education and learning | January 20, 2026

What is retention in accounts receivable?

Accounts receivable retention refers to money the customer holds back that they’ll eventually pay to the contractor. Accounts payable retention is the money the contractor retains until disbursing it to subcontractors. The $22,500 goes into accounts receivable retainage or retainage due.

Can a company have no accounts receivable?

Some businesses are paid upfront, which means they don’t necessarily need accounts receivables. In these cases, the companies don’t record an accounts receivable when the invoice is initiated and sent to the customer; rather, the business enters a liability, such as “unearned revenue” or “prepaid revenue”.

How Long Can accounts receivables remain outstanding?

Accounts receivables refer to money customers owe businesses for products they already used or services they already benefited from. There is no fixed timetable for paying back accounts receivables, but they are generally due in 30, 45, or 60 days.

Is it good for a company having no accounts receivable Why?

If you do not keep track of accounts receivable, you may forget to bill certain customers or will not know if you’ve been paid. You may end up providing your product for free and negatively impact your ability to be profitable.

Can accounts receivable be long term?

Long Term Receivables are the debts owed to a company that are due more than twelve months from the last recorded date. In accounting, long term receivables are classified under long-term assets.

How is retainage accounted for?

Accounting Treatment Record retainage on the balance sheet. The client, who owes retainage to the contractor, records retainage as a liability. For example, if a contractor works on a $100,000 project with a ten percent retainage, then they will record $90,000 as accounts receivable and $10,000 as retainage due.

What is the difference between retention and retainage?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but in certain cases the terms retainage and retention have different meanings. In construction, retainage may refer to the amount being held back, and retention could indicate the act of withholding the money.

Where is restricted cash on the balance sheet?

If it is not expected to be used within a one-year time frame, it is classified as a non-current asset. Restricted cash typically appears on a company’s balance sheet as either “other restricted cash” or as “other assets.”