How often should a shop run a stock count?

A stock count before the annual financial statements is mandatory. For high-turnover shops we also recommend partial counts during the year, so shortages are caught early.

When does a shop have to register for VAT?

From 2026, registration is mandatory once taxable supplies over 12 consecutive months exceed 1,700,000 lei. You can also register before reaching the threshold if deducting supplier VAT works in your favour.

How are returns from online customers recorded?

Each return needs a supporting document and is booked in the period it happens: stock, revenue and, if you are VAT-registered, the VAT on the original sale are all adjusted.

Do I need a cash register if I only sell online?

It depends on how customers pay. Fiscal cash registers are required for payments in cash and by other payment instruments, while the rules for online payments vary by method, so we review each store individually.

Why does the report show a profit when there is no cash in the account?

The usual causes are overstated stock, a markup not adjusted for discounts and returns, or cash tied up in goods and with couriers. A monthly reconciliation of stock and receipts shows exactly where the gap is.

Retail and E-commerce Accounting

Accounting for retail and e-commerce: where problems start

Accounting for retail and e-commerce comes down to controlling goods and cash. Money arrives through the cash register, card terminal, bank transfer or courier, while goods leave the warehouse, the shelf or a marketplace. If these flows are not linked, you end up with shortages nobody can explain.

Stock and stock counts

Every delivery of goods needs an invoice or e-Factura, and every outflow needs a document. The problems we see most often:

book stock does not match physical stock because of unrecorded sales or transfers between shops;
damaged, expired or lost goods are not written off with proper acts;
stock counts are a formality and differences are never analysed.

A stock count before the annual financial statements is mandatory. For a busy shop, partial counts during the year are worth the effort.

Trade markup and margin

The markup is set when goods arrive and has to be adjusted for discounts, promotions and returns. Without those adjustments, the monthly report shows a profit that does not really exist.

Cash registers and card payments

Payments in cash and by other payment instruments go through fiscal cash registers connected to the SFS monitoring system. For some shops, the law also requires accepting card payments, depending on sales volume. Z reports, terminal receipts and bank statements need to match.

E-commerce

An online store adds more moving parts: payment processors, cash on delivery, marketplace fees and returns. Every payment has to be tied to an order and a document, and every return adjusts stock, revenue and, where relevant, VAT.

VAT

The standard VAT rate is 20%, while 8% applies to certain goods, such as some bakery and dairy products. From 2026, mandatory VAT registration applies above the 1,700,000 lei threshold. A shop selling goods at different rates has to separate them correctly at the point of sale.

What the Momentum Consult team does for shops and distributors

set up stock records by warehouse and sales point;
reconcile monthly receipts from cash registers, terminals, payment processors and couriers;
calculate the trade markup and cost of goods sold;
take part in stock counts and book differences with supporting acts;
handle e-Factura, VAT returns and SFS reporting;
run payroll for sales staff, including shift work and sales bonuses.

Services that fit retail

The core is monthly accounting, covering stock, VAT and reporting. For sales teams with shifts and bonuses, add payroll and HR. To check invoice amounts quickly, use the VAT calculator.

Book a free consultation. Tell us how and where you sell and at what volume, and we will suggest a way of working that fits your store.

Accounting for retailers and online shops