A stock transfer form travels with goods from one branch or warehouse to another within the same company. The sending branch records what left, the receiving branch records what arrived intact and what was damaged, and the difference shows on every line. The template above opens with a transfer from the main warehouse in Riyadh to the Al Malaz branch; edit it inside the document. The second tab is a log that collects the month's transfers.
Difference = sent − received intact, split between damage and shortage. In the sample, 50 bottles of olive oil were sent, 47 arrived intact and 2 damaged, so the difference of 3 is 2 damaged and 1 short, to be raised with the carrier.
What is a stock transfer between warehouses and branches?
An inventory transfer moves a quantity of an item between two locations the same company owns: to rebalance stock, to supply a branch that has run out, or to empty a branch that is closing. The quantity sent leaves the sender's balance on dispatch, the quantity received intact is added to the receiver's balance, and the company's total stock only changes by damage and shortage. It differs from an issue voucher, which takes stock out for consumption, and from a delivery note, which goes with goods sold to a customer.
How to fill in the stock transfer form
- In the dispatch part, enter the sending and receiving branches, the dispatch date and the sender's name, and choose the transport.
- List the items and the quantity sent, then print two copies: one stays, the other travels with the shipment.
- On arrival, the receiving branch counts the shipment and enters what arrived intact and what was damaged; the difference follows.
- Advanced mode adds the transfer number, batch, driver, actual receipt date, a shortage column and notes.
- Download the form as a PDF or Word file, or a blank version to fill in by hand.
| Column | Who fills it | What goes in |
|---|---|---|
| Sent | Sending branch | The quantity that actually left, not the quantity requested. |
| Received intact | Receiving branch | What was counted and found fit for sale. |
| Damaged | Receiving branch | Broken, expired or opened on arrival. |
| Difference and shortage | Calculated | Difference = sent − intact; shortage = difference − damaged. |
A partial transfer shipped in batches gets one form per batch, numbered (batch 1 of 2), and quantities not yet shipped are left off. An item the receiving branch rejects is entered as zero received with the reason and goes back on a reverse transfer.
Handling damage and shortage in transit
Check the shipment on arrival, before the driver leaves; a difference found two days later cannot be traced to the road or the branch. Damaged goods are photographed and written into a report the carrier signs, then charged to an external carrier if its contract says so, or written off by the company if its own vehicle carried them. A shortage with no damage is checked against the sender's count first, then with the driver. In the transfer log, lines with a shortage turn red: in the sample, six lines show 304 sent and 296 received intact, a difference of 8, of which 3 damaged and 5 short.
Real-time stock transfers in a system
On paper, a transfer passes through four pairs of hands before it reaches the books: sender, driver, receiver, then whoever posts it to the stock cards of both branches. Each manual step is a chance for an error or a delay, and the stock sits in transit for days, visible in neither balance. When the transfer is recorded in one accounting system for both branches, it is entered once and seen from both ends, leaving only the received quantity to confirm. The stock card and the stock issue voucher each have their own page.
Common mistakes in branch transfers
- Adding the quantity sent to the receiving branch before it has been counted and confirmed.
- Accepting the shipment without checking it in front of the driver, then finding the shortage later.
- Lumping damage and shortage into one figure, so nobody knows what to charge the carrier.
- Transfers without serial numbers, or forms missing the receiving branch's signature.
Regulatory notes
Moving goods between branches of the same company, registered under one VAT number, is generally not a sale and needs no tax invoice; a transfer between two separate companies, even sister companies, is a supply that needs an invoice [to verify]. Check the VAT Law and its Implementing Regulations with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority in Saudi Arabia, or your tax adviser, before settling the treatment.
When branch balances never match after a transfer
Microtec's ERP accounting system, built for businesses in Saudi Arabia, brings sales, purchasing, inventory and finance into one place, so the transfer is recorded in the same system that holds the balances of every warehouse and branch.
Branch transfer FAQ
Who approves a transfer between warehouses?
The branches or operations manager approves it before dispatch; the sender and carrier sign when it leaves, and the branch receiver signs on arrival. That last signature fixes the quantity added to the receiving branch's stock.
Do I need an invoice to transfer goods between branches?
Between branches of the same company, a stock transfer form is enough because ownership does not change. Between two separate companies the transfer is a sale and needs an invoice. Confirm the tax side with a specialist [to verify].
When are the two warehouse balances updated?
The quantity sent leaves the sending warehouse on the dispatch date, and the intact quantity is added to the receiver on the date receipt is confirmed. In between it is stock in transit, followed up until the form is closed.
Can a transfer between branches be partial?
Yes. The request can ship in batches, each with its own numbered form and the quantity that actually left. The request is closed when the batches received add up to the quantity requested.