Enter breakage, theft and expiry line by line. The tool computes total loss automatically, exports CSV or prints a sheet ready for kitchen/storage display.
Ink does not refund losses. But a structured sheet — with preset reasons and quantified loss — changes the conversation with your team and your accountant.
Ink does not refund losses. ApsionScan deducts damage from stock in one tap.
What this tool computes for you
Dynamic form: add/remove lines in one click
Automatic total loss (qty × value)
Extrapolated monthly shrinkage estimate
6 preset reasons: damage, theft, expiry, picking error, sell-by, other
CSV export for accountant or spreadsheet
Print mode for kitchen or storage display
Definitions
Known vs unknown shrinkage: the accounting difference
Known shrinkage covers all documented losses: declared damage, expiry, supplier returns. You know what disappeared and why. Unknown shrinkage is the gap between theoretical and physical stock at inventory time — without explanation. External theft, internal theft, data entry errors, under-declaration… it averages 1 to 2% of retail revenue in Europe according to the National Retail Federation. The goal of this sheet: convert as much unknown into known shrinkage as possible, because known is tax-deductible and operationally actionable.
Known shrinkage = documented and tax-deductible
Unknown shrinkage = unexplained gap between theoretical and physical
Healthy SMB retail target: under 1.5% of revenue total shrinkage
Benchmarks
Average shrinkage rate by industry (2024-2025 figures)
Rates vary widely by industry. Foodservice: 3 to 6% of food cost (expiry, breakage, over-portioning). Grocery retail: 1.5 to 3% of revenue (expiry, theft, damage). Non-food retail (apparel, beauty): 1 to 2% (mostly external theft). E-commerce: 0.5 to 1.5% (transit damage, return condition, warehouse theft). Manufacturing/workshop: 0.3 to 1% (handling damage, quality downgrade). If your shrinkage exceeds your industry’s upper bound, it matters: on $1M restaurant revenue, 1 extra shrinkage point = $10,000 less margin.
Psychology
Why employees hide damage (and how to break the taboo)
Three main reasons damage goes undeclared. Reason 1 — fear of punishment: the employee thinks declaring = getting yelled at or even docked pay (illegal for unintentional damage in most jurisdictions, but fear remains). Reason 2 — admin friction: filling a notebook or spreadsheet takes time nobody has. Reason 3 — invisibility: if the boss never asks for the number, employees think nobody cares. Fixes: written rule "any declared damage triggers no sanction", pre-printed sheet displayed prominently (like the one generated here), monthly team review — not to blame, but to find root causes (fragile packaging, handling method, defective supplier).
Tax
Tax impact: deducting known shrinkage from your result
In most jurisdictions, documented known shrinkage is deductible from taxable income. Concretely: a product declared damaged exits inventory at its purchase value, lowering closing stock value, raising period expenses — and reducing taxable profit. To survive an audit, you need a written trace: date, product, quantity, value, reason, signature. That is exactly the format of this sheet. Recommended retention: 6-7 years (most accounting standards). For unsold food, donation tax credits (e.g. France’s Garot law, US food donation tax credits) can recover 30-60% of value — see our dedicated calculator.
Workflow
From paper to smartphone scan: recommended workflow
Step 1 — Paper phase (this sheet): post the sheet in kitchen, storage or workshop. Employee writes damage and expiry by pen. Owner centralizes weekly. Good to start, painful re-entry. Step 2 — Photo of the sheet via messaging: avoids losing pages, but no auto-totals. Step 3 — Mobile app (ApsionScan): the employee scans the damaged product barcode, picks the reason from a list, photographs the item as evidence. Stock updates instantly, value is deducted, the report is real-time available to the owner. Allow 2 to 5 seconds per declaration vs 30 to 60 seconds on paper.
Paper sheet vs Scanned declaration ApsionScan
—
Paper sheet (this tool)
ApsionScan scanned report
Setup cost
Free
From $10/month
Time per declaration
30-60 seconds
2-5 seconds
Stock update
Manual weekly
Instant
Risk of lost sheet
Real
None (cloud)
Photo evidence
No
Yes
Accounting audit trail
Manual to rebuild
Auto-generated
How-to
Document monthly shrinkage in 4 steps
Full workflow to move from passive losses to managed shrinkage.
1
Print and post the sheet
Post at eye level in kitchen, storage or workshop. Laminate if humid. Tie a permanent pen to the sheet.
2
Communicate the no-sanction rule
5-minute team meeting: any declared damage triggers no punishment. Hidden damage discovered later, yes. This risk inversion unlocks declarations.
3
Centralize weekly
Friday evening or Monday morning: collect the sheet, enter lines in this tool, export CSV for the accountant. Post a fresh sheet.
4
Monthly team review
In a meeting: 5 minutes on the 3 most frequent reasons. Look for root cause, not the culprit. Update procedures (packaging, handling, FEFO, etc.).
FAQ
How long must I keep damage sheets?
In most jurisdictions, 6 to 7 years for accounting records. Paper or digital storage is accepted as long as the sheet is legible and non-modifiable.
What unknown-shrinkage rate is tolerated by my accountant?
No absolute legal cap, but accountants flag inventory gaps over 2-3% of stock as suspect. Beyond that, expect a request for full physical inventory and written justification.
How to justify a major loss (fire, water damage)?
Police report, dated photos, insurance claim, damage sheet signed by 2 people. Keep a trace of the valuation at the time of the incident and the disposal decision.
Can theft be declared without filing a police report?
Yes for internal accounting deduction. For insurance reimbursement, however, a police report is usually required. When in doubt, file — it is free and the potential payout often exceeds the theft value.
Can I declare shrinkage on consigned goods?
Yes, but the accounting treatment differs: the loss is borne by the owner (your supplier) per the consignment contract. Document the damage with proof, transmit to the supplier within 30 days.
My team refuses to fill the sheet — what now?
Three levers: 1) post the no-sanction rule clearly, 2) reduce friction (visible sheet + tied pen vs notebook lost in a drawer), 3) non-accusatory monthly review. If the rate stays at zero while you still see waste in the bin, switching to a mobile app often unlocks it — 5 seconds vs 1 minute.