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The Global Insight

How do you record cost of goods sold in a periodic inventory system?

Author

Christopher Ramos

Updated on February 10, 2026

Remember, we do not record sales transactions using either merchandise inventory or cost of goods sold expense account under the periodic inventory method. Instead, cost of goods sold is calculated at the end of the period and recorded in an adjusting journal entry.

What accounts are used in a periodic inventory system?

Under the periodic inventory system, all purchases made between physical inventory counts are recorded in a purchases account. When a physical inventory count is done, the balance in the purchases account is then shifted into the inventory account, which in turn is adjusted to match the cost of the ending inventory.

How does the periodic inventory accounting method track inventory and cost of goods sold?

What Is Periodic Inventory? This accounting method takes inventory at the beginning of a period, adds new inventory purchases during the period and deducts ending inventory to derive the cost of goods sold (COGS).

What do companies use periodic inventory?

What Types of Companies Use Periodic Inventory? Clothing Stores. Clothing stores use periodic inventory because they have a high volume of sales with moderately priced goods. Grocery Stores. Grocery stores stock large amounts of small goods. Convenience Stores. Convenience stores also sell a wide variety of small items at low prices. Large Discount Stores. …

What is the periodic method of inventory?

The periodic inventory system is a method of inventory valuation for financial reporting purposes in which a physical count of the inventory is performed at specific intervals. This accounting method takes inventory at the beginning of a period, adds new inventory purchases during the period…

Are period cost a part of inventory cost?

Period costs are not assigned to one particular product or the cost of inventory like product costs. Therefore, period costs are listed as an expense in the accounting period in which they occurred. Other examples of period costs include marketing expenses, rent (not directly tied to a production facility), office depreciation, and indirect labor.

What is the perpetual inventory system used for?

Perpetual inventory is a method of accounting for inventory that records the sale or purchase of inventory immediately through the use of computerized point-of-sale systems and enterprise asset management software. Nov 18 2019