Daily close, not monthly catch-up
A dispensary that reconciles once a month is reconstructing history. We set a daily rhythm: register close, over and short by shift, deposit reconciliation, product receipts matched to invoices and Metrc, and a running inventory position.
By the time a month ends, the close is a review rather than a project — which is what makes fast, reliable reporting possible for retailers in Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield alike.
Landed cost is the whole federal position
As a reseller, a Missouri dispensary can capitalize invoice cost, inbound freight and the narrow set of acquisition costs the reseller inventory rules permit. Nothing else. Budtender wages, rent on the sales floor, security, marketing, software and management pay are all disallowed federally.
So the entire federal outcome is decided at receiving. We build the receiving process so cost is captured accurately per unit, credits and returns are handled correctly, and the inventory subledger stays tied to the general ledger.
- Inventoriable: invoice cost, inbound freight, permitted acquisition cost
- Disallowed federally: selling, marketing, delivery, administrative payroll
- Deductible on the Missouri return under Article XIV
Cannabis tax collections handled as liabilities
Missouri adult-use sales carry a 6% state cannabis tax, medical sales carry 4%, and local jurisdictions layer additional tax on top. Add ordinary state and local sales tax and a retailer is collecting on several bases at once, on separate calendars.
We hold every one of those collections in dedicated liability accounts, reconcile them to the point-of-sale reports, and run a filing calendar so nothing is paid late or paid twice.
Margin reporting that changes merchandising
Because the federal tax base is gross profit, gross margin management is tax management. A four-point discount does not just cost four points of margin; it costs the margin and the tax on it, with no deduction to soften either side.
We report margin by category, brand, vendor and daypart so buyers can see which lines actually earn their shelf space and which promotions are quietly expensive.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a Missouri dispensary reconcile inventory to Metrc?
Cycle counts on fast-moving categories weekly, with a full reconciliation monthly. Variances found within days can be traced; variances found at year end usually cannot.
Should discounts be recorded as an expense or a reduction of revenue?
As a reduction of revenue. Recording them as expense both misstates gross margin and creates an item that federal law disallows anyway, so the presentation hurts twice.
Do you handle delivery and curbside operations?
Yes. Order-level economics for non-storefront fulfillment are tracked separately, since driver labor and delivery cost sit in disallowed territory federally and can quietly erase the margin on small orders.
