Why do clients need to add a journal entry when creating a zero dollar sales receipt for free samples?

Creating a zero dollar sales receipt for free samples necessitates a journal entry primarily to address the disparity between the income account and the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) account. Even though the sales receipt reflects no cash inflow from the transaction, it still impacts the accounting records in a significant way.

When a business gives away free samples, it is effectively reducing its inventory and incurring a cost, which is denoted in the COGS account. However, because there is no revenue generated from the sale of these samples, simply recording a zero dollar sales receipt does not appropriately reflect the reduction in inventory and the associated expense on the financial statements.

Therefore, by adding a journal entry, the business can accurately record both the decrease in inventory (which moves the cost into the COGS account) and provide a clearer picture of how much product has been expensed as a promotion. This ensures that the financial records maintain integrity and reflect the true costs associated with the distribution of free samples.