Skip to main content

A/P Inventory Accrual Control Account Explained

How the A/P Inventory Accrual control account works in Blackpurl, including the journal entries created when receiving inventory and processing vendor invoices.

This article is Step 4C of the Understanding Accounting Integration series, covering the A/P Inventory Accrual control account. For the full series, see Accounting Integration Setup: All Steps.

What Is A/P Inventory Accrual?

The A/P Inventory Accrual account — short for Accounts Payable Inventory Accrual — is a control account that allows Blackpurl to receive inventory into stock via a Vendor Receiving (VR) before the corresponding Vendor Invoice (VI) has been received from the supplier. This account is typically set up as a Current Liability and usually maintains a credit balance.

Journal Entries

Two separate journal entries are created as you move through the receiving and invoicing process. Together, they clear the A/P Inventory Accrual account back to zero.

When a Vendor Receiving Is Finalised

When a VR is finalised, Blackpurl posts the following journal entry to your accounting package:

  • Debit — Inventory G/L

  • Credit — A/P Inventory Accrual

This records the inventory as received without yet creating a payable to the vendor.

Shows a journal entry screen titled


When the Vendor Invoice Is Processed

Once the dealership processes the corresponding Vendor Invoice (VI), Blackpurl posts a second journal entry:

  • Debit — A/P Inventory Accrual

  • Credit — Accounts Payable (under the relevant vendor name)

This clears the accrual and moves the liability to the correct vendor payable account.

Shows a bill/invoice screen labeled


Expected Balance of the A/P Inventory Accrual Account

When both entries have been posted, the A/P Inventory Accrual account clears out to zero for that transaction.

Shows the


The remaining balance of the A/P Inventory Accrual General Ledger should consist only of:

  • Blackpurl VRs that have been finalised but do not yet have a corresponding VI processed

  • Vendor Returns that have not yet been finalised

You can find outstanding VRs using the Active Receivings report in Blackpurl — see Reporting - Active Receivings (no longer available). For a list of outstanding Vendor Returns, see How to Create a Vendor Return for Parts and How to Report on Vendor Returns (no longer available).

Do Not Post Directly to This Account

Never make accounting entries to the A/P Inventory Accrual account directly from your accounting application. Its balance must always match the total of unreconciled Blackpurl Vendor Receivings and unfinalised Vendor Returns. Manual entries bypass this reconciliation and will cause the account balance to fall out of sync with Blackpurl.

Did this answer your question?