Sales Commission - Monthly Amortization of Capitalized Contract Costs
Amortizing capitalized sales commissions over the customer benefit period — recognizing the commission as sales expense ratably as the related revenue is earned.
| Account Name | Type | Debit ($) | Credit ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales & Marketing Expense - Commission Amortization | Expense (+) | 150.00 | - |
| Contract Cost Asset - Accumulated Amortization (Commissions) | Asset (-) | - | 150.00 |
💡 Accountant's Note
For the $5,400 commission on a 36-month customer benefit period: monthly amortization = $5,400 / 36 = $150/month. Over 36 months, the full $5,400 is amortized. If a customer churns before the amortization period ends, the remaining unamortized commission is written off (impaired) immediately — the underlying customer contract that generated the commission no longer exists. The amortization period is the key judgment: it must not exceed the customer benefit period. For contracts that auto-renew, the benefit period extends through the expected life.
Practitioner & Systems Framework
💻 ERP Architecture
The contract cost asset (capitalized commissions) rollforward must be tracked by individual contract or customer cohort. When a customer churns, the remaining unamortized commission balance for that customer must be immediately written off. Revenue recognition software (Maxio) integrates commission capitalization and customer churn tracking. The contract cost asset balance grows as new contracts are signed and decreases as commissions are amortized and customers churn.
⚠️ Audit Flags
Auditors test the impairment of contract cost assets when customers churn. If customers are churning at higher rates than the assumed benefit period, the unamortized commission balances are overstated. The benefit period assumption must be validated against actual customer retention data — overly optimistic assumptions inflate the asset balance.
📄 Required Documentation
Commission capitalization schedule by customer/contract, amortization schedule (monthly × benefit period), customer churn log with commission write-off documentation, contract cost asset rollforward reconciliation, benefit period assumption support (cohort churn analysis).
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