Return stock to suppliers
When stock comes in damaged, short-dated or simply wrong, record the return in the back office and SeroPOS takes it out of stock and reduces what you owe the supplier. Return against the original purchase, or make a combined return when there is no single purchase to point to.
Purchase returns in SeroPOS
Return against a purchase
Start a return from the original purchase, so quantities, costs and tax carry across from the lines you received.
Standalone combined returns
Return goods from several deliveries at once with a return that has no parent purchase: supplier, location, reference and lines.
Lot and expiry on lines
Pick the lot being returned, with its expiry date, so the right batch leaves stock and the lot report stays accurate.
Tax handled on the return
Tax is worked out on the returned lines, so the input tax on goods you sent back comes off in the tax report.
Supplier balance updates
The return amount reduces what you owe that supplier and shows on their ledger and in the contacts report.
Its own reference prefix
Purchase returns number themselves from the purchase return prefix you set in Business Settings.
Two ways to return stock
Most returns relate to one delivery. From the purchases list, choose the purchase and start a purchase return. SeroPOS shows the lines you received, and you enter the quantity going back on each. The costs and tax come from the original purchase, so there is nothing to look up or retype.
Sometimes a return covers goods from several deliveries, or the original purchase was never entered. For that, open List Purchase Return and add a return with no parent purchase. Choose the supplier and location, enter a reference and date, attach a document such as the supplier's return authorisation, and add the product lines yourself.
What happens to stock and money
Saving a purchase return removes the returned quantity from stock at the location you chose. If you track lots, the quantity comes off the lot you picked, so the lot report and stock expiry report show the right remaining amounts. Stock value in the stock report drops by the cost of what went back.
On the money side, the return reduces the amount you owe the supplier. Their ledger shows the return beside the original purchase and payments, and the contacts report adds it to the purchase return column. If you had already paid, the supplier owes you the difference, which you can record when they refund you or credit your next order.
- Stock reduced at the chosen location
- Lot quantity reduced when lots are on
- Supplier balance reduced by the return total
- Return totals shown in the purchase and sale report
Tax on returned goods
When you buy goods you usually record the tax paid on them as input tax. A return reverses part of that. SeroPOS calculates tax on each returned line, and the tax report reflects it, so the input tax figure you take to your filing is net of what went back to the supplier.
If you send your books to QuickBooks Desktop, returns to suppliers go across as vendor credits in the purchases step of the send-data pipeline. That keeps your accountant's file matching the back office without a manual entry for each return. Without that integration, the return stays in SeroPOS and its reports, ready for your accountant to review.
Keeping returns easy to find
Purchase returns get their own reference numbers from the prefix in Business Settings, separate from purchases. The purchase return list can be filtered and printed, and a return made from a purchase stays linked to it. That gives you a clean paper trail when a supplier asks which return a credit relates to.
Use the document field to store the supplier's return authorisation or photos of damaged goods. The file stays on the return, so anyone on the team can see why the goods went back and who agreed to take them. Clear records like this make it much easier to chase a credit the supplier promised but never sent.
Frequently asked questions
Is a purchase return the same as a debit note?
It does the same job. A purchase return records goods you sent back and reduces the amount you owe the supplier. Some businesses call that document a debit note. SeroPOS gives it a reference number from your purchase return prefix, and you can print it to send with the goods.
Can I return only part of a delivery?
Yes. When you start a return from a purchase, every line is listed and you enter the quantity going back on each one. Leave a line at zero to keep it. The rest of the delivery stays in stock and on the supplier's balance as before.
What if I never entered the original purchase?
Use a standalone purchase return. Choose the supplier and location, enter the reference and date, and add the product lines and quantities yourself. Stock and the supplier balance update the same way as a return made from a purchase. It is the right choice for goods that came from several deliveries.
Does a purchase return affect my tax report?
Yes. Tax on the returned lines reduces the input tax shown in the tax report. That way the tax you claim on purchases reflects only the goods you kept, and your figures match what the supplier credits you. Check with your accountant how to report it.
How does the supplier refund me?
The return lowers what you owe the supplier. If you had not paid yet, you simply pay less. If you had already paid, the supplier's ledger shows a balance in your favour, and you can record their refund or use it against the next purchase.