A receipts journal is an official accounting journal in which you record every day all sales for which you do not issue an invoice. The method of payment has no influence (cash, bank card, bank transfer,...).
💡 The receipts journal is compulsory if you receive income for which no sales invoices have been issued.
It should not be confused with the cash or bank journal, which only record transactions (payments).
A sales journal
Accounting law requires you to keep a sales journal for each type of income. This journal simply lists the income received in chronological order.
The sales invoice journal 🧾
The journal lists each sales invoice issued. These invoices are listed in a numbered format. An invoice is compulsory when your customer is a professional.
Receipts journal 📝
Receipts are income for which there is no sales invoice. It is therefore a type of income in its own right. This income generally comes from a bank or cash payment.
💡 It's simple: you make a sale or provide a service without issuing a sales invoice? Then it's revenue. However, be careful not to have a duplicate entry. This happens if you categorise as revenue an amount for which you have already issued an invoice.
Difference between a receipt and a sales invoice
Revenue | Sales invoice | |
Type of customer | Individual | Mandatory if to a professional |
Receipt | Receipt in the receipts journal | Invoice in the sales journal |
Example | A patient pays for a physiotherapy consultation at the end of the session | A lawyer invoices for his services |
Time of payment | Cash, before receipt | After the invoice |
Accounting | When a month is validated* (for all receipts for the month) * in the monthly revenue ledger | When an invoice is sent |
Who is it for? | Physiotherapists, speech therapists, psychologists, dentists, doctors, etc. but also photographers, coaches, etc. if providing a service to a private individual | Lawyers, architects, consultants, etc. for a professional customer or |
⚠️ If you issue a sales invoice, the amount paid by the customer must never be included in your income. If this were the case, your income would be doubled.
One of the main differences lies in the validation process: a sales invoice is validated directly in your accounts. A receipt is only validated at the end of the month, when the month is closed in the monthly receipts book.
Special features of the receipts ledger
Modification prohibited ⛔
It is forbidden to delete or modify data entered in the receipts journal.
If you have made an error, you record the correction separately, at the time you identify the error.
Authorised formats 📲
You can keep your revenue journal in a paper book. The pages must be linked and numbered: no separate sheets may be added or removed.
If you are keeping a digital version of this journal, you must not simply use an Excel file. You must opt for software that meets compliance requirements, such as BILLY. One of the key points is that transactions are time-stamped in a database and cannot be modified.
Daily entry ✍🏻
As a minimum, you must enter a global amount per day in your revenue journal. If the sale price exceeds €250 including VAT, then you must add a separate line specifically for this sale.
💡 In practice, we recommendadding a receipt for each sale made. Thanks to synchronisation with your bank, BILLY takes care of this automatically. This makes your accounting clearer and saves you from having to justify yourself in the event of an audit.
Distinction by VAT rate 🔢
Each added receipt must have a corresponding VAT rate: 0, 6, 12 or 21%.
Difference from the cash book
The receipts journal is not a cash book. In a cash book, you record all cash payments. These are generally income payments, but they can also be, for example, a cash withdrawal for your own use (private withdrawal) or to the bank (bank deposit).
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