Sales Data vs. Invoice Data
Two terms often come up in accounting: invoice data and sales data. In ASA reports as well, depending on the report, either invoice data or sales data forms the basis of the data. Although they may seem similar at first glance, there are important differences between them. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these terms and explain their respective meanings.
The difference between sales data and billing data is best explained using a simple example:
A guest is staying for 4 days, from July 29 to August 2, and pays €100 per night.
In this case, the sales data for each service date appears as follows:
July 29: 100 €
July 30: 100 €
July 31: 100 €
August 1: 100 €
Upon checkout on August 2, 400 € will be billed; therefore, the following entry appears in the billing details (billing date) for this case:
August 2: 400 €
Depending on the recommendation of the respective tax advisor, the date of service is used in Germany and Austria as the basis for the advance sales tax return instead of the invoice date. In this case, the sales data (totals per revenue account) serve as the basis. To ensure that these figures do not change after an advance return has been filed, it is essential to perform a regular daily closing. Businesses in Germany and Austria that also use invoice dates for their advance VAT returns can provide their financial advisor with the corresponding report for “active accruals” (documents from January 1 with an accrual date of December 31).
If you have any further questions, please contact your ASA expert.
The time-based component is therefore the most important distinction. In July, €300 in revenue (“Revenue Analyses,” “Manager Reports,” etc.) was generated; in August, the figure was €100.
In the invoice data (“Accounting,” “Issued Documents,” etc.), nothing appears for July, while the €400 invoiced appears for August.
In Italy and Switzerland, the document-based principle applies to value-added tax (VAT) calculations, so the invoice data always serves as the basis. For these businesses, a daily closing is not required, as final or submitted documents (to the Revenue Agency, Fiskaltrust, etc.) cannot be changed retroactively.