At the end of each quarter, for accountants working with VAT, a very busy 25 days begin to prepare a VAT return, during which it is impossible to avoid such a process as VAT reconciliation with counterparties. Reconciliation requires:
- double-check all documents;
- check with suppliers and buyers;
- make an audit of invoices and invoices;
- and also scrupulously correct all errors.
Even after a complete double-check of the entire quarter, an accountant cannot be 100% sure that everything is correct and ultimately he will not have to provide clarification on issues from the Federal Tax Service. To simplify the difficult work of an accountant, 1C has convenient tools for reconciling settlements with counterparties
In this article we will look at how invoices are reconciled with counterparties, using the example of an assistant in their work that is well known to all domestic accountants - the 1C: Enterprise Accounting software solution version 3.0.
Areas of responsibility
It would seem that small inaccuracies in the document details do not change the essence of the business transaction, but in practice, tax inspectors, when accepting “input” VAT for deduction, pay close attention to the correct execution of invoices.
Let us recall that, according to the definition given in the Tax Code, these documents serve as the basis for the buyer to accept for deduction the amounts of tax presented by the seller. The Tax Code also establishes certain requirements, subject to which the amount of tax indicated in the invoice can be deducted. Thus, any organization, when receiving and recording invoices, is forced to organize a check of the compliance of this document with the requirements of tax legislation. Where should the inspection begin and whose area of responsibility is this? The document flow of companies varies significantly depending on the type of their activity and other factors. If managers work with suppliers in an organization, it makes sense to leave this function to them. If documents are received by an office manager or secretary, then when entrusting them with the function of checking documents, special attention must be paid to explaining the basics of accounting (for example, checking the details of a payment order for an advance will require the secretary to know an accounting program). But most often, checking the correctness of incoming primary documents is the responsibility of accountants.
In any case, you will have to prepare instructions for employees who are required to check invoices for compliance with established requirements. Let's consider the main stages that it is advisable to reflect in it.
The test can include six stages and is carried out according to the scheme presented below.
SCHEME “ALGORITHM FOR CHECKING AN INVOICE”
Features of reconciliation
It is recommended to check the purchase book not with the turnover sheet, but with an analysis of the account. 68/2. If there are no inaccuracies in the log, then these indicators should match:
- VAT amount according to the purchase journal.
- Amount of deductions according to the declaration.
- The amount in the debit account is 68/2.
If the amounts do not match, a discrepancy analysis is performed. The VAT return is created based on tax registers. Therefore, you need to fill out these registers correctly. As part of the reconciliation, the key accounting register is “VAT on acquisitions”. It is adjusted based on analytics. The latter involves detailing all operations: identifying suppliers, specifying documents.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION! It will be easier to remove all inaccuracies if the line “types of mutual settlements” is filled in in the electronic documentation.
Required details
At the first stage, the presence of all required invoice details is checked. According to paragraph 5 of Article 169 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, it must indicate:
1) serial number and date of discharge;
2) name, address and taxpayer and buyer identification numbers;
3) name and address of the shipper and consignee;
4) number of the payment document in case of prepayment or partial prepayment;
5) name of goods (description of work performed, services provided) and unit of measurement (if it is possible to indicate it);
6) quantity (volume) of goods (works, services);
7) price per unit of measurement;
cost of goods (work, services) without tax;
9) the amount of excise duty on excisable goods;
10) tax rate;
11) tax amount;
12) cost of goods (works, services) including the amount of tax;
13) country of origin of the goods (if the country of origin of the goods is not the Russian Federation);
14) customs declaration number (if the country of origin of the goods is not the Russian Federation).
Contacting the tax office
Contacting the Federal Tax Service in order to clarify whether the supplier is a VAT payer and how conscientiously he fulfills his obligations to pay taxes and submit reports will be a common waste of time. The Federal Tax Service is not obliged to disclose such information at the request of taxpayers and will most likely ignore the request. Confirmation of this position of the tax authorities is the letter they distributed in 2015 about the availability of all information that does not constitute a commercial secret in the public domain.
In 2021, the Tax Inspectorate announced its plans to make information about the special regimes applied by the company publicly available. Those. the service will allow you to find out whether the taxpayer pays VAT or is legally exempt from it. But this resource is not yet available to ordinary taxpayers.
The use of public land is regulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Which banks offer mortgages for the purchase of land? Find out about this by reading our article.
Sometimes, when purchasing a plot of land, it is necessary to draw up an advance payment agreement. You can find out how to do this in the material.
Signatures and seals
At the second stage, the presence of signatures of authorized persons should be checked.
According to paragraph 6 of Article 169 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, an invoice must contain the signatures of the head and chief accountant of the organization or other persons authorized to do so by an order (other administrative document) for the organization or a power of attorney on behalf of the organization. After signing the invoice directly by the head and chief accountant of the organization, their last names and initials are indicated. If the invoice is signed by authorized persons, then it is necessary to indicate their position, last name and initials, as well as the number and date of the power of attorney issued to exercise these powers. If the organization does not have the position of chief accountant, the responsibility for maintaining accounting records and, accordingly, signing the invoice is assigned to the manager. To avoid disputes with tax authorities, it is necessary to request a copy of the document confirming accounting, signed personally by the head of the supplier organization. The preposition “for” (“for the manager”) is not allowed, as well as putting a slash in front of the position, or facsimile reproduction of the signature.
Reliability of information
If all the required details are on the invoice, all signatures and transcripts are present, you must pay close attention to the correctness of the specified data; this is carried out in the third stage.
Invoices filled out partly by hand and partly by computer can be recorded in the purchase ledger.
The integral elements of an invoice are its date and number. The organization has the right to introduce its own invoice numbering system, since the numbering rules are not legally established anywhere.
The names of the seller and buyer, as well as the address, are indicated in accordance with the constituent documents. Even if the invoice is issued by a separate division, the address of the parent organization is indicated. Enter identification data - the company’s TIN and checkpoint are indicated; when issuing an invoice by a separate division, the division’s checkpoint is indicated.
In addition, at the third stage, the name and address of the shipper and consignee are reconciled. It should be noted here that when performing work or providing services, the corresponding lines of the invoice do not need to be filled out; dashes are placed in them. However, filling out these lines when performing work or providing services is not a violation, as is any indication of additional information in the invoice (letter of the Ministry of Finance dated April 24, 2006 No. 03-04-09/07).
A few words about the number and date of the payment and settlement order. If the company has transferred an advance, then the invoice must indicate the details of the payment document; in the absence of this information, it is impossible to accept VAT for deduction on such an invoice (letters of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated July 27, 2006 No. 03-04-09/14 and dated April 24, 2006 No. 03-04-09/07). The same line must contain the details of the cash receipt (if paying in cash).
Invoices filled out partly using a computer, partly by hand, but complying with the established standards for completion, can be accepted for accounting and registered in the purchase book. Since 2010, the following changes to the provisions of Article 169 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation have come into force. Errors in the invoice that do not prevent the tax authorities from identifying the seller, buyer, name of goods (work, services), property rights, their value, as well as the tax rate and the amount of tax charged to the buyer during a tax audit, no grounds for refusal to accept deduction of tax amounts. Failure to comply with invoice requirements not provided for in paragraphs 5 and 6 of this article cannot be grounds for refusal to deduct tax amounts presented by the seller. Thus, the presence of errors in any details of the invoice, provided that the TIN is correctly indicated, for example, is not a reason for refusing the deduction.
What is the book
Payers are required to keep records of all invoices. They need to be recorded in journals intended for accounting. They are usually compiled according to the forms established by law.
If these papers contain errors, representatives of regulatory authorities will cross out the previously indicated value and then charge additional taxes. The presence of inaccuracies leads to the need for additional paperwork. Therefore, the book needs to be checked in advance.
the data of the purchase book and sales book in the VAT return ?
Correction Rules
Separately, it is necessary to say about the rules for correcting errors in the invoice. An incorrectly drawn up invoice must be corrected. The buyer has no right to adjust the invoice; this is the seller’s responsibility. The seller must cross out the incorrect text (or indicator) with one line and write the necessary information above the line. Corrections must be certified by the signature of the manager and the seal of the seller, indicating the date of the changes. The signature of persons authorized to do so by order or power of attorney of the manager is not provided for by law on corrected invoices. An incorrectly executed invoice identified in the next tax period is subject to correction in accordance with the generally established procedure. Replacement with a new invoice (with the same number and date) is not permitted. Corrections confirmed by the inscription “Corrected” or “Trusted” are allowed. It is legal to make additions to the invoice. Handwriting missing information on the invoice is not a correction. Therefore, the seller does not need to put a stamp, signature and date in this case. Invoices filled out partly using a computer, partly by hand, but complying with the established standards for completion, can be taken into account and registered in the purchase book, that is, a combined method of filling out invoices is allowed. Corrections of errors in the invoice and additions written by hand must be included in copies of both the buyer and the seller. Otherwise, the tax authorities, during a counter-check, may reveal the fact that the invoice has been corrected, for example, only in the buyer’s copy, and therefore, they will certainly have a reason to convict the organization of falsifying documents.
Data about the subject of the transaction
An invoice cannot be signed for someone else.
At the next, fourth, stage, it is necessary to reconcile the names of goods (works, services) and units of measurement (if it is possible to indicate them). According to the letter of the Ministry of Finance dated December 14, 2007 No. 03-01-15/16-453, column “Name of goods (description of work performed, services provided) of property rights” is filled out according to “special” rules, namely: it must provide a complete description of the work, similar to that provided for in the contract. It is not enough to make a reference to the contract; it is necessary to briefly describe the type of work (services). When determining units of measurement, one should be guided by the All-Russian Classifier of Units of Measurement, approved by Decree of the State Standard of Russia dated December 26, 1994 No. 366. The unit of measurement may not be indicated for work, services, or property rights. The country of origin and the customs declaration number are indicated only if the country of origin of the goods is not the Russian Federation.
Latest calculations
In order to make sure that there are no arithmetic errors in the invoice, at the fifth stage it is enough to do the following calculations: calculate the amount of VAT based on the tax rate and the total cost (for example, if the rate is 18%, then you will need to divide the total amount by 118 and multiply at 18), and also calculate the total invoice amount by adding the amount excluding VAT with the VAT amount.
If the invoice has passed all the stages of the proposed test, then at the final, sixth stage, the company’s accountant can safely deduct the entire amount of VAT indicated in it.
In conclusion, I would like to once again draw the readers’ attention to the changes made to Article 169 of the Tax Code, which came into force in 2010. Perhaps, thanks to them, the situation with checking the correctness of the invoice details will be simplified. Consequently, each company will be able to reduce labor costs for checking documents in favor of performing other numerous accounting duties, which will be very useful due to regular changes to current tax legislation.
Internal controller Tatyana Esikova and accounting consultant Olga Alshantseva,
experts from Intercomp Global Service
Checking the sales book
The ledger is a tax ledger. It is necessary to record all papers related to the determination of VAT. The accuracy of the contents of the book is verified as follows:
Sales journal = Account turnover. 90/03 (VAT on sales) + Turnover on DT account. 76АВ + Turnover according to DT count.76АВ/
How is the sales journal verified? The procedure will require the preparation of a balance sheet for the account. 90/01. These transactions may not appear in the log:
- Free from VAT.
- With a rate of 0%.
Under these circumstances, the turnover on CT account 90/01, multiplied by the rate 18/118, is identical to the turnover on the debit of account 90/03 (entry DT90/03 CT68/02).
What if these values are not equal to each other? It is necessary to check these indicators:
- If there are no transactions without VAT or at a rate of 0%, the balance in account 19 at the end of the period is zero.
- Accounts 62/01 and 62/02 correspond to each other. There are no debit and credit balances for one partner and agreement.
- Account balance 76AB is identical to the account balance. 62/02 multiplied by 18/118. If there are advances in foreign currency, you must add the balances of these accounts to the formula.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION! The audit is carried out by the company accountant. Control is carried out before issuing the declaration.
