Customers can hesitate to pay large bills for service in advance, so typically a business charges a percent upfront or requests a down payment. After the service is finished and both parties are satisfied, the customer pays the remaining balance. Because the customer is paying after the service has finished, this is also considered in arrears. Most companies pay in arrears because it makes processing payroll much simpler.

On the other hand, the term ‘payment in arrears’ is used in reference to overdue payments. This might be due to factors such as errors on the invoice, incorrect delivery, or a dispute regarding the work completed. You also have a lot of expenses when you are a small business owner, like rent, supplies, and payroll. Vendors might send you invoices instead of requiring immediate payment. From time to time, you might be billed in arrears or make a payment in arrears. If a water line broke and you had to close for two days, then you’d have to either adjust all of those paychecks or take them out of a future paycheck.

Paid in arrears: Definition, how it works and tips from the experts

Tim McMahon began publishing the “Moore Inflation Predictor” and “Financial Trend Forecaster” newsletter in 1995 and has published it every month since. He is also the editor of InflationData.com and the author of “Healthy Tongue Secrets,” a book on dealing with problems like thrush and geographic tongue. He holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering management from Clarkson University. There’s a lot that goes into running payroll for a small business.

• Depending on your payroll schedule, whether it’s weekly, biweekly, monthly, and so forth, wages are scheduled after the payroll period.
• The term “in arrears” can be applied to both billing and paying.
• Employees, employers, and even staffing agencies should learn the benefits of paying in arrears.
• By mismarking or forgetting to mark accounts payable, you could forget that you owe money.
• This can be more confusing, especially if an employee calls off work and does not get paid time off.

It’s good to understand both of these uses of arrears in accounting, so that you know how to apply them to your own business situation. Remember, this is a broad approach, and the specifics might vary based on your business nature and contract terms. She said that many families were worried bill in arrears about the cost of food, had limited means to cook as energy costs were high, and were also worried about heating bills. The regulator is proposing adding £16 to a typical household bill between April and March 2025 to give suppliers the funds to offer prepayment plans and write off debts.