Shopify Accounting Made Easy: Tips and Top Software Solutions to Boost Your E-commerce Business

Have you been keeping up with the impressive growth rates of the Shopify platform? Gross Merchandise Volume rose by a remarkable 15%, totaling an incredible $49.6 billion - over $6.4 billion higher than the first quarter of 2022. Not to mention, total revenue also experienced an extraordinary surge of 25%, reaching an impressive $1.5 billion on a constant currency basis. 

However, with the increasing number of transactions that take place daily on the platform, some ecommerce business owners still struggle to manage their finances within the Shopify platform. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose track of your financial data amidst the hustle and bustle of e-commerce. 

This is where Shopify Accounting comes in - it's the solution for seamlessly managing your financial transactions within the Shopify platform. The process streamlines all financial activities and tracks each transaction with pinpoint accuracy, giving you clear insights and control over your business's financial health. 

The right accounting software can help you automate tasks such as invoicing, payment processing, and tax reporting, allowing you to focus on other aspects of the business. In this article, we'll delve deeper into Shopify Accounting and the importance of using accounting software for Shopify. 

We'll also provide tips and tricks for getting started. By the end of this article, you'll have the knowledge and tools you need to take control of your finances and drive your ecommerce business to success.

Setting Up Accounting for Shopify

How to set up accounting for Shopify

Setting up accounting for your Shopify store is a crucial step to effectively manage your finances and track your sales. With the right accounting software and tools in place, you can easily keep track of your expenses, revenue, and profits. In this guide, we will take you through the steps to set up accounting for your Shopify store:

1. Choose the right accounting software: The first step is to select the right accounting software that suits your needs. Look for an accounting software that integrates with Shopify and provides features like automatic syncing of sales data, tracking expenses, generating financial statements, and tax compliance.

2. Connect Shopify to your accounting software: Once you have selected the right accounting software, connect your Shopify store to it. You can do this by navigating to the "Apps" section in your Shopify dashboard, searching for your accounting software, and then installing and configuring it.

3. Set up your chart of accounts: Your chart of accounts is the list of all your business's accounts, which include assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. Set up your chart of accounts to categorize your transactions accurately.

4. Create tax rates and rules: Ensure you set up tax rates and rules that apply to your business and the locations you operate. This helps you automatically calculate taxes on your sales.

5. Set up payment gateways: Set up your payment gateways to receive payments from your customers. Ensure your accounting software is synced to these payment gateways so that all transactions are recorded automatically.

6. Track your expenses: Record all your business expenses, including product costs, shipping costs, and other expenses like rent and utilities. Make sure you categorize each expense correctly.

7. Review your financial reports: Regularly review your financial reports, such as your balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. These reports help you monitor your business's financial performance and identify areas for improvement.

Read more about Shopify and Xero Integration

Managing Accounting for Shopify

Does Shopify Have an Accounting system

No, Shopify does not have their own accounting system. So, what should you do if you're using Shopify to power your business and need to take care of your accounting needs? 

The answer is simple: seek out a dedicated accounting software solution that complements your Shopify store. This allows you to leverage the strengths of both platforms and create a seamless and efficient workflow.

Fortunately, the options for integrating Shopify with accounting software are plentiful. From well-known and widely-used platforms like QuickBooks and Xero to emerging contenders in the accounting software space, there's a wide range of choices available. Each software comes with its own unique features and benefits, so taking the time to research and find the perfect fit for your specific business requirements is crucial.

When selecting an accounting software, consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, integration capabilities, and the level of automation it offers. Look for software that allows you to effortlessly sync your Shopify data, such as sales, expenses, and customer information, to your accounting system. This ensures that your financial records are accurate, up-to-date, and readily available for analysis and reporting.

Moreover, keep in mind that while accounting software integration is essential, you may also need to consult with an accountant or financial professional to ensure compliance with tax regulations, understand complex financial concepts, and make informed decisions for your business's financial health. Accountants can provide valuable insights, assist with tax planning, and help you navigate any accounting challenges that may arise.

While Shopify itself doesn't provide its own accounting software, it offers a world of opportunities by seamlessly integrating with a variety of accounting solutions. By combining the strengths of both platforms, you can streamline your business operations, maintain accurate financial records, and gain valuable insights into your business's performance. So, dive into the wide array of accounting software options available, find the one that suits your business best, and unlock the true potential of your Shopify store.

Shopify Reports

Shopify reports provide ecommerce businesses with essential data to help them make informed decisions about their operations. They are categorized based on the specific information they provide. These reports offer a range of insights tailored to your store's needs and objectives. You can access various report categories that align with your business requirements and goals.

Here are some of the reports available in Shopify:

1. Acquisition Reports: These reports provide insights into how customers discover and arrive at your Shopify store. These reports help you understand the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and channels. They may include data on website traffic sources, referral URLs, keyword searches, and conversion rates from different acquisition channels.

2. Behavior Reports: Another important Shopify report responsible for tracking how visitors interact with your Shopify store. They provide information on the pages they visit, the time spent on each page, bounce rates, and conversion funnels. These reports help you analyze user behavior and identify areas for improvement in terms of user experience and conversion optimization.

3. Customer Reports: As the name implies, customer reports focus on your customer base. They provide data on customer demographics, purchase history, lifetime value, and customer segmentation. These reports help you understand your customers better, tailor marketing strategies, and build customer loyalty.

4. Finance Reports: Finance reports provide a comprehensive view of your store's financial performance. They include reports on sales revenue, expenses, profit margins, and cash flow. These reports help you track the financial health of your business, identify trends, and make informed decisions regarding budgeting, pricing, and cost management.

5. Inventory Reports: They offer insights into your product stock levels, including quantities on hand, low-stock alerts, and reorder points. They help you manage inventory efficiently, prevent stockouts, and optimize your purchasing and restocking processes.

6. Marketing Reports: These reports focus on the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. They provide data on campaign performance, conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and return on investment (ROI) for various marketing channels. These reports help you assess the success of your marketing strategies and allocate resources effectively.

7. Order Reports: Detailed information about individual orders, including order numbers, products purchased, quantities, prices, and customer details can be seen in your order report. They help you track order fulfillment, identify popular products, and analyze order patterns to optimize your operations.

8. Profit Reports: This shows an analysis of your revenue, costs, and expenses to determine the overall profitability of your Shopify store. They include metrics such as gross profit, net profit, profit margins, and return on sales. These reports help you assess the financial viability of your business and make strategic decisions to improve profitability.

9. Retail Sales Reports: This report is most useful if you have a physical retail presence, specifically on in-person or offline sales. They provide insights into retail sales performance, foot traffic, average transaction value, and conversion rates. These reports help you evaluate the success of your brick-and-mortar operations and identify opportunities for growth.

10. Sales Reports: They provide a comprehensive overview of your store's sales performance. They include data on total sales, average order value, conversion rates, and sales by product, category, or time period. These reports help you track sales trends, identify top-performing products, and optimize your sales strategies.

11. Product Analytics: Product analytics reports focus on individual products in your inventory. They provide data on product performance, including sales trends, customer reviews, average ratings, and product-specific metrics. These reports help you evaluate the success of different products, make informed decisions regarding inventory management and product development, and identify opportunities for cross-selling or upselling.

12. Custom Reports: Finally, custom reports are tailored to your specific needs and requirements. You can create reports that combine data from different Shopify reports or external sources to gain unique insights into your business. Custom reports allow you to analyze specific metrics, KPIs, or segments that are relevant to your operations and goals.

Financial features available in Shopify

Shopify POS (Point of Sale) is a popular retail solution that allows merchants to sell their products in-person. It comes with several bookkeeping features that enable merchants to manage their financial data, track sales, and create financial reports. 

While it may not have the same depth and functionality as a dedicated accounting software, it provides basic bookkeeping features that helps in making bookkeeping and accounting easy.

Here are some of the accounting features available in Shopify POS:

1. Cash management: Shopify POS allows merchants to track their cash flow by recording cash transactions such as cash sales, refunds, and petty cash expenses.

2. Sales tracking: Merchants can track sales by product, customer, location, and other variables, providing valuable insights into their business performance.

3. Tax management: It automatically calculates sales tax based on the merchant's location and the customer's shipping address. This helps merchants stay compliant with tax regulations and avoid penalties.

4. Integration with accounting software: Shopify POS integrates with several popular accounting software solutions, including QuickBooks and Xero. This enables merchants to seamlessly transfer their financial data and generate accurate financial reports.

5. Custom financial reports: Lastly, it allows merchants to generate custom financial reports such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These reports provide valuable insights into business performance and help merchants make informed financial decisions.

Best Accounting Software for Shopify

Free accounting software for Shopify

There are several accounting software options available for Shopify, some are paid while others are free. In this section, we will be focusing on the free accounting software with their respective features and limitations. Here are a few examples:

Free accounting software for shopify

1. Wave: Wave is a free accounting software that is popular with small business owners. It offers features such as invoicing, receipt tracking, and bank account and credit card syncing. Wave also integrates with Shopify to automatically import sales data and track inventory.

2. ZipBooks: ZipBooks is another free accounting software that offers features such as invoicing, time tracking, and project management. It should be noted that only the starter pack of this application is free. It integrates with Shopify to import sales data and track inventory.

3. GnuCash: GnuCash is a free, open-source accounting software that offers features such as invoicing, expense tracking, and budgeting. While it doesn't have a direct integration with Shopify, sales data can be manually imported.

4. Manager: Manager is a free accounting software that offers features such as invoicing, inventorytracking, and bank account syncing. It also has a direct integration with Shopify to automatically import sales data.

Factors to look out for when choosing an accounting software for Shopify

There are several factors to consider when selecting the best accounting software for your Shopify store. Some of the most important factors to consider include:

1. Integration with Shopify: The accounting software should be able to integrate seamlessly with Shopify to automate the process of tracking and recording transactions.

2. User-friendly interface: The accounting software should have a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and understand. This will help you to easily manage your accounting tasks without having to spend too much time learning how to use the software.

3. Automation: Look for accounting software that automates tasks such as data entry and invoicing. This will help to save time and reduce the risk of errors.

4. Reporting: The accounting software should be able to generate comprehensive reports that give you a clear picture of your financial status.

5. Cost: Consider the cost of the accounting software, including any monthly or annual fees, to ensure that it fits within your budget.

6. Scalability: The accounting software should be scalable, meaning that it can grow with your business and accommodate an increasing number of transactions.

7. Security: Look for accounting software that has robust security features to protect your financial data.

By considering these factors, you can choose the best accounting software for your Shopify store that meets your business needs and budget.

Hiring a Shopify Bookkeeper

What does a Shopify bookkeeper do?

Sometimes you are worried and unsure about the technicality involved in using an accounting software. That’s where a bookkeeper comes in. A Shopify bookkeeper is responsible for managing the financial records and transactions of a business that uses the Shopify platform for their e-commerce operations. 

Their main responsibilities include recording sales, expenses, and other financial transactions, reconciling bank and credit card statements, preparing financial reports, and ensuring compliance with tax and regulatory requirements.

In addition, they may also assist in the budgeting process, inventory management, and cash flow forecasting. They may also collaborate with other members of the finance team, such as accountants or financial analysts, to ensure accurate and timely reporting of financial information.

Benefits of hiring a bookkeeper for Shopify

Hiring a bookkeeper for Shopify can provide numerous benefits to your business. Here are some of the advantages:

1. Accuracy: A bookkeeper can ensure that all financial records are accurate and up-to-date, reducing the risk of errors in financial statements.

2. Time-saving: By outsourcing bookkeeping tasks to a professional, you can free up time to focus on other important aspects of your business.

3. Financial insights: Bookkeepers can provide you with valuable insights into your business’s financial health and offer suggestions for improvements.

4. Compliance: The bookkeeper can ensure that your business stays in compliance with tax laws and regulations.

5. Organization: They help keep your financial records organized and easily accessible, saving you time and stress when it comes to tax season.

6. Cost-effective: Hiring a bookkeeper can be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house accountant or trying to manage your finances on your own.

7. Expertise: With specialized knowledge and expertise in financial management, a bookkeeper can benefit your business in the long run.

What to look for in a Shopify bookkeeper

When hiring a bookkeeper for your Shopify store, there are several things to look for to ensure that you are choosing the right person for the job. Here are some important factors to consider:

1. Experience: Look for a bookkeeper with experience working with Shopify stores or similar businesses. They should be familiar with Shopify's accounting features and be able to navigate the platform with ease.

2. Attention to detail: Bookkeeping requires a high level of attention to detail to ensure accuracy in financial records. Look for a bookkeeper who is detail-oriented and has a track record of producing accurate financial reports.

3. Communication skills: Your bookkeeper should be able to communicate financial information clearly and effectively. They should be able to explain complex financial data in a way that is easy to understand for non-financial professionals.

4. Availability: Make sure your bookkeeper is available when you need them. Consider whether you need someone who can work full-time, part-time, or on a project basis.

5. Education and credentials: While not always necessary, a bookkeeper with a degree in accounting or a relevant certification, such as a Certified Bookkeeper (CB) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA), can provide added assurance of their skills and expertise.

6. Technology skills: Your bookkeeper should be comfortable using accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Xero, and be familiar with the Shopify platform.

Accounting for Shopify Dropshipping

Accounting for Shopify dropshipping involves managing financial transactions for an ecommerce business that uses the dropshipping model within the Shopify platform. In dropshipping, the merchant doesn't keep inventory in stock but instead purchases products from a supplier who ships them directly to the customer.

To properly manage accounting for Shopify dropshipping, it's essential to have a clear understanding of revenue, expenses, and profit margins. Dropshipping can be a profitable business model, but it also comes with unique challenges such as fluctuating product costs and shipping fees.

Accounting software can be a valuable tool for managing accounting for Shopify dropshipping. It can automate tasks such as tracking revenue, expenses, and profit margins, as well as creating and sending invoices to customers. Additionally, many accounting software options like Xero and QuickBooks integrate with Shopify, allowing for seamless financial management within the platform.

By properly managing accounting for Shopify dropshipping, ecommerce business owners can make informed decisions about their business's financial health, optimize profit margins, and reduce the risk of errors or financial mismanagement.

Streamline Dropshipping Accounting with Shopify's Essential Features

Shopify offers several features that are beneficial for dropshipping, and some of these features can be related to accounting in the following ways:

1. Product Management: Shopify allows you to easily manage your product inventory, including adding, editing, and removing products. From an accounting perspective, this feature helps you keep track of the products you are dropshipping and their associated costs.

2. Order Management: With Shopify, you can efficiently manage your orders, including tracking order status, fulfilling orders, and generating shipping labels. From an accounting standpoint, order management helps you track sales revenue and associated expenses, such as shipping costs.

3. Integration with Suppliers: Shopify integrates with various apps and platforms that facilitate dropshipping, such as Oberlo or other similar apps. These integrations streamline the process of importing products from suppliers and automating order fulfillment. From an accounting perspective, integration with suppliers helps you track the cost of goods sold (COGS) and ensure accurate financial reporting.

4. Inventory Tracking: Shopify provides inventory management features that allow you to track stock levels, set up notifications for low inventory, and manage variants of your products. This feature is crucial for dropshipping, as it helps you avoid overselling and ensures that you have accurate inventory data for accounting purposes.

5. Sales Reports: Shopify offers built-in reporting tools that provide valuable insights into your store's sales performance. You can analyze sales by date, product, location, and more. From an accounting standpoint, these reports help you track revenue, identify top-selling products, and assess the overall financial health of your dropshipping business.

6. Integration with Accounting Software: Shopify integrates with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, and others. This integration enables seamless synchronization of your sales data, expenses, and other financial transactions between Shopify and your accounting software. It simplifies the process of bookkeeping, reconciling accounts, and generating accurate financial statements.

7. Tax Calculation and Compliance: Shopify includes built-in tax calculation tools that automatically calculate and apply the correct sales tax rates based on customer location. This feature ensures compliance with tax regulations and simplifies the tax reporting process for your dropshippingbusiness.

These features provided by Shopify help streamline the accounting processes involved in dropshipping, such as tracking sales, expenses, inventory, and tax obligations. By leveraging these features, you can maintain accurate financial records, generate meaningful reports, and ensure compliance with accounting standards.

Final Thoughts

Managing your Shopify accounting is crucial to the success of your business. Utilizing accounting software such as QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, Wave, or Freshbooks can help streamline your accounting process and provide accurate financial reports, especially when you integrate them with PayTraQer and SaasAnt Transactions.

PayTraQer offers an affordable and comprehensive solution for Shopify accounting with features such as automated data entry, inventory shopify management, and financial reporting when integrated with either QuickBooks or Xero. SaasAnt Transactions, on the other hand, provides easy import and export of financial data between Shopify and QuickBooks, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.

As a business owner, it is important to consider the benefits of these software options and choose the one that best suits your needs. Investing in quality accounting software and potentially hiring a Shopify bookkeeper can ultimately help you make informed financial decisions and drive the success of your Shopify business.

FAQs

Can Shopify be used for accounting?

Shopify is primarily an e-commerce platform and does not have all the features of a full-fledged accounting software. However, Shopify does offer some basic accounting features such as sales tracking, tax management, and profit and loss reports.

These features can help with managing the financial side of the business, but may not be sufficient for more complex accounting needs. To fully manage the accounting for a Shopify store, it is recommended to integrate with a dedicated accounting software that is compatible with Shopify. 

This allows for more robust accounting features such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory management, and more. By integrating with a dedicated accounting software, businesses can streamline their financial management and get a clearer picture of their financial health.

How does Shopify help ecommerce business?

Shopify helps eCommerce businesses in various ways. Here are some of the ways Shopify helps eCommerce businesses:

1. Easy to use platform: Shopify is a user-friendly platform that allows eCommerce businesses to set up an online store quickly and easily.

2. Customizable: It allows businesses to customize their online store to reflect their brand image and showcase their products effectively.

3. Multiple payment options: The ecommerce platform offers a wide range of payment options, making it easier for customers to make purchases.

4. Marketing tools: Also, it provides various marketing tools to help eCommerce businesses reach their target audience and increase sales. These tools include email marketing, social media integration, and search engine optimization.

5. Order management: Shopify offers a powerful order management system that helps eCommerce businesses track orders, manage inventory, and fulfill orders efficiently.

6. Mobile-friendly: With more people using mobile devices to make purchases online, Shopify offers a mobile-friendly platform that allows eCommerce businesses to reach customers on-the-go.

How do I run a successful business on Shopify?

Running a successful business on Shopify involves several key steps. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Choose a profitable niche: To run a successful business, you need to choose a profitable niche that aligns with your interests, skills, and passions.

2. Create a professional-looking store: Invest time and resources to create a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate online store that is user-friendly and mobile responsive.

3. Optimize your products: Ensure that your products are high-quality, competitively priced, and optimized for search engines.

4. Promote your store: Utilize a variety of marketing tactics, including social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to promote your store and drive traffic to your site.

5. Offer exceptional customer service: Provide timely and helpful responses to customer inquiries, offer easy returns and refunds, and strive to exceed customer expectations.

6. Utilize analytics: Utilize analytics tools to track your store's performance, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.

7. Stay up-to-date with trends: Stay up-to-date with industry trends, keep an eye on your competition, and continuously innovate to stay ahead.

What account type should Shopify fees go into

Shopify fees should be recorded as an expense in your accounting records. Specifically, they should be recorded under the "Cost of Goods Sold" (COGS) account. COGS is a category of expenses that includes all the costs incurred in the production of goods sold by your business. Shopify fees are a necessary cost of selling products through the Shopify platform, and as such, they should be included in this category.

It's important to note that the COGS account should only include direct costs associated with the production or sale of goods, such as the cost of the product, packaging, and shipping. Indirect costs, such as Shopify's monthly subscription fee, should not be included in the COGS account but rather in a separate expense account.

By correctly categorizing Shopify fees under COGS, you can accurately calculate the gross profit of your business. Gross profit is the amount of revenue you generate after accounting for the direct costs of producing and selling your products. This information is crucial for evaluating the profitability of your business and making informed financial decisions.

What accounting software is compatible with Shopify

There are several accounting software options that are compatible with Shopify. Some of the popular ones include:

1. Xero: Xero is cloud-based accounting software that integrates seamlessly with Shopify. It offers features like bank reconciliation, invoicing, inventory management, and financial reporting.

2. QuickBooks: QuickBooks is another popular accounting software that works well with Shopify. It offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, inventory management, and financial reporting.

3. Zoho Books: Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting software that offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, inventory management, and financial reporting. It integrates with Shopify to automatically sync orders and inventory data.

4. Wave: Wave is a free accounting software that is ideal for small businesses. There are no subscription fees for using it, only transaction fees are charged for using Wave. It offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting. It integrates with Shopify to automatically import orders and payment data.

5. Freshbooks: Freshbooks is a cloud-based accounting software that offers features like invoicing, expense tracking, time tracking, and financial reporting. It integrates with Shopify to automatically import orders and customer data.