Ending inventory plus cost of goods sold equals

Ending inventory is the amount of goods that a business has on hand at the end of an accounting period. This does not include items it needs to run the business — it only includes merchandise it sells to other businesses or the public as a normal part of its business. A business expresses this inventory in units of goods and in monetary units for various internal company records.

For financial statements, the ending inventory is recorded as a monetary figure on the balance sheet and on an income statement. It appears on the income statement in the calculation of cost of goods sold. On the balance sheet, it appears as an asset. In essence, this figure is the cost of goods not sold.

A business calculates cost of goods sold to help determine gross profit. A business does not record as profit all of the revenue earned from selling goods. It cost the business money to buy the goods it sold during a period. Cost of goods sold tells a business how much it paid for the goods that customers purchased during the period. The total amount paid for all the goods sold is deducted from the total sales revenue figure — this gives a business a gross profit figure.

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Beginning inventory plus net purchases minus cost of goods sold equals ending inventory. This formula tells a business that it started out with a certain amount of merchandise to sell. It purchased more merchandise in the period to keep shelves and displays full of stock. Also, it sold stock to customers during the period — the cost of selling this stock is cost of goods sold. Merchandise that is still available for sale next period is its ending inventory.

Inventory still on the premises of a business at the end of one accounting period becomes the beginning or opening inventory of the next accounting period. To check its calculated ending inventory figure, a business performs physical inventories at the end of an accounting period, typically at the end of the fiscal year. Most modern businesses rely on their computerized perpetual inventory systems to keep track of inventory throughout a fiscal year.

To determine its period-ending stock level, a business performs a physical count of all stock on hand. It then multiplies the number counted for each item by the cost per item according to accounting records. The costs of all merchandise are then added together to calculate the total cost of inventory on hand. This is the ending inventory amount, which can be verified against accounting records.

Designed for stores that do physical stock checks, you’ll need a few metrics on hand before using the retail inventory method to calculate ending inventory:

  • Cost-to-retail ratio: Cost / retail price x 100
  • Cost of goods available for sale: Beginning inventory + cost of goods
  • Cost of sales: Sales x cost-to-retail ratio

From there, calculate ending inventory with this formula: Cost of goods available for sale - cost of sales = ending inventory.

Find your ending inventory

Knowing how much cash is tied up in inventory helps you make smarter business decisions—from accurate stock-taking reports to sensible open-to-buy budgets. 

Just remember that whichever formula you use is the one that’ll see you throughout your store’s lifetime. Accurate and clear financial reports make your life easier down the road. 

Stay on top of your finances

With Shopify POS, it’s easy to create reports and review your finances including sales, inventory value, returns, taxes, payments, and more. View your financial data for all sales channels from the same easy-to-understand back office.

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Value of Inventory FAQ

How do you calculate value of inventory?

Inventory values can be figured out by multiplying the number of items available with the unit price of the items. The exact formula is: Value of inventory = cost of goods sold + ending inventory

What is total value of inventory?

The total value of Inventory can be calculated as the total cost of all the items in inventory.

Why is it important to value inventory?

Inventory is important to value because it is a key part of a company's assets. It is also important to track inventory levels so that a company can make informed decisions about production levels and stock levels.

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About the author

Elise Dopson

Elise Dopson is a freelance writer for leading B2B SaaS companies. She teaches everything she knows through Peak Freelance.

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What is cost of goods sold plus ending inventory?

Ending inventory refers to the sellable inventory you have left over at the end of an accounting period. When a given accounting period ends, you take your beginning inventory, add net purchases, and subtract the cost of goods sold (COGS) to find your ending inventory's value.

Is ending inventory and cost of goods sold the same?

At its most basic level, ending inventory can be calculated by adding new purchases to beginning inventory, then subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS). A physical count of inventory can lead to more accurate ending inventory.

What is the formula to get the ending inventory?

The basic method for calculating ending inventory is straightforward. You simply take the beginning inventory at the outset of the current accounting period, add the cost of new purchases and subtract the cost of goods sold (COGS).

What is the relationship between inventory and COGS?

In all cases, inventory is something the company will re-sell to someone else. Inventory cost is an asset until it is sold; after merchandise is sold, the cost becomes an expense, called Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).