Earned Revenue
Earned revenue is income that your business has legitimately recognized by delivering goods or services to customers. It's revenue you've actually "earned" through performance, not just money you've collected. On accrual basis, earned revenue appears on your P&L when the work is completed, regardles
Earned Revenue Definition
Earned revenue is income that your business has legitimately recognized by delivering goods or services to customers. It's revenue you've actually "earned" through performance, not just money you've collected. On accrual basis, earned revenue appears on your P&L when the work is completed, regardless of when payment is received.
Earned Revenue in Practice — Example
Your web development firm signs a $12,000 contract to build a website over 3 months. You collect $6,000 upfront (recorded as deferred revenue, not earned). Month 1: you complete wireframes and design ($4,000 worth of work) — that's $4,000 earned revenue. Month 2: you complete development ($5,000 worth of work) — that's $5,000 earned revenue. Month 3: you finish testing and launch ($3,000 worth of work) — that's $3,000 earned revenue. Total earned: $12,000, matching the contract value.
Why Earned Revenue Matters for Your Books
Earned revenue reflects the real economic activity of your business. Recording revenue when cash arrives (cash basis) or when invoices are sent doesn't necessarily align with when value is actually delivered. Earned revenue matches income to the period work was performed — essential for accurate financial reporting.
This distinction is critical for subscription businesses, long-term projects, and any situation involving advance payments. Earned revenue prevents overstating income in periods when lots of cash comes in and understating it in periods when work is done but payment comes later.
Earned revenue also affects customer relationships and project management. You can only "earn" revenue by delivering value. If you invoice for work that isn't complete, you haven't earned the revenue yet — you've created a liability to finish the work.
How Earned Revenue Shows Up in QuickBooks
In QBO, earned revenue appears on the Profit and Loss report when you create invoices or record sales. For projects spanning multiple periods, use journal entries to recognize revenue as it's earned. Convert deferred revenue to earned revenue with entries like: Debit Deferred Revenue (liability), Credit Service Revenue (income). For percentage-of-completion projects, track progress and recognize proportional revenue monthly.
Common Mistakes
FAQ
Q: When is revenue considered "earned"? A: Generally when goods are delivered or services are performed, control transfers to the customer, and you've fulfilled your performance obligations. The specific rules can be complex for multi-element contracts.
Q: Is earned revenue the same as recognized revenue? A: Yes — they're the same concept. "Earned," "recognized," and "realized" revenue all refer to income that meets the criteria for inclusion in financial statements.
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