What is Accounts Payable?
Accounts payable (AP) are the short-term liabilities a business owes to its suppliers for goods or services received on credit but not yet paid, reported as current liabilities on the balance sheet and managed through a structured procure-to-pay process.
How It Works
- PO matching: invoice matched to purchase order and goods receipt (3-way match).
- Booking: debit expense or asset, credit accounts payable.
- Approval and payment per agreed terms (e.g., Net 30, Net 60).
- DPO management balances supplier relationships and cash flow.
Saudi Context
Saudi accounts payable functions must process ZATCA-compliant e-invoices (Phase 2 integration mandatory for in-scope taxpayers) and verify the 15% input VAT on each invoice before payment. Suppliers without a valid VAT certificate cannot have input VAT claimed. The Saudi Government Procurement Law mandates 30-day payment terms for SMEs supplying state entities.
Example
A Saudi retailer receives a SAR 115,000 ZATCA-compliant e-invoice (SAR 100,000 goods + SAR 15,000 VAT). Journal entry: Dr Inventory 100,000, Dr Input VAT 15,000, Cr Accounts Payable 115,000. Paid within 30 days via SAR bank transfer.