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Amazon Seller Accounting Guide

Master your Amazon bookkeeping: understand settlement reports, categorize FBA fees, handle multi-marketplace sales, and import everything into QuickBooks — free.

14-Day Payout Cycle5+ Fee Types21 MarketplacesFree QuickBooks Import

Amazon Fee Structure

Understanding every fee Amazon charges is the foundation of accurate bookkeeping. Here are the five major fee categories every seller must track.

Fee TypeRateDescription
Referral Fee8–15%Percentage of the sale price charged per item. Varies by category — most categories are 15%.
FBA Fulfillment Fee$3.22–$10.48+Per-unit fee for pick, pack, and ship. Varies by item size and weight tier.
Monthly Storage Fee$0.87–$2.40/cu ftCharged per cubic foot of inventory stored. Higher rates Oct–Dec (peak season).
Closing Fee$1.80Flat fee per media item sold (books, DVDs, music, video games).
Professional Subscription$39.99/moMonthly fee for Professional seller accounts. Individual accounts pay $0.99/item instead.

Note: Amazon fees vary by category, item size/weight, and fulfillment method (FBA vs. FBM). Always check the Fee Preview in Seller Central for exact per-ASIN costs. Referral fee minimums apply ($0.30 per item in most categories).

Settlement Reports Explained

Your Amazon settlement report is the single most important document for bookkeeping. It details every dollar that flows into — and out of — your seller account each pay period.

The 14-Day Payout Cycle

Amazon aggregates all your transactions over a 14-day window and calculates a single net payout. This payout is deposited into your linked bank account approximately 3–5 business days after the settlement period closes. Each settlement report provides a line-by-line breakdown of every order, refund, fee, and adjustment that contributed to the final amount. Reconciling this report against your bank deposit is the core of Amazon seller accounting.

What's Inside a Settlement Report

Product Sales

Gross revenue from items sold during the settlement period

Product Sale Refunds

Refunded amounts deducted from your payout

FBA Fees

Fulfillment, storage, and long-term storage fees

Referral Fees

Category-based commission on each sale

Advertising Fees

Sponsored Products, Brands, and Display ad spend

Shipping Credits

Reimbursements for seller-fulfilled shipping

Adjustments

Inventory reimbursements, chargebacks, and other credits/debits

Common Accounting Challenges

Amazon seller bookkeeping isn't straightforward. These are the four issues that trip up most sellers — and how to handle them.

1

Order Aggregation vs. Individual Transactions

Amazon settles hundreds or thousands of orders into a single payout. Do you record each order individually or the settlement total? For most sellers, settlement-level recording is sufficient. Use order-level detail only when you need per-SKU profitability analysis or inventory costing.

2

FBA Fee Categorization

Amazon lumps multiple fee types into your settlement. Separating fulfillment fees, storage fees, referral fees, and advertising costs requires careful column mapping. Without granular tracking, you can't identify which fees are eating your margins or make informed decisions about FBA vs. FBM fulfillment.

3

Multi-Marketplace (US/CA/UK/EU)

If you sell on multiple Amazon marketplaces, each one generates its own settlement reports in its local currency. You need separate bank accounts (or sub-accounts) in QuickBooks for each marketplace, plus a currency conversion workflow to consolidate reporting in your home currency.

4

Sales Tax Handling

Amazon collects and remits sales tax as a marketplace facilitator in most US states. The tax appears in your settlement report but is NOT part of your payout. Many sellers mistakenly try to record this as income and then expense — don't. It's a pass-through that Amazon handles. Track it for records, but don't book it as revenue.

Step-by-Step Workflow

Follow these six steps every settlement period to keep your Amazon books clean and current.

1

Download Settlement Report

In Seller Central, navigate to Reports → Payments → Date Range Reports. Select the settlement period and download the CSV.

2

Review the Raw Data

Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets. Verify the total matches your bank deposit. Check for unexpected adjustments or fee spikes.

3

Convert to QuickBooks Format

Upload the settlement CSV to the PrimeConnect Amazon-to-QB converter. The tool auto-detects columns, splits fees, and outputs a QuickBooks-ready file.

4

Import into QuickBooks

For QuickBooks Online: use Banking → Upload transactions. For Desktop: use File → Utilities → Import → Web Connect (QBO) or IIF Import.

5

Categorize Transactions

Map sales to income accounts, fees to expense accounts, and refunds to contra-revenue accounts. Set up bank rules for recurring patterns.

6

Reconcile with Bank

Match the total settlement payout in QuickBooks against the actual bank deposit. Investigate any discrepancies — common causes include reserves and retro-charges.

How to Export from Amazon Seller Central

Follow these steps to download your settlement or transaction-level report from Seller Central.

Seller CentralReportsPaymentsDate Range Reports
  1. 1.Log in to Amazon Seller Central and navigate to the Reports tab in the top navigation bar.
  2. 2.Click Payments from the dropdown menu, then select the Date Range Reports tab.
  3. 3.Choose "Transaction" as the report type for order-level detail, or "Summary" for a high-level overview.
  4. 4.Set the date range to match your settlement period (or any custom range).
  5. 5.Click "Generate Report". Amazon will process the request — this may take a few minutes for large date ranges.
  6. 6.Once the status changes to "Ready," click "Download" to save the CSV file to your computer.

Pro tip: For the most complete data, always use Date Range Reports with the "Transaction" type. The standard "Settlement" download only includes summary-level data and may miss some adjustment types.

Importing to QuickBooks

Once you've converted your Amazon settlement report, here's how to get it into QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Online

Best format: CSV or QBO

  1. 1.Go to Banking (or Transactions) in the left sidebar
  2. 2.Click Upload transactions (or Link account → Upload from file)
  3. 3.Select the converted CSV or QBO file from your computer
  4. 4.Map columns if prompted (date, description, amount)
  5. 5.Choose the target bank account and click Import

QuickBooks Desktop

Best format: IIF or QBO (Web Connect)

  1. 1.Go to File → Utilities → Import
  2. 2.Choose IIF Files or Web Connect Files (.QBO)
  3. 3.Select the converted file from your computer
  4. 4.Map to the appropriate bank account when prompted
  5. 5.Review the imported transactions and categorize as needed

Recommendation: For QuickBooks Online, use QBO format for the fastest import — it feeds directly into the bank feed with no column mapping required. For QuickBooks Desktop, IIF provides the richest data including account mappings and memos.

Tax Obligations & 1099-K

Amazon sellers have specific tax reporting requirements. Here's what you need to know.

MF

Marketplace Facilitator

Amazon collects and remits sales tax in all US states that impose it. As a seller, you do not need to separately collect or remit sales tax on Amazon orders in marketplace facilitator states. The tax shows up in your settlement report as a collected-and-remitted line item.

SN

State Nexus

FBA inventory stored in Amazon warehouses can create physical nexus in those states. While marketplace facilitator laws cover sales tax, nexus can trigger income tax filing obligations. Check each state where Amazon stores your inventory to understand your filing requirements.

1099

1099-K Threshold

The current IRS 1099-K reporting threshold is $600 in gross sales. Amazon will issue a 1099-K reporting your gross sales — before any fees, refunds, or deductions. Your taxable income is significantly lower than the 1099-K amount. Keep detailed records of all deductible expenses to accurately report net income.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general information only and does not constitute tax advice. Tax laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Consult a qualified tax professional for advice specific to your situation.

Best Practices

Eight tips from experienced Amazon sellers to keep your books accurate and audit-ready.

1

Reconcile Every Settlement

Don't skip settlement periods. Every 14-day payout should be reconciled against your bank deposit within 48 hours of receipt.

2

Separate Accounts per Marketplace

Create a dedicated bank account (or sub-account) in QuickBooks for each Amazon marketplace (US, CA, UK, EU) to avoid currency confusion.

3

Track FBA Fees Granularly

Use separate expense accounts for fulfillment fees, storage fees, referral fees, and advertising. This reveals your true per-unit profitability.

4

Save Every Settlement CSV

Archive every downloaded settlement report in a dated folder. Amazon only retains reports for a limited time, and you need them for audits.

5

Monitor Long-Term Storage Fees

Review your FBA Inventory Age report monthly. Items stored over 365 days incur surcharges that can destroy margins on slow movers.

6

Automate with Bank Rules

Set up QuickBooks bank rules to auto-categorize recurring Amazon fee types. This cuts reconciliation time by 60% or more.

7

Separate Business and Personal

Always use a dedicated business bank account for Amazon payouts. Commingling funds makes bookkeeping exponentially harder and raises audit flags.

8

Review 1099-K Against Your Records

When you receive your 1099-K, compare it against your full-year settlement totals. Discrepancies are common and must be documented.

Related Tools

Put this guide into practice with these free tools.

Amazon to QuickBooks Converter

Convert Amazon settlement CSVs to QuickBooks-ready format instantly. Free, browser-based.

Use tool →

Multi-Channel Merge Tool

Combine exports from Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and more into a single QuickBooks import file.

Use tool →

Ecommerce Analytics Dashboard

Compare fees, revenue, and trends across all your ecommerce platforms in one view.

Use tool →

Related Platform Guides

Selling on multiple marketplaces? These guides cover accounting for other platforms Amazon sellers commonly use.

Shopify Accounting Guide

Shopify Payments fees, payout reconciliation, multi-currency handling, and QuickBooks import workflows for DTC stores.

Read guide

eBay Accounting Guide

Managed payments accounting, Seller Hub exports, 13+ fee types, and how to reconcile eBay payouts in QuickBooks.

Read guide

Walmart Accounting Guide

Referral fees, WFS fulfillment costs, Seller Center exports, and QuickBooks import for Walmart Marketplace sellers.

Read guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Amazon seller accounting and QuickBooks import.

How do I export my Amazon settlement report?
In Seller Central, go to Reports → Payments → Date Range Reports. Select your desired date range, choose "Transaction" as the report type, and click "Generate Report." Once generated, download the CSV file. This file contains all order-level transactions, fees, refunds, and adjustments for the selected period.
What is the Amazon 14-day settlement cycle?
Amazon pays sellers every 14 days. Each settlement period aggregates all orders, refunds, fees, and adjustments into a single payout. The settlement report details every line item that contributes to the final payout amount. Understanding this cycle is critical for reconciling your bank deposits against your Amazon activity.
How do I handle FBA fees in QuickBooks?
Create separate expense accounts in QuickBooks for each FBA fee type: fulfillment fees, storage fees, referral fees, and closing fees. When importing your Amazon settlement data, map each fee column to its corresponding expense account. This gives you clear visibility into your actual FBA costs and margins.
Do I need to track individual Amazon orders or just settlements?
For most sellers, settlement-level tracking is sufficient for QuickBooks. Each settlement summarizes all orders, refunds, and fees into one deposit. However, if you need order-level detail for inventory costing or dispute resolution, use the Date Range Transaction report instead of the summary settlement report.
How does Amazon handle sales tax?
Amazon acts as a marketplace facilitator in all 50 US states that have sales tax. This means Amazon collects, reports, and remits sales tax on your behalf. The tax amount appears in your settlement report but is NOT included in your payout — Amazon remits it directly. You should still track these amounts for your records but do not need to remit them separately.
What is the 1099-K threshold for Amazon sellers?
As of 2024, the IRS 1099-K reporting threshold is $600 in gross sales. Amazon will issue a 1099-K if your gross sales exceed this amount. Note that the 1099-K reports gross sales before any fees, refunds, or adjustments — it does NOT represent your taxable income. Your actual taxable income is gross sales minus all allowable deductions (fees, COGS, refunds, etc.).
How do I reconcile multi-marketplace sales (US, CA, UK, EU)?
Each Amazon marketplace generates its own settlement reports and pays out in its local currency. Download settlement reports from each marketplace separately, convert them to QuickBooks format using the PrimeConnect converter, and import them into separate bank accounts in QuickBooks — one per marketplace. Use a currency conversion account to handle exchange rate differences.
Can I automate my Amazon-to-QuickBooks workflow?
With PrimeConnect, the conversion step is instant and free. Download your settlement CSV from Seller Central, upload it to the Amazon-to-QB converter tool, and import the output into QuickBooks. The entire process takes under 2 minutes. For multi-channel sellers, the Multi-Channel Merge tool combines Amazon with other platform exports into a single QuickBooks-ready file.

Ready to Import Your Amazon Data?

Convert your Amazon settlement CSV to a QuickBooks-ready file in under 60 seconds. Free, private, and entirely browser-based.

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