Ecommerce Bookkeeping for Amazon and Shopify – Payouts, Fees, Returns, and Sales Tax

Marketplace payouts combine sales, refunds, fees, and reserves. If you only book deposits, your margins will never make sense. Here’s how to map Amazon and Shopify correctly.

Map payouts

Break down gross sales, refunds, shipping income, platform fees, payment fees, and reserves. Post each component to the right COA accounts.

Returns and chargebacks

Create contra-revenue for returns and a fee expense account for chargebacks to preserve gross sales integrity.

Sales tax

Use automated tools to capture marketplace-facilitated taxes. Reconcile filings monthly.

FAQs

How often should ecommerce businesses prepare income statements?
Monthly reporting helps track marketplace payouts, refunds, and sales trends.

What are the cheapest ways to handle monthly ecommerce bookkeeping?
Virtual bookkeepers and cloud accounting tools offer affordable ecommerce support.

Is Xero compatible with QuickBooks for ecommerce work?
No, they don’t sync directly, but transactions can be migrated using third-party connectors.

Check out our ecommerce bookkeeping guide, and if you’re handling high transaction volume, consider outsourced bookkeeping – or explore our bookkeeping services for more options.

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