Checking assets stored in a warehouse can be either scheduled or unscheduled. The former is carried out at least once a year and is planned in advance; the schedule is usually prepared by the manager after the January holidays.
An unscheduled inspection is appointed in special cases specified in Federal Law No. 402‑FZ. These are:
- Change of company management or transfer of control to another owner;
- Change in the company’s ownership structure;
- Detection of theft, damage, or illegal use of assets;
- Emergency situations resulting in complete or partial loss or damage of warehouse inventory.
Significant personnel changes, such as mass layoffs, can also serve as grounds for an unscheduled inventory at the management’s discretion.
Emergencies triggering unscheduled inventory include floods, fires, or rupture of water or sewage pipes. A recount of goods may also be required if damage by rodents is discovered. Full inspections are typically conducted in the last three months of the year—from October 1 to December 31. The results must be available before preparing consolidated accounting. If the final document is submitted without an inventory report, the chief accountant may face fines from the tax authorities.
Warehouse Inspection Procedure
Many organizations still refer to the provisions of the Ministry of Finance Order No. 49 of 1995, which regulates inventory procedures. However, using this document is not mandatory and should align with current accounting standards (PBU 18/02, 5/2019, 402‑FZ, etc.). The composition of the commission is determined by the inspection order prepared by the company’s manager. It must include at least three people; warehouse inspections typically involve:
- Chief accountant or their deputy;
- Head of the department;
- Employee responsible for logistics;
- Security or safety officer;
- HR department representative.
The commission should be structured to ensure a quick and thorough recount. Necessary equipment—such as scales, scanners, and data collection terminals—is used during inventory. The recount is conducted in the presence of the warehouse manager or another materially responsible person.
Warehouse inventory can be full or partial. A full inspection covers everything in the premises, while a partial inspection targets a specific group of goods, equipment, or handling machinery. The list of objects to be inspected is determined by the manager.
Before a scheduled inventory, warehouse premises are organized and all prior-period documents—tracking incoming, outgoing, write-offs, and other operations—are prepared. The sorted document bundle must be received by the commission with signatures. Blank reconciliation sheets are printed before the inspection to record information during the recount and discrepancies.
The warehouse audit aims to identify actual stock levels or leftover inventory. The inventory sheet records the inspected goods by type, article number, and grade. If necessary, items are also measured or weighed. In addition to the goods in the warehouse, the following must be checked:
- Dispatched goods for which payment has not been received;
- Goods in transit;
- Company assets leased out or stored offsite;
- Materials sent for external processing.
If new goods arrive during the inventory, they are accepted in the presence of the commission, but recorded in the arrivals sheet only after the inventory is completed. If the inventory is delayed and goods need to be released, this can be done with written management approval, supervised by the commission.
At the end of the inventory, a document package is prepared: the inventory list form INV‑3, the reconciliation statement INV‑19, the goods issue verification form INV‑4, and the stock-in accounting act INV‑6.
Every manager should understand warehouse inventory procedures and execution algorithm. However, it is not mandatory to form a commission solely from internal staff; experts from an auditing firm may be invited when possible.
