Wholesale & distribution
Accounting software for distributors
A distributor earns a thin margin and lends most of it to retailers. Keep the outstanding honest, collect against the oldest bills first and close each month on numbers the books already hold.
In short
SimpleERP is accounting software for distributors and wholesale traders. Retailer ledgers build themselves from posted invoices and receipts, ageing shows dues by bucket, company bills feed payables, and the trial balance is ready any day.
Illustration of receivables ageing: 2,441 to collect across 5 buckets, with customer totals.
An accounting day at Gulf Star Distributors
Collections at Gulf Star happen on the road. A salesman comes back from the Ajman route with $50,000 in cheques, transfer slips and some cash, and each payment has to be matched to the right retailer and the right bills. Meanwhile the company's sales officer asks why last month's payment was short.
Because invoices, receipts and company bills are all posted in SimpleERP, the accountant does not keep a second ledger. A retailer's balance is the sum of his posted documents, the ageing report splits it by how old it is, and the trial balance agrees on any date without a month-end scramble.
How do I apply a retailer's part payment to the right bills?
Record the receipt by cash, card, cheque or bank and SimpleERP allocates it to the oldest open invoices first. Change the allocation when the retailer says which bills he paid, or leave the money on account until he does.
- One receipt, several invoices, each settled in full or in part.
- On-account money sits against the retailer until you apply it.
- Receipt prints for the salesman to hand over on the next visit.
Which retailers are past their credit days?
Receivables ageing splits every retailer's outstanding into not due, 1 to 30, 31 to 60, 61 to 90 and over 90 days. Open a row to see the invoices behind it, then copy a reminder or print a statement for the salesman to carry.
- Statements with dated rows, a running balance and an ageing footer.
- Reminder text written from the ageing row, to paste into a chat or email yourself.
- Payables ageing shows what you owe each company and when it falls due.
Illustration of a profit and loss statement for Jan–Jun 2026 with net profit of 4,691, a tax summary and the lock date.
What does a distributor check at month end?
With every document already posted, month end is a review rather than data entry. The accountant works down a short list, then sets the lock date so nobody edits the closed month by mistake.
- Trial balance, P&L and balance sheet for any date range.
- Day book for the last day, to spot anything posted under the wrong head.
- Lock date at month end; reopening needs approval and is logged.
| Ledger account | What posts to it | Month-end check |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer receivables | Invoices, receipts, credit notes | Ageing total equals the receivables balance; follow up every 61 to 90 row |
| Company payables | Supplier bills, payments, debit notes | Match each company's statement to its supplier ledger |
| Inventory | Bills in, invoices out at average cost, counts | Stock list value equals the inventory account, difference zero |
| Cost of goods sold | Each invoice line at average cost | Gross margin by month, compared with the company's margin sheet |
| Output tax and tax to reclaim | Invoices and bills | Sales and purchase registers agree before the VAT return |
| Bank and cash | Receipts and payments | Tick cleared cheques against the bank statement by hand |
Where do company schemes and claims go in the books?
When a company credits you for a display scheme or damages, record its credit against the supplier. A journal covers what no document does, such as a claim settled against a future bill, and the database refuses one that does not balance.
- Debit notes for goods returned to the company reduce what you owe.
- Journals for claims, interest and adjustments, posted with a narration.
- Expenses such as van diesel and loading charges, with the receipt photo attached.
One system
What it connects to
Invoices, receipts and company bills post to the ledger as they happen, so the reports are already current.
Wholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
See howInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howInventory for distributors
Carton stock by warehouse, valued at average cost, moved only by posted bills, invoices, transfers and counts.
See howPayroll for distributors
Monthly salaries for salesmen, drivers and warehouse staff, with incentives on the run, advances recovered and allowances paid.
See howAccounting
A double-entry ledger with journals, bank registers, statements and a lock date.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do yet
- No bank feeds: bank entries are recorded and reconciled by hand
- No multi-currency; every document is in your base currency
- Tax returns are not filed and e-invoices are not issued from inside the product
- No company claim tracking module: scheme and damage claims are recorded as debit notes or journals
- Payment reminders are not sent automatically; you copy the text and send it
Getting started
Start with accounting
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Enter opening balances
Enter each retailer's outstanding and each company's balance as opening balances on the first day of a month, then post every new invoice and receipt in SimpleERP.
Run the trial balance
Every posted document is already in the ledger; the trial balance and P&L are ready on any date.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Can I see a retailer's statement before the salesman visits?
Yes. Open the retailer and print the statement for any date range. It shows every invoice, receipt and credit note with a running balance and an ageing footer, so the salesman can settle a dispute at the counter.
A cheque came in for three invoices. How do I record it?
Record one receipt for the cheque amount. SimpleERP offers the oldest open invoices first; change the allocation to the three the retailer named. Any extra money stays on account until you apply it.
Will my accountant still get what he needs for tax returns?
Yes. The sales and purchase registers and the tax summary all export to CSV. SimpleERP does not file returns, so your accountant files them from those reports.
How is my profit worked out when company prices keep changing?
Each invoice line is costed at the weighted average of what you paid for that product so far. Cost of goods sold is posted with the invoice, so the P&L shows gross margin for any period without a closing stock entry.
Related
Keep reading
Wholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
Read moreInvoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
Read morePayroll for distributors
Monthly salaries for salesmen, drivers and warehouse staff, with incentives on the run, advances recovered and allowances paid.
Read more
See how accounting works in SimpleERP for wholesale and distribution
Seven days free. No card. Your first invoice in minutes.