MODULE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF E-COMMERCE BUSINESS MODELS & ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES

Understanding e-commerce business models: Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Amazon FBA, Shopify, multi-channel sellers Overview of US GAAP principles for e-commerce businesses Key differences between e-commerce and traditional retail accounting Introduction to the US tax season (February to July) and opportunities for Indian accountants Understanding e-commerce revenue streams: product sales, subscriptions, digital products, marketplace fees Cash vs. accrual accounting in e-commerce contexts Introduction to e-commerce platforms: Amazon Seller Central, Shopify Admin, WooCommerce Setting up your remote work toolkit: time tracking, project management, communication protocols Industry Focus: Understanding CPAs, service businesses, startups, and e-commerce brands as potential clients

MODULE 2: QUICKBOOKS ONLINE & XERO MASTERY FOR E-COMMERCE

Module 2: QuickBooks Online & Xero Mastery for E-commerce QuickBooks Online (QBO) fundamentals: navigation, dashboard, and basic setup Xero fundamentals: navigation, dashboard, and basic setup Chart of Accounts design specific to e-commerce businesses Setting up products and services in QBO for inventory and non-inventory items Creating and customizing invoices, bills, and expense tracking Bank and credit card account setup and linking Automated bank rules: creating rules to categorize recurring transactions automatically Journal entries for complex e-commerce transactions User permissions and multi-user collaboration settings QBO vs. Xero: when to recommend which platform to clients Practice Exercise: Set up a complete Chart of Accounts for an Amazon FBA seller

MODULE 3: AMAZON SELLER ACCOUNTING - SETTLEMENT REPORTS & FEE STRUCTURE

Understanding Amazon Seller Central: reports, payments, and settlement cycles Decoding Amazon settlement reports: payouts, fees, refunds, and chargebacks Amazon fee structures: referral fees, FBA fees, storage fees, long-term storage fees Recording Amazon sales transactions in QBO/Xero Handling refunds, returns, and customer reimbursements Amazon reimbursements: lost/damaged inventory, warehouse errors Recording Amazon advertising costs (PPC, Sponsored Products) Dealing with reserves and payment holds Multi-marketplace accounting: Amazon US, UK, Canada, EU Practice Exercise: Process a complete Amazon settlement report from CSV to QBO

MODULE 4: SHOPIFY ACCOUNTING - PAYOUTS, APPS & TRANSACTION RECONCILIATION

Understanding Shopify Admin: orders, products, and financial reports Shopify payout structure and settlement timing Recording Shopify sales: gross sales, discounts, refunds, shipping, taxes Shopify payment gateway fees vs. external payment processors Handling Shopify apps that affect accounting (subscription apps, upsell apps) Recording shipping costs and carrier-calculated rates Gift cards, store credit, and discount code accounting Shopify Plus considerations for high-volume sellers Multi-currency Shopify stores: foreign exchange gains/losses Practice Exercise: Reconcile a month of Shopify payouts with bank deposits

MODULE 5: A2X AUTOMATION - REVENUE & COGS RECOGNITION

Introduction to A2X: what it does and why it\'s essential Setting up A2X for Amazon, Shopify, and eBay Understanding A2X settlement summaries and journal entries How A2X automates revenue recognition and COGS calculation Mapping A2X accounts to your Chart of Accounts Handling A2X splits for multi-entity or multi-marketplace sellers Reconciling A2X summaries with actual bank deposits Troubleshooting common A2X issues: missing settlements, unmapped accounts A2X reports and dashboards for client communication Why most US accountants don\'t use A2X - and why that\'s your advantage Practice Exercise: Set up A2X for a dual-platform seller (Amazon + Shopify)

MODULE 6: PAYMENT GATEWAY RECONCILIATION - STRIPE, PAYPAL, PAYONEER & MORE

Understanding payment gateway ecosystems and fee structures Stripe: payouts, fees, disputes, refunds, and hold periods PayPal: transaction types, currency conversion, holds, and reserves Payoneer: cross-border payments and multi-currency management Razorpay: Indian payment gateway for cross-border e-commerce Recording payment processor fees as expenses Handling chargebacks and dispute resolution accounting Multi-gateway reconciliation: when clients use multiple processors Foreign currency transactions and exchange rate recording Creating bank reconciliation workflows for each payment gateway Practice Exercise: Reconcile Stripe payouts with actual deposits and record fees

MODULE 7: INVENTORY ACCOUNTING - FIFO, LANDED COSTS & FBA MANAGEMENT

Inventory accounting methods: FIFO, LIFO, weighted average (focus on FIFO for US) Understanding inventory as an asset on the balance sheet Recording inventory purchases and landed costs (product + shipping + duties + fees) Amazon FBA inventory tracking: units shipped, received, sold, lost, damaged Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) inventory management SKU-wise profit margin calculations Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) recognition timing Handling lost, damaged, and disposed inventory Inventory adjustments and write-offs Month-end inventory valuation and reconciliation Practice Exercise: Calculate landed cost and COGS for a multi-SKU FBA shipment

MODULE 8: US SALES TAX FUNDAMENTALS & NEXUS MAPPING

Understanding US sales tax: state-level taxation system Economic nexus thresholds by state ($100k revenue or 200 transactions) Physical nexus vs. economic nexus Marketplace facilitator laws: when Amazon/Shopify collects tax for you Identifying which states require sales tax registration for your client Sales tax exemptions: resale certificates, exempt products Recording sales tax collected as a liability Sales tax filing frequencies: monthly, quarterly, annual Using tools like TaxJar, Avalara, or QuadPay for sales tax automation Common sales tax mistakes e-commerce sellers make Industry Application: Create a nexus map for a $2M annual revenue Shopify seller

MODULE 9: MULTI-CHANNEL RECONCILIATION & AVOIDING DOUBLE-COUNTING

Challenges of multi-channel selling: Amazon + Shopify + eBay + Walmart Identifying potential double-counting scenarios Using unique transaction IDs to track sales across platforms Reconciliation methodology: platform settlements vs. bank deposits vs. accounting records Building a master revenue reconciliation spreadsheet Handling inventory that sells on multiple channels Recording platform-specific fees without duplication Cross-platform refund and return tracking Tools and techniques for multi-channel reconciliation Practice Exercise: Reconcile a month of sales across Amazon, Shopify, and PayPal

MODULE 10: MONTH-END CLOSING PROCESS FOR E-COMMERCE BUSINESSES

The month-end close checklist for e-commerce clients Bank and credit card reconciliation best practices Ensuring all settlements and payouts are recorded Inventory reconciliation and adjustments Accrual entries for outstanding bills and invoices Prepaid expenses and deferred revenue recognition Review of balance sheet accounts: AR, AP, inventory, liabilities Finalizing the Profit & Loss statement Balance sheet review: ensuring it balances and makes sense Creating a month-end close timeline and SOP Common month-end errors and how to catch them before client review Practice Exercise: Perform a complete month-end close for an e-commerce client

MODULE 11: FINANCIAL REPORTING FOR E-COMMERCE, SAAS, STARTUPS & INVESTORS

Understanding what different stakeholders need from financial reports Creating clean, client-friendly Profit & Loss statements E-commerce-specific KPIs: gross margin, net margin, COGS %, advertising ROAS Building custom reports in QBO/Xero Dashboard reporting: monthly snapshots for quick client review Cash flow statements and cash flow forecasting Balance sheet presentation and explanations for non-accountants Reporting for investor-backed startups: burn rate, runway, unit economics SaaS-specific metrics: MRR, ARR, churn, LTV/CAC Creating visual reports using Google Sheets, Excel, or data visualization tools Industry Case Study: Building a monthly reporting package for a venture-backed DTC brand

MODULE 12: CLIENT COMMUNICATION & DELIVERY EXCELLENCE

Setting up professional communication channels: Slack, email, Zoom Creating weekly Loom videos: screen recordings for client updates Best practices for async communication with US/UK clients across time zones Using ClickUp, Asana, or Monday.com for task management and transparency Writing clear, concise Slack updates and email summaries Presenting financial results: storytelling with numbers Handling difficult conversations: explaining errors, missed deadlines, bad news Building client trust through proactive communication Creating SOPs and documentation for your own processes Time management for remote work: billing, time tracking, setting boundaries Practice Exercise: Record a Loom walkthrough of a P&L for a mock client

MODULE 13: US FEDERAL INCOME TAX - PERSONAL (FORM 1040 BASICS)

Overview of the US federal income tax system Understanding Form 1040: US Individual Income Tax Return Filing status: single, married filing jointly, head of household, etc. Standard deduction vs. itemized deductions Common income sources: W-2 wages, 1099 income, business income (Schedule C) Understanding tax brackets and marginal vs. effective tax rates Tax credits vs. tax deductions Self-employment tax (Schedule SE) for e-commerce sellers Quarterly estimated tax payments (Form 1040-ES) Common forms e-commerce business owners encounter: Schedule C, Schedule SE, Form 8829 Tax season timeline: January to April 15 deadline Industry Application: Preparing a simple Schedule C for a sole proprietor e-commerce seller

MODULE 14: US FEDERAL & STATE INCOME TAX - CORPORATE & BUSINESS TAXES

Business entity types: sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp Understanding pass-through taxation vs. corporate taxation Form 1120: US Corporation Income Tax Return basics Form 1120-S: S-Corporation Tax Return basics State income tax obligations: which states have income tax State tax filing requirements for multi-state nexus Understanding state apportionment and allocation methods Recording tax provisions and tax liabilities on the balance sheet Working with CPAs and Enrolled Agents: your role as the bookkeeper Tax planning opportunities for e-commerce businesses: timing of expenses, accelerated depreciation Common tax forms you\'ll encounter: 1099-K, 1099-NEC, W-9, Form SS-4 (EIN application) Practice Exercise: Identify tax filing obligations for an LLC taxed as an S-Corp selling in 5 states

MODULE 15: ADVANCED E-COMMERCE SCENARIOS & NICHE SKILLS

Handling Amazon FBA reimbursements and inventory adjustments Recording cryptocurrency payments for e-commerce Subscription box accounting: recurring revenue and COGS timing Crowdfunding campaign accounting (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) International expansion: recording foreign subsidiary transactions Handling returns, warranties, and customer refund liabilities Recording influencer partnerships and affiliate commissions Real estate and equipment purchases for warehouse operations

Syllabus

List of exercises

Course Plan

Executive Certification in E-Commerce Accounting & Financial Operations for Global Businesses

Enrollment Closed