Crediteuren

Crediteuren are external parties to whom a company owes money as a result of purchasing goods or services on credit. They are typically short-term liabilities and are shown on the balance sheet under current liabilities as trade payables (handelscrediteuren). The counterpart to crediteuren are debiteuren (accounts receivable).

When a company buys on credit, it records a debit to the relevant asset or expense account and a credit to crediteuren. When the invoice is paid, the entry reverses: debit crediteuren and credit cash or bank. Some purchases may involve value-added tax (VAT); the VAT payable may be recorded separately from the principal amount.

Implications for business practice include liquidity management and cash flow planning. Maintaining good supplier relationships through timely payments can influence credit terms and reliability of supply. Companies often operate under payment terms such as net 30 or net 60 and may monitor metrics like days payables outstanding (DPO) to gauge how quickly they settle obligations.

Crediteuren are distinct from debiteuren: debiteuren are customers who owe money to the company, while crediteuren are liabilities owed to others. In financial statements, crediteuren are a component of current liabilities, alongside other obligations such as taxes payable and short-term loans.