Itemize Chart Warranty For Free

Warranty expense is an expense related to the repair, replacement, or compensation to a user for any product defects. In other words, a vendor or manufacturer is committed to repair or replace a sold product during a certain time period if it breaks or does not function properly ing to the terms of the warranty.

A warranty is a contingent liability, so the party providing it should record a liability and warranty expense when it records the associated sale of goods or services. As the selling party incurs actual warranty costs, it charges them against the liability account.

Warranty Expense Recognition While recording the event in the financial statements, the company will debit (charge) the warranty expense account and credit (accrue) a liability account when the product is sold to a client.

Accrue the warranty expense with a debit to the warranty expense account and a credit to the warranty liability account. As actual warranty claims are received, debit the warranty liability account and credit the inventory account for the cost of the replacement parts and products sent to customers.

Warranties are recorded initially as a liability as it meets the definition of unearned revenue or deferred revenue. If the company charged $20 for a 2 warranty, that $20 would be collected at the time of sale. The warranty would then be recognized as revenue evenly over the 2 year period.

Warranties will create a liability account when the costs are probable and if the cost of the warranty can be reasonably estimated. Warranty liabilities will thus, be considered contingent liabilities. Warranty expenses should be matched and recorded in the same period as their corresponding warranty revenues earned.

To record the liability, the company would debit warranty expense and credit accrued warranty, which is a liability on the balance sheet. The purpose of this is to record the cost of the warranty in the same period that the revenue is recognized.