SimpleConsign can give your accountant the specific numbers they need, quickly and accurately, when the request is clear. This article explains how to work with us when your store uses an in-house bookkeeper, a CPA, or a third-party accounting firm.
It covers what we can provide, how to ask for it, and where our role ends so your accountant's role can begin.
Every accountant works a little differently
There is no single "correct" way to keep a resale or consignment store's books. Accountants choose different methods, chart-of-accounts layouts, and timing based on their training, their firm's habits, and your business.
For example, two qualified professionals might reasonably differ on:
- Cash-basis vs. accrual-basis reporting
- Whether consignor payouts are booked as cost of goods, a liability, or something else
- How store credit, gift cards, and layaways are categorized
- Which date range or cutoff time defines a "day" or "month"
SimpleConsign records your store's transactions as they happen. Your accountant then decides how to classify those numbers in your books. If your accountant's process differs from a previous accountant's, or from another store's, that is normal. It does not mean the data is wrong.
We ask that accountants translate their process into specific figures we can pull, rather than expecting the software to mirror one particular method.
Our role: software support, not accounting or tax advice
SimpleConsign is your point-of-sale and inventory software provider. Our support team knows the software and its reports. We are not accountants, bookkeepers, auditors, or tax advisors.
| SimpleConsign support will | Your accountant is responsible for |
|---|---|
| Explain what a report shows and how a figure is calculated | Deciding how figures are classified in your books |
| Help you find and run the report that contains a figure | Reconciling SimpleConsign data with bank, merchant, and ledger records |
| Pull defined figures for a set date range | Building journal entries, financial statements, and tax filings |
| Confirm how a setting affects what is recorded | Interpreting tax law and advising on compliance |
Tax rules vary by state, county, and city, and they change. Only a licensed tax professional or tax attorney can advise you on what applies to your business. If a question is about what the law requires, please take it to them; we can only show you what the software recorded.
SimpleConsign provides support for how to use the software. We do not provide, recommend, or endorse any accounting method, bookkeeping process, or financial advice.
Your figures are only as accurate as the store's records. Every record in SimpleConsign, and therefore every figure your accountant relies on, depends on whether, how, and how accurately the store entered it. The software reports what was recorded. It cannot correct for steps that were skipped, entered incorrectly, or never entered.
How to request report help
We can help fastest when a request names a specific figure, a date range, and the format needed. Many figures are already available in the built-in reports, which store users with reports access can run at any time.
A complete request includes:
- The exact figure — for example, total sales tax collected, total consignor payouts, or net sales excluding store credit.
- The date range — start and end dates, and the store location if you have more than one.
- What it should include or exclude — for example, "excluding voided transactions" or "cash and card tenders only."
- The format — how you'd like the figure delivered, where the report allows it. Formats are set by how SimpleConsign generates each report: some are view-only (they can be printed with Ctrl+P), while others export to CSV or Excel.
Expect to need more than one report. There is rarely one report that covers every figure an accountant requests. Most requests are answered by running two or more reports for the same date range and combining the results.
| Clear request (we can help) | Unclear request (we'll ask you to narrow it) |
|---|---|
| "Total sales tax collected at our Main St. location, Jan 1–Mar 31, 2026." | "We need everything for our quarterly taxes." |
| "Consignor payouts issued by check in September." | "Can you walk us through how our books should look?" |
| "Which report shows gift card sales vs. redemptions for last month?" | "Our accountant says the numbers are wrong; please fix them." |
If your accountant believes a figure is wrong, ask them to name the specific figure, the report it came from, and the number they expected, and how they came up with their own number. We will look into that specific discrepancy.
Use SimpleConsign's terms, or define yours. Our reports use SimpleConsign's labels, such as Outstanding Balance, Payout Activity, and Over/Short. If your accountant uses different terminology, reconciling it to the software's terms is their responsibility. When a term doesn't match, include a plain description and definition of the figure, for example "the consignor share of all items sold in March, before any payouts."
Acronyms, firm-specific jargon, vague descriptions, and open-ended questions ("what should we be looking at?") cannot be answered by support agents.
Complete the questionnaire first. Before requesting report help or booking a call, complete the Accountant Report Request Questionnaire [link to be added]. If the questionnaire is incomplete or the request doesn't name specific figures, we may be unable to reply with answers, and a call or appointment request may be declined for lack of direction.
Which report has the figure your accountant needs
Most accountant requests are answered by one of the reports below, all found on the Reports tab in Back Office. No single report combines every figure; your accountant may need to run two or more for the same date range.
For step-by-step instructions on running these reports, see Prebuilt Reports Overview and Year End Reporting. More are listed under Related help articles below.
| Figure needed | Report | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable sales, sales tax, fees | Sales Report | Calendar-day basis; independent of the End of Day process |
| Totals by payment type (cash, check, each card type) | End Of Month | Drawer Counts section; built from End of Day closings, so the range snaps to the nearest End of Day. Accuracy depends on the store’s entries. |
| Consignor payouts issued, by payment method (cash, check, store credit) | Payout Activity | Its total should match the payouts figure on the Sales Report |
| Payouts by individual consignor | Consignor Payout Totals | Shows payouts issued in the range, which may cover sales from earlier months; affected by deleted consignors |
| Balance currently owed to consignors | Outstanding Balances By Day | A balance as of each date, already reduced by payouts; not a ledger of amounts owed and paid |
| Cash added to or removed from drawers | Cash Ins and Outs | Entries made with the Cash In / Cash Out buttons on the terminal |
| Drawer Expected vs. Actual, Over/Short | End Of Day | Use Terminal and Transaction reports for the same date to narrow a discrepancy to a day or terminal. No report can explain why a drawer is off: if a cashier pockets $20 and the drawer is $20 short in cash, nothing in the system records that it happened |
| Inventory value (cost, store-owned retail, consigned retail) | End Of Day or End Of Month | Totals only; reflects items currently marked in stock. Accuracy depends on how well the store keeps the system matched to what is actually on the sales floor (selling, donating, returning, and adjusting items) and on when the store last did an inventory audit |
| Item-level inventory detail | Settings > Data > Inventory export | Downloads a CSV of raw data; too large for the Reports tab |
| Gift card liability | Gift Card Balances | Point-in-time; no date range |
| What sold and each consignor's share per item | Sold Inventory (Custom Reports) | One row per item sold; export as CSV |
Payout timing: most stores pay consignors for the previous month's sales. Payouts issued in October usually cover September activity, so payout figures for a month won't line up with that same month's sales.
Why figures may not tie out
When figures don't reconcile, the cause is almost always how the store recorded activity, not a calculation error in the software. Reports reflect exactly what was entered, so they inherit any step that was skipped or done incorrectly.
| What happened in the store | Effect on reports |
|---|---|
| Payouts issued for the previous month's sales | Payout totals don't match the same month's sales |
| Consignors deleted instead of made inactive | Consignor Payout Totals is lower than Payout Activity |
| Unsold items donated or returned without changing their status | Inventory value and item counts are overstated |
| Drawer opened with the wrong starting (float) amount | Expected vs. Actual and Over/Short are off |
| Wrong payment type selected, such as a check rung as cash | One payment type shows over and another short |
| End of Day not run every business day | End of Day and End of Month reports show gaps or lump days together |
| A card sale voided after the card batch settled | Over/Short equals that sale's total; the card stays charged |
Over/Short is a drawer-tracking aid for the store. It does not change sales totals or any other report.
If the store's records are incomplete or inaccurate, your accountant should work with the store owner on the store's processes. Support can show staff how to use the relevant features, such as setting an item to Donated or Returned. We cannot reconstruct, correct, or vouch for records the store did not enter accurately.
Scheduled report calls
Report appointments are scheduled as 15-minute calls, and we aim to keep each one to 15 minutes or less. No call will run past 30 minutes. Appointment availability is limited because our support team also serves many other stores, so a well-prepared request is the best way to get a call scheduled and make good use of it.
Who can book and attend
- Calls are available only to people listed as users in your SimpleConsign system with reports access.
- If your outside accountant needs to join, the store owner must first add them as a user with reports access.
- We cannot discuss your store's data with anyone who is not a user on your account.
How to get the most from your call
- Send your list of specific figures and date ranges before the call.
- Have the reports you've already run open and ready.
- Prioritize your most important figures: anything not covered in the call moves to a written request on your ticket.
What calls are, and are not
- Calls are software support: how to find, run, and read reports in SimpleConsign. They are not accounting consultations.
- SimpleConsign does not provide, recommend, or endorse any accounting method or advice during calls.
- Every call must be based on a completed questionnaire listing specific figures. A request without clear direction may be declined.
- A support agent may sign in to your store to view the same screen as you. This is the fastest way to stay on the same page.
- Keep all communication on one ticket with one point of contact, so requests aren't duplicated across agents.
- Calls are scheduled for 15 minutes and end no later than the 30-minute mark. We expect respectful communication from everyone on the call and may end a call that isn't.
What falls outside our support
To keep support fair and focused for all stores, we are unable to:
- Perform bookkeeping, reconciliation, or month-end close work
- Recreate an accountant's spreadsheets, ledgers, or workflow inside SimpleConsign
- Provide a combined liability-and-payments ledger in one report; your accountant combines figures from the reports listed above
- Advise on tax law, tax rates, filing requirements, or audit responses
- Recommend or endorse an accounting method
- Define accounting terms, or translate a firm's terminology into the software's
- Brainstorm approaches or answer open-ended "what should we look at?" questions
- Join open-ended calls to walk through an accounting process step by step
- Speak with accountants or firms who are not users on your account
- Change historical transaction data to match an outside record
- Correct or reconstruct records the store did not enter, or entered incorrectly
If you're not sure whether a request is in scope, send it in writing. We'll tell you what we can provide and point you to the right report where possible.
Feature requests
If our reports don't provide a figure you need, the store may ask support to submit a feature request. Please know:
- A feature request is not a guarantee that it will be built.
- Our product team alone decides whether a request is adopted, wholly or in part. Support agents do not set development priorities, so repeated follow-ups with support will not change the outcome.
- An adopted request still takes significant time to design, build, and release.
In the meantime, many needs can be met by combining existing reports, building a Custom Report, or exporting data to a spreadsheet.
Related help articles
Please review these self-help articles before requesting report help. Many questions about running and reading reports are answered there.
| Article | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Store Reporting and Analytics | All reporting articles in one place |
| Prebuilt Reports Overview | The ready-to-use reports for sales, inventory, payouts, and staff |
| Year End Reporting | Which reports and fields give gross sales, sales tax, payouts, balances, cost of goods, inventory value, and cash ins/outs |
| Reprint Payout Reports | Reprinting reports for past consignor payouts |
| Custom Reports Overview | Building, customizing, and saving your own reports |
| Navigate to Custom Reports | Where to find Custom Reports on the Reports tab |
| Sold Inventory - Custom Reports | Item-level sales, including each consignor's payout amount |
| Fields & Filters for the Transaction Custom Report | Transaction totals, tax, and payment-type fields |
| Fields & Filters for Consignor Account Activity Custom Reports | Consignor account ledger entries |
| Customer Store Credit History - Custom Report | Store credit issued and used |
The full list of Custom Reports articles is in the Custom Reports section.
Frequently asked questions
My accountant says this is how all accountants do it. Why won't SimpleConsign match it? Accounting methods vary between professionals, and SimpleConsign records transactions rather than enforcing one method. Your accountant can map our figures into whatever method they use.
Can SimpleConsign tell me how much sales tax I owe? We can show you how much sales tax was collected and recorded. What you owe, and how to file, is a question for your tax professional.
Can my accountant call support directly? Yes, once the store owner adds them as a user with reports access. They can then make specific requests and request a 15-minute appointment, subject to availability.
What if our questions don't fit in one call? Send the remaining questions in writing on the same ticket. Written requests for specific figures are often the fastest route, and appointment availability is limited.
Our accountant thinks a report is wrong. What do we send? The report name, the date range, the figure shown, and the figure expected. We'll investigate that specific difference.
Why is there no single report showing what we owe consignors, what we paid, and the balance? SimpleConsign is a point-of-sale and inventory system, not an accounting ledger. Outstanding Balances By Day shows what is owed as of a date, and Payout Activity shows payouts issued in a period. Your accountant combines them. A combined report can be submitted as a feature request.
Can this report be exported to Excel? Many can, but not all. Custom Reports export as CSV, Settings > Data exports raw records, and any report can be printed with Ctrl+P. If a report you need has no export, you may submit a feature request.
Why don't Consignor Payout Totals and Payout Activity match? Consignor Payout Totals depends on consignor records, so payouts to deleted consignors drop out of it. Payout Activity records each payout as it was issued and is the figure to compare with the Sales Report.
Are SimpleConsign's figures guaranteed to be right for our books? Reports accurately reflect what the store entered. Whether those records are complete and correct depends entirely on the store's own input.
What if we can't answer the questionnaire? We need specific figures to help. Without them, we may be unable to reply with answers, and call requests may be declined until the request is clarified.