Insurance

Broker Commission Payable — Outward

Accruing the commission owed to the placing broker for new business written through the broker channel.

Account NameTypeDebit ($)Credit ($)
Broker Commission Expense (Outward)Expense (+)2,400.00-
Broker Commissions PayableLiability (+)-2,400.00

💡 Accountant's Note

Brokers earn commission (typically 15-25% of premium) for placing business with insurers. The commission is an acquisition cost and should be treated as DAC if IFRS 17 capitalization criteria are met.

Practitioner & Systems Framework

💻 ERP Architecture

Broker commissions are accrued in the policy admin system at the time of policy issuance, linked to the registered broker. The commissions payable sub-ledger tracks amounts owed to each broker. Payment is made monthly or quarterly as per the broker agreement. Some brokers net their commission directly from the premium remitted to the insurer — in this case, the insurer must record both the gross premium receivable and the commission payable, and reconcile the net cash received. Under IFRS 17, incremental broker commissions are DAC assets.

⚠️ Audit Flags

Auditors verify that broker commission rates are within the IRC maximum permitted rates and match the signed brokerage agreement. Test the accuracy of the commission calculation on a sample of policies. Confirm that commissions are not paid to unregistered brokers (an IRC regulatory requirement). For brokers who net their commission from premiums, auditors reconcile gross premium written, commission netted, and net cash received to confirm completeness.

📄 Required Documentation

Signed brokerage agreement specifying commission rates, commission calculation report, broker registration with the IRC, commissions payable aging schedule, and payment confirmations or netting reconciliation.

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QA

Expert Analysis by Qusai Ahmad

General Accountant Supervisor & IFRS Specialist

Specialized in SAP GUI automation and Middle Eastern tax compliance. Building digital tools for the next generation of finance leaders.

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