Net Proceeds Definition

Net proceeds are the final amount of money that a seller is entitled to receive concerning the disposal of an asset less all the related expenses like commission, fees, etc., that are already paid, and it is calculated by deducting all the selling costs from the sale price of an asset.  For example, suppose A sells his residential property to B. In that case, net proceeds shall be the funds A is entitled to receive from B after all the related costs like realtor’s fees and other costs are considered.

How to Calculate Net Proceeds?

Net Proceeds can be derived by summing up all the expenses and deductions the same from the amount received as sale proceeds.

The first step in this process is to identify and sum up all the expenses that are incurred and related to the transaction. These related expenses could be the asset price, advertisement costs, realtor’s fees, travel costs, etc.

In the final step, the total costs ascertained from the sale of the asset must be deducted from the full amount received due to the sale. The leftover amount is the net proceeds.

Examples

The following are examples of net proceeds.

Example #1

Mike sells his house for $60,000. The related expenses bought during the transaction are-

  • Traveling costs- $50Advertisement costs- $500Realtors’ fees- $3,000

Find out the net proceeds earned by Mike.

Solution

Calculation of Total Expenses

Total Expenses = Traveling Costs + Advertisement Costs + Realtor’s Fees

  • = $(50+500+3,000)= $3,550

Calculation of Net Proceeds

Net Proceeds = Sale Price – Total Expenses

  • = $60,000 – $3,550= $56,450

Therefore, the net proceeds earned by Mike from selling his house come to $56,450.

Example #2

Jerry, an investor, bought stock worth $5,000 and paid $50 as broker’s commission. The total cost at which Mike bought the stock is $5,050 ($5,000 + $50). Mike sells the newly bought stock to Bill for $6,000 and pays $60 as the broker’s commission. Calculate the net proceeds and capital gains earned by Mike.

The net proceeds from this transaction = Selling Price – Broker’s Commission

  • = $6,000 – $60=$5,940

Calculation of Capital Gains

The capital gains earned by Mike can be calculated by subtracting his total expenses from the amount of money he earned during the same transaction.

  • = $5,940 – $5,050Capital Gains = $890

Thus capital gain comes to $890.

Net Proceeds vs. Gross Proceeds

The following is a difference between net vs. gross proceeds –

Net and gross proceeds must not be confused since both of these are two different terms. It is the total amount of money received from the sale of an asset after deducting all the related expenses such as the realtor’s commission, fees, etc. At the same time, gross proceeds are the total amount of money received.

When a company sells any tangible or intangible assetIntangible AssetIntangible Assets are the identifiable assets which do not have a physical existence, i.e., you can’t touch them, like goodwill, patents, copyrights, & franchise etc. They are considered as long-term or long-living assets as the Company utilizes them for over a year. read more, it receives money. This money received is termed gross profit Gross ProfitGross Profit shows the earnings of the business entity from its core business activity i.e. the profit of the company that is arrived after deducting all the direct expenses like raw material cost, labor cost, etc. from the direct income generated from the sale of its goods and services.read more, including all the costs and expenses associated with the production and other related expenses. On the other hand, it is the final amount of money left with the seller after bearing all the expenses and costs related to the transaction. In simple words, gross proceeds are the unprocessed amount, while net proceeds are the final amount left with the seller/owner.

Net Proceeds in Real Estate

The owner or seller of a real estate property must consider the sale price and all the related costs and expenses that are supposed to be incurred for initiating the transaction. Upon the sale of a real estate property, the seller must record its sale price amount on the credit side since this is the amount the seller receives. Prepaid property taxes must also be credited. The debit side will reflect costs and expenses associated with the sale of homes since the same is charged against the asset’s sale price.

Few other costs are supposed to be reflected on the debit side. E.g., Escrow handling fees, outstanding mortgage, pest inspection costs, excise taxesExcise TaxesExcise tax is the tax applied to the sale of particular goods and services like tobacco, fuel, and alcohol. It is not directly paid by an individual consumer, instead, the tax department levies the tax on producer or merchant of products.read more, transfer fees, home warranty, homeowner association fees, repairs, roof inspection, etc. The total debts must be determined by summing up all the items reflected on the debit side, and the same must be deducted from the total credit to obtain it for the seller from real estate.

The owner can sum up all the costs they have incurred for executing the transaction, including traveling expenses, advertisement expenses, real estate agent fees, and other related expenses. They can reduce the same from the actual amount of money they receive from the transaction. The leftover amount shall be regarded as the net proceeds earned by them from selling their real estate property.

Net Proceeds in Capital Gains Taxes

The net proceeds from the sale of assets are reflected in the corporate or individual accounts. TaxpayersTaxpayersA taxpayer is a person or a corporation who has to pay tax to the government based on their income, and in the technical sense, they are liable for, or subject to or obligated to pay tax to the government based on the country’s tax laws.read more are supposed to pay various types of taxes to the federal government concerning the capital gains earned on an asset. To obtain the capital lossCapital LossCapital Loss is a loss when the value of the consideration received from the result of the transfer of capital assets is less than the aggregate value of the cost of acquisition & cost of the improvement. In simpler words, it can be stated as the loss derived from the transfer of capital assets.read more or gains on an asset, one must pay a basic amount for acquiring the asset.

Conclusion

Net proceeds are the total consideration less all the related costs and expenses that the owner or seller of an asset receives. When a house is put for sale, the success feeSuccess FeeSuccess Fee is a contingent agreement which states that a fee will be paid if the outcome of the event is positive. In banking, it is a commission paid after completing a transaction.read more is the very first cost that is subtracted from the money that is received. This fee is paid to the realtor or real estate agent for successfully selling the house to the buyer.

It holds different meanings for different sectors. In the commerce field, it is merely a profit earned from the sale of products and services after all the related costs like realtor’s fees, etc., are considered. Similarly, net proceeds in the stock market are the money earned from making bonds, shares, etc., that are available for sale after all the related costs are settled and paid.

This article has been a guide to Net Proceeds and its definition. Here we discuss how to calculate net proceeds along with examples and their differences from gross proceeds. You can learn more about financing from the following articles –

  • Express WarrantyCapital Gains vs. DividendsShort Term vs. Long Term Capital GainsAdjusted EBITDA