Amazon reimbursements happen when Amazon loses, damages, or destroys your inventory in their fulfillment centers. The accounting involves two pieces: writing off the lost inventory and recording the reimbursement when you receive it.

For the lost inventory, you need to reduce your inventory asset account and recognize the cost. If you had $500 worth of product that Amazon lost, your inventory value drops by $500 and that amount flows through as a cost. Most sellers record this as an inventory adjustment or shrinkage expense, which ultimately affects cost of goods sold.

When Amazon pays you back, record the reimbursement as income. The cleanest approach is to use an “Other Income” account specifically for Amazon reimbursements. This keeps it separate from your regular sales revenue so you can see exactly how much you’re recovering. Some sellers prefer to credit it back against their inventory shrinkage account, which effectively nets the loss and reimbursement together. Either method works as long as you’re consistent.

The timing often doesn’t match up perfectly. You might notice inventory missing in March but not receive the reimbursement until May. Record the loss when you discover it and the reimbursement when Amazon pays. Trying to wait and match them together delays accurate reporting and makes reconciliation harder.

Track every claim you file. Amazon doesn’t always pay what you’re owed automatically. Create a simple spreadsheet or use reimbursement tracking software to log each claim with the date filed, amount requested, status, and amount received. E-commerce sellers who don’t track this closely often leave money on the table because they don’t follow up on pending or denied claims.

Reconcile your FBA inventory reports monthly against your accounting records. Amazon provides reports showing adjustments, removals, and reimbursements. These should tie back to what you’ve recorded in QuickBooks or whatever system you use. Discrepancies indicate either recording errors or reimbursements you haven’t claimed yet.

The dollar amounts matter for tax purposes. Reimbursements are taxable income because you’ve already deducted the inventory cost when you purchased it. If Amazon reimburses you $300 for lost product that cost you $300, you’re made whole but you do owe tax on that $300 of income.

If you’re running significant volume through FBA, consider dedicated Scottsdale bookkeeper support familiar with Amazon’s reporting quirks. The transaction volume and timing delays make Amazon accounting more complex than typical retail, and getting it wrong distorts both your profitability numbers and your tax liability.