COLLECTION PERIOD (Period Average) Definition

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COLLECTION PERIOD (Period Average) is used to appraise accounts receivable (AR). This ratio measures the length of time it takes to convert your average sales into cash. This measurement defines the relationship between accounts receivable and cash flow. A longer average collection period requires a higher investment in accounts receivable. A higher investment in accounts receivable means less cash is available to cover cash outflows, such as paying bills. NOTE: Comparing the two COLLECTION PERIOD ratios (Period Average and Period End) suggests the direction in which AR collections are moving, thereby giving an indication as to potential impacts to cash flow. Formula: ((AR (current) + AR (period ago)/2) / (Net Revenue / 365)

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ZERO-RATED SALES is when a sale is taxable at the rate of 0%, i.e. no sales tax. Some examples could be: basic groceries, prescription drugs or certain medical devices.

INDIRECT SHAREHOLDING is when one entity directly holds shares of another entity that owns shares of a third but different entity, for example, Shareholder A would have an indirect shareholding of Company C if Shareholder A directly owns shares of Company B while Company B owns shares of Company C.

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