Guidance on Account 3387 (Deferred Revenue) for Real Estate Businesses Issuing Installment Invoices
RegHub explainer by New MarketerLast updated:
Based on:Thông tư số 99/2025/TT-BTC - Ministry of Finance
This explanation was generated by AI and checked by an automated AI review, not by a human expert. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice and may contain errors. Check the official document before you rely on it.
The Department of Accounting and Auditing Management (Cuc QLKT) under the Ministry of Finance clarifies the accounting treatment for real estate businesses that issue invoices based on agreed collection milestones before transferring the property. Under Circular 99/2025/TT-BTC, Account 3387 (Deferred Revenue) may only be used when cash has already been received; it cannot be credited against Account 131 (Trade Receivables) for invoiced amounts not yet collected and where the goods or property have not been transferred. Any such internal tracking is for management purposes only and must not appear in the statutory financial statements. Tax obligations arising from invoices issued but not yet collected are governed separately by applicable tax law and must be determined accordingly.
Accounting Guidance on Account 3387 - Real Estate Businesses
Scenario: A real estate company issues invoices at contractually agreed collection milestones before cash is received and before the property is transferred. Question: Can it debit Account 131 (Trade Receivables) and credit Account 3387 (Deferred Revenue) plus Account 33311 (VAT payable)?
Legal basis: Appendix II of Circular No. 99/2025/TT-BTC dated 27 October 2025 of the Ministry of Finance on enterprise accounting standards.
Account 3387 - Permitted Uses
Account 3387 reflects:
- Prepayments received from customers for multi-period asset leases
- Other deferrals such as loyalty program discounts
Account 3387 must NOT be used for:
- Advance payments received where the enterprise has not yet delivered goods or services
- Revenue from leases/services where cash has not yet been received (Account 3387 may only be credited when cash is actually collected)
Cuc QLKT Ruling
A real estate company may not credit Account 3387 against Account 131 for invoiced amounts not yet collected and not yet transferred. Internal management tracking is permissible but must not appear in the statutory books or financial statements.
Tax Treatment
The tax obligations arising from issued invoices (even when uncollected) are determined separately under applicable tax law, outside the scope of this accounting guidance.