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Purchase returns: sending goods back to a supplier
A return is a new invoice linked to the original purchase, and the goods leave your warehouse.
How do I send goods back to a supplier?
From Transactions → Purchase Invoices, find the original purchase invoice and click Return. Pick the items and quantities and submit. The goods leave your warehouse and the supplier balance drops.
The same logic as sales returns
A purchase return works exactly like a sales return, in the opposite direction:
| Sales return | Purchase return | |
|---|---|---|
| The goods | Come back into stock | Leave stock |
| The party | Customer | Supplier |
| The balance | The customer's balance drops | The supplier's balance drops |
| The entry | Reverses sales | Reverses purchases |
Start from the original invoice
The correct route is the Return action on the original purchase invoice's row.
It appears when:
- The original invoice is submitted.
- It is not itself a return.
- It still has returnable quantity.
Quantity tracking
The system tracks how much of each item on the original invoice has already been returned.
On the return form:
- The item list is restricted to items on the original invoice.
- Each item shows its remaining returnable quantity.
- The quantity is capped at that figure.
- The price is locked to the original invoice's price.
What happens on submission
| Thing | Effect |
|---|---|
| Stock | Leaves the warehouse |
| Stock ledger | A row of type Purchase Return (out) |
| Supplier balance | Drops |
| Journal entry | Reverses cost, VAT and payables |
| Average cost | Unchanged |
| Returnable quantity | Reduced |
As with any invoice, a draft return has no effect. All of this happens at submission.
You need the stock to return it
To send goods back to a supplier, those goods have to still be in the warehouse.
If you have already sold them and your balance is lower than the quantity you are returning, the system refuses — a balance cannot go below zero.
A return does not fix cost
Worth noting: a purchase return does not recalculate average cost.
Average cost is only updated by submitted ordinary purchase invoices. A return reduces the quantity and value, but the per-unit average cost stays where it was.
So if you return everything you bought at an inflated price, the polluted average cost does not correct itself. Another reason to check purchase prices before submitting.
Getting the money back
The return reduces your balance with the supplier automatically.
If the supplier actually refunded cash or made a transfer, record that as a separate movement on the Payment Entries screen against their account.
Monitoring
The Most Purchase Returns report shows which items you send back to suppliers most often — a strong quality signal. A recurring item is a conversation to have with that supplier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a return deduct stock?
Yes. A purchase return is the reverse of a purchase: the goods leave the warehouse. If your warehouse balance is lower than the quantity you are returning, the system refuses.
Does a return change average cost?
No. Average cost is only recalculated by submitting ordinary purchase invoices. A return reduces the quantity and value but does not recalculate cost.
Can I return more than I bought?
No. The system tracks how much of each item on the original invoice has already been returned and caps the quantity at the remainder — exactly as with sales returns.
The supplier refunded me — how do I record it?
The return reduces your balance with the supplier automatically. If they actually refunded cash or made a transfer, record that separately as a payment on the Payment Entries screen.
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