SaaS companies must follow proper revenue recognition to ensure accurate financial reporting and compliance with relevant accounting standards. Though SaaS companies may receive subscription fees from users upfront at the start of the year or month, they are not able to report it as revenue until it is “earned”, meaning when they’ve delivered the product or service that the customer paid for.
Revenue recognition is more straightforward in other industries where consumers purchase one-off products or services, which is why SaaS companies may require specialized support from knowledgeable accountants.
Since SaaS businesses use a recurring business model, there are certain financial metrics that can be uniquely insightful in tracking their performance and efficiency of operations. This includes measuring the customer churn rate and lifetime value to understand how effective they are at attracting and retaining customers.
To track sales performance, SaaS businesses commonly measure annual recurring revenue (ARR) to gauge how much revenue they can expect from subscriptions throughout the year, and monthly recurring revenue (MRR) to break this down month by month for better visibility into cash flows.
SaaS companies interested in improving customer churn and customer lifetime value must start by delivering a software solution that provides customers with sufficient value. They should also provide a positive ongoing customer experience by offering ample support options and other incentives to encourage renewals.
Hiring an outsourced team to handle critical accounting tasks removes the burden of complex accounting tasks completely from the internal team. Instead, they’ll have more time to focus on building their software solution and supporting users.
Plus, SaaS businesses have unique accounting and financial considerations that differ from other industries. Hiring an outsourced accounting team that’s well-versed in the industry provides the team with confidence that their financial records and reporting are completed accurately and in compliance with industry standards.
For SaaS companies, we offer specialized accounting and financial services such as revenue recognition, subscription billing management, and financial reporting. We use our deep understanding of the industry’s nuanced accounting challenges and tailor our services to your unique needs and operations.