Supplier payment.
2. Choose the supplier account > enter the payment date, amount and any reference you want.
3. For the outstanding invoice > click the Payment column > enter the amount you're paying. In our example, the amount paid is £90 + VAT = £108.
4. For the outstanding invoice > click the Discount column > enter the discount > Save > Close. In our example, the discount amount is £10 + VAT = £12.
5. As the settlement discount should include VAT, check the Discount inc. VAT? check box.
6. Save.

You've now recorded the supplier payment and settlement discount. The discount posts a credit note that records the net discount, £10, against the nominal code, 5009, and reduces your purchase tax liability by the VAT element of the discount, in this example, £2.

Edit your sales invoice layout

To post settlement discounts as batch credits, you must ensure that the invoices you issue:

• Show the rate of settlement discount that will apply if the customer pays within the settlement terms, and when it must be paid by
• Advise the customer that they can only recover the actual VAT amount paid and that no credit note will be issued for the discount amount

To edit your invoice layout to show the required settlement discount information

NOTE: These steps assume that you've entered your settlement discount information in the customer records in Settlement Due and Sett. Discount. If your settlement terms are the same on every invoice, you can simply add these as a text box instead.

1. Select the required invoice layout then click Edit.
2. In the Report menu click Report Properties and enter a new name and description for the layout.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Toolbox menu click Add Expression.
5. Click the area on the layout where you want the settlement terms to appear.
6. In the Expression Editor window >enter the following expression:
   
   NOTE: If you add the expression to a footer, to ensure that Function is set to None, highlight the expression > Properties Pane > Function > make sure it's set to None.
   
   FormatString(
   "A discount of {0:N2}% of the full price applies if payment is made within {1} days of the invoice date. No credit note will be issued. Following payment you must ensure you've only recovered the VAT actually paid. If you pay within {1} days the discounted price is {2}{3:N2}",
   INVOICE.SETTLEMENT_DISC_RATE, INVOICE.SETTLEMENT_DUE_DAYS, (CURRENCY.SYMBOL !="" ? CURRENCY.SYMBOL : CURRENCY.CODE),
   (COMPANY.COUNTRY_CODE = "IE"
   ? (((100-INVOICE.SETTLEMENT_DISC_RATE)/100)*INVOICE.FOREIGN_ITEMS_NET) + INVOICE.FOREIGN_INVOICE_TAX + INVOICE.FOREIGN_CARR_GROSS
   : (((100 - INVOICE.SETTLEMENT_DISC_RATE)/100) * INVOICE.FOREIGN_ITEMS_GROSS) + INVOICE.FOREIGN_CARR_GROSS))
   
   TIP:If you're viewing this article on-screen, you can copy and paste the expression into the Expression Editor window.
   
   
7. Click OK then select the new expression. If required, click and drag until the box is wide enough to display the text.
8. Click the Properties pane then Conditional Formatting then Edit. If a Modify Filter window appears, click Use Advanced Filter and enter the following expression:
   
   

   INVOICE.INVOICE_OR_CREDIT NOT LIKE "Invoice" OR INVOICE.SETTLEMENT_DISC_RATE = 0

9. Click OK then select the Properties tab, then click Suppress Printing.
10. Choose True then click OK.
11. Click File then Save As.
12. Click File name then enter a new file name, click Save then File then Exit.

You've now amended your invoice layout to display your settlement discount terms on invoices. If you're printing a credit note, or if the settlement discount rate is zero, the text doesn't appear.

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