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Double-entry bookkeeping system

 

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Double-entry bookkeeping system



 
 
Double-entry bookkeeping is a system of financial accounting where each transaction is recorded in at least two accounts: at least one account is debited
Debits and Credits

Debits and Credits may refer to:* Debits and credits* Debits and Credits ...
 and at least one account is credited
Debits and Credits

Debits and Credits may refer to:* Debits and credits* Debits and Credits ...
, so that the total debits of the transaction equal to the total credits. For example, if Company A sells an item to Company B, and Company B pays by cheque
Cheque

A cheque or check is a negotiable instrument instructing a financial institution to pay a specific amount of a specific currency from a specified demand account held in the maker/depositor's name with that institution....
, then the bookkeeper of Company A credits the account "Sales" and debits the account "Bank".






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Double-entry bookkeeping is a system of financial accounting where each transaction is recorded in at least two accounts: at least one account is debited
Debits and Credits

Debits and Credits may refer to:* Debits and credits* Debits and Credits ...
 and at least one account is credited
Debits and Credits

Debits and Credits may refer to:* Debits and credits* Debits and Credits ...
, so that the total debits of the transaction equal to the total credits. For example, if Company A sells an item to Company B, and Company B pays by cheque
Cheque

A cheque or check is a negotiable instrument instructing a financial institution to pay a specific amount of a specific currency from a specified demand account held in the maker/depositor's name with that institution....
, then the bookkeeper of Company A credits the account "Sales" and debits the account "Bank". Conversely, the bookkeeper of Company B debits the account "Purchases" and credits the account "Bank".

History

The origins of a primitive double-entry system has been traced as far back as the Republican Rome (although some consider the Greek merchants to have used a rudimental version of this system), in ""ex Oratione Ciceronis pro Roscio Comaedo", and Naturalis Historiae Plinii, lib. 2, cap. 7 where the advised system was "That the one side of their booke was used for Debitor, the other for Creditor" (Huic Omnia Expensa. Huic Omnia Feruntur accepta et in tota Ratione mortalium sola. Utramque Paginam facit.). Later we have traces of it in the 12th century to accounting in the Islamic world
Islamic economics in the world

Islamic economic jurisprudence in practice, or Economics policies supported by self-identified Islamic groups, has varied throughout its long history....
. Some sources suggest that Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici

Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici was an Italian banker, the first historically relevant member of Medici family of Florence, and the founder of the Medici bank....
 introduced this method for the Medici bank
Medici bank

The Medici Bank was the largest and most respected bank in Europe during the 15th century. There are some estimates that the Medici family was for a period of time the wealthiest family in Europe....
 in the 13th century. The earliest extant records that follow the modern double-entry form are those of Amatino Manucci
Amatino Manucci

Sometimes, but erroneously, considered the inventor of double-entry bookkeeping, Amatino Manucci was a partner in Giovanni Farolfi & Company, a merchant partnership based in Florence....
, a Florentine merchant at the end of the 13th century. By the end of the 15th century, the merchant venturers of Venice
Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy, the capital city of the Italian regions Veneto, a population of 271,251 . Together with Padua, Italy, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area ....
 used this system widely. Luca Pacioli
Luca Pacioli

Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli was an Italy mathematician and Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and seminal contributor to the field now known as accounting....
, a monk and collaborator of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italy polymath, being a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, Painting, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer....
, first codified the system in a mathematics
Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form. Mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, natural science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere....
 textbook
Textbook

A textbook is a manual of instruction or a standard book in any branch of study. They are produced according to the demand of educational institutions....
 of 1494. Pacioli is often called the "father of accounting" because he was the first to publish a detailed description of the double-entry system, thus enabling others to study and use it.

In Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, double-entry bookkeeping was introduced during the Meiji period
Meiji period

The , or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running, in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. During this time, Japan started its modernization and rose to world power status....
 in the 1870s. The newly-established Japan Mint
Japan Mint

is an Independent Administrative Institution of the Japanese government. This agency has its Head office in Osaka with branches in Tokyo and Hiroshima....
 was the earliest Japanese government institution to begin using double-entry bookkeeping in its Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
 headquarters.

Bookkeeping process

In the normal course of business, a document is produced each time a transaction occurs. Sales and purchases usually have invoice
Invoice

An invoice or bill is a Commerce document issued by a sales to the buyer, indicating the product s, quantities, and agreed prices for products or Service s the seller has provided the buyer....
s or receipt
Receipt

A receipt is a written acknowledgement that a specified article or sum of money has been received as an exchange for goods or services. The receipt acts as the Title to the property obtained in the exchange....
s. Deposit slips are produced when lodgements (deposits) are made to a bank account
Bank account

A bank account is a financial account with a banking institution, recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank....
. Cheques are written to pay money out of the account. Bookkeeping involves recording the details of all of these source documents into multi-column journals (also known as a books of first entry or daybooks). For example, all credit sales are recorded in the Sales Journal, all Cash Payments are recorded in the Cash Payments Journal. Columns in the journal normally correspond to an account. In the single entry system
Single-entry accounting system

Single-entry bookkeeping system also known as Single-entry accounting system is a one sided accounting entry to maintain financial information....
, each transaction is recorded only once. Most individuals who balance their cheque-book each month are using such a system, and most personal finance software follows this approach.

After a certain period, typically a month, the columns in each journal are each totalled to give a summary for the period. Using the rules of double entry, these journal summaries are then transferred to their respective accounts in the ledger
Ledger

A ledger or lieger , is the principal book for recording transactions. Originally, the term referred to a large volume of Scripture/service book kept in one place in church and accessible....
, or book of accounts. The process of transferring summaries or individual transactions to the ledger is called Posting. Once the posting process is complete, accounts kept using the "T" format undergo balancing which is simply a process to arrive at the balance of the account.

To quickly check that the posting process was done correctly, a working document called an unadjusted trial balance is created. In its simplest form, this is a three column list. The first column contains the names of those accounts in the ledger
Ledger

A ledger or lieger , is the principal book for recording transactions. Originally, the term referred to a large volume of Scripture/service book kept in one place in church and accessible....
 which have a non-zero balance. If an account has a debit balance, the balance amount is copied into column two (the debit column). If an account has a credit balance, the amount is copied into column three (the credit column). The debit column is then totaled and then the credit column is totaled. The two totals must agree - this agreement is not by chance - because under the double-entry rules, whenever there is a posting, the debits of the posting equal the credits of the posting. If the two totals do not agree, an error has been made in either the journals or made during the posting process. The error must be located and rectified and the totals of debit column and credit column re-calculated to check for agreement before any further processing can take place.

Once there are no errors, the accountant produces a number of adjustments and changes the balance amounts of some of the accounts. For example, the "Inventory" account and "Office Supplies" asset accounts are changed to bring them into line with the actual numbers counted during a stock take. At the same time, the expense accounts associated with usage of inventory and with the usage of office supplies are adjusted. Other refinements necessary to ensure that accounting principles are complied with are also done at this time. This results in a listing called, not surprisingly, the adjusted trial balance. It is the accounts in this list and their corresponding debit or credit balances that are used to prepare the financial statements.

Finally financial statements
Financial statements

Financial statements are formal records of a business' financial activities.In British English, including United Kingdom company law, financial statements are often referred to as accounts, although the term financial statements is also used, particularly by accountants....
 are drawn from the trial balance, which may include:
  • the income statement
    Income statement

    Income statement, also called profit and loss statement , is a company's financial statement that indicates how the revenue is transformed into the net income ....
    , also known as a statement of financial results, profit and loss statement, or simply P&L
  • the balance sheet
    Balance sheet

    In financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement of financial position is a summary of a person's or organization's balances. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year....
  • the cash flow statement
    Cash flow statement

    In financial accounting, a cash flow statement or statement of cash flows is a financial statements that shows a company's flow of cash. The money coming into the business is called cash inflow, and money going out from the business is called cash outflow....
  • the statement of retained earnings
    Statement of retained earnings

    The Statement of Retained Earnings is one of the basic financial statements as per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and it explains the changes in a company's retained earnings over the reporting period....


Classification of accounts


Items in accounts are classified into five broad groups, also known as the elements of the accounts: Asset
Asset

In business and accounting, assets are everything of value that is owned by a person or company. It is a claim on the property your income of a borrower....
, Liability
Liability

In the most general sense, a liability is anything that is a wikt:hindrance, or puts individuals at a disadvantage. It can also be used as a slang term to describe someone that puts a team or group of which they are a member at a disadvantage, and would thus be better off without....
, Equity, Revenue
Revenue

In business, revenue or revenues is income that a corporation receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of product to customers....
, Expense
Expense

In common usage, an expense or expenditure is an outflow of money to another person or group to pay for an item or service, or for a category of costs....
.

Abbreviations used in bookkeeping

  • A/C - Account
  • A/R - Accounts Receivable
  • B/S - Balance Sheet
  • c/d - Carried down
  • b/d - Brought down
  • c/f - Carried forward
  • b/f - Brought forward
  • Dr - Debit record
  • Cr - Credit record
  • G/L - General Ledger; (or N/L - Nominal Ledger)
  • P&L - Profit & Loss; (or I/S - Income Statement)
  • PP&E - Property, Plant and Equipment
  • TB - Trial Balance
  • VAT - Value Added Tax


Debits and credits

Double-entry bookkeeping is governed by the accounting equation
Accounting equation

The basic accounting equation is the foundation for the double-entry bookkeeping system.It shows how assets were financed: either by borrowing money from someone or by paying your own money ....
. If revenue equals expenses, the following (basic) equation must be true:

assets = liabilities + equity


At any point in time, revenue might not actually be equal to expenses. If so, the equation can be further expanded, so that the (extended) equation becomes:

assets = liabilities + equity + (revenue − expenses)


or

assets = liabilities + (capital − drawings) + (revenue − expenses)


A = L + C − D + R − E


Finally, the equation may be rearranged algebra
Algebra

Algebra is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of structure , relation , and quantity. Together with geometry, mathematical analysis, combinatorics, and number theory, algebra is one of the main branches of mathematics....
ically as follows:

A + E + D = L + R + C


This equation must be true, for any time period. If it is, then the accounts are said to be in balance. If the accounts are not in balance, an error has occurred.

For the accounts to remain in balance, a change in one account must be matched with a change in another account. These changes are made by debits and credits
Debits and Credits

Debits and Credits may refer to:* Debits and credits* Debits and Credits ...
 to the accounts. Note that the usage of these terms in accounting is not identical to their everyday usage. Whether one uses a debit or credit to increase or decrease an account depends on the normal balance of the account. Assets, Expenses, and Drawings accounts (on the left side of the equation) have a normal balance of debit. Liability, Revenue, and Capital accounts (on the right side of the equation) have a normal balance of credit. On a general ledger
General ledger

The general ledger, sometimes known as the nominal ledger, is the main accounting record of a business which uses double-entry bookkeeping....
, debits are recorded on the left side and credits on the right side for each account. Since the accounts must always balance, for each transaction there will be a debit made to one or several accounts and a credit made to one or several accounts. The sum of all debits made in any transaction must equal the sum of all credits made. After a series of transactions, therefore, the sum of all the accounts with a debit balance will equal the sum of all the accounts with a credit balance.

Debits and credits are then defined as follows:
  • debit: A debit is recorded on the left hand side of a T account
    T account

    The term T account, derived from the distinctive T shape, is frequently used when discussing or analyzing accounting or business transactions. T accounts are used to represent general ledger accounts....
  • credit: A credit balance is recorded on the right hand side of a 'T' account
  • Debit accounts = Asset and Expenses (also debit money received into bank accounts)
  • Credit accounts = Gains (income) and Liabilities (also credit money paid out of bank accounts)


The following accounts have a normal balance of debit:
  • Assets
  • Accounts receivable
    Accounts receivable

    Accounts receivable is one of a series of accounting transactions dealing with the billing of customers who owe money to a person, company or organization for good and Service that have been provided to the customer....
    : debts promised by other entities but not yet paid
  • Drawings by the owners on equity
  • Expenses


The following accounts have a normal balance of credit:
  • Liabilities
  • Accounts payable
    Accounts payable

    Accounts payable is a file or account that contains money that a person or company owes to suppliers, but has not paid yet . When you receive an invoice you add it to the file, and then you remove it when you pay....
     and tax
    Tax

    To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon an individual or Legal person by a state or the functional equivalent of a state.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entity....
    es, notes or loans payable: debts promised to outsiders but not yet paid
  • Revenue
  • Capital


Credit and debit items are summarized at the end of a recording period in a trial balance which is a list of all the debit and credit balances. The trial balance acts as a self checking mechanism for the correctness of entries in the individual accounts and also as a starting point for the preparation of the Final Account which is made up of the balance sheet and the trading, profit and loss account.

Examples of debits and credits


Purchase of a Computer
Debit Computer account (Fixed asset
Fixed asset

Fixed asset, also known as property, plant, and equipment , is a term used in accountancy for assets and property which cannot easily be converted into cash....
 account) is increased.
Credit Creditors account (Liability
Liability

In the most general sense, a liability is anything that is a wikt:hindrance, or puts individuals at a disadvantage. It can also be used as a slang term to describe someone that puts a team or group of which they are a member at a disadvantage, and would thus be better off without....
 account) is increased.


Paying supplier for the computer
Debit Creditors account (Liability
Liability

In the most general sense, a liability is anything that is a wikt:hindrance, or puts individuals at a disadvantage. It can also be used as a slang term to describe someone that puts a team or group of which they are a member at a disadvantage, and would thus be better off without....
 account) is reduced.
Credit Bank account (Asset
Asset

In business and accounting, assets are everything of value that is owned by a person or company. It is a claim on the property your income of a borrower....
 account) is reduced.


The following table summarizes how debits and credits affect the different elements of the accounts.

= increase, = decrease

Debit/credit
Account Debit Credit
Assets
Expenses
Liabilities
Equity
Revenue


Example 1

In this example the following will be used:

Books of prime entry (Books of original entry)
  • Sales Invoice Daybook (records customer Invoice Daybook)
  • Bank Receipts Daybook (records customer & non customer receipts)
  • Purchase Invoice Daybook (records supplier Invoice Daybook)
  • Bank Payments Daybook (records supplier & non supplier payments)
The books of prime entry are where transactions are first recorded. They are not part of the Double-entry system.

Ledger Cards
  • Customer Ledger Cards
  • Supplier Ledger Cards
  • General Ledger (Nominal Ledger)
  • Bank Account Ledger
  • Trade Creditors Ledger
  • Trade Debtors Ledger


From the above we will create:
  • Trial Balance
  • Profit and Loss A/C (Dr & Cr Formatting, classic format)
  • Profit and Loss Statement (List Format, Modern version used today)
  • Balance Sheet (Dr & Cr Formatting, classic format)
  • Balance Sheet (List Format, Modern version used today)


Purchases/creditors

Purchase invoice daybook
Purchase Invoice Daybook
Date Supplier Name Reference Amount Electricity Widgets
10 July 2006 Electricity Company PI1 1000 1000  
12 July 2006 Widget Company PI2 1600   1600
------- -------
Total2600 1000 1600
Credit Debit Debit
Trade ElectricityWidgets
CreditorsG/LG/L
control a/ca/ca/c
Each individual line is posted as follows:
  • The amount value is posted as a credit to the individual supplier's ledger a/c
  • The analysis amount is posted as a debit to the relevant general ledger a/c
From example above:
  • Line 1 - Amount value 1000 is posted as a credit to the Supplier's ledger a/c ELE01-Electricity Company
  • Line 2 - Amount value 1600 is posted as a credit to the Supplier's ledger a/c WID01-Widget Company


The totals of each column are posted as follows:
  • Amount total value 2600 posted as a credit to the Trade creditors control a/c
  • Electricity total value 1000 posted as a debit to the Electricity General Ledger a/c
  • Widget total value 1600 posted as a debit to the Widgets General Ledger a/c
Double-entry has been observed because Dr = 2600 and Cr = 2600.

Bank payments daybook
The payments book is not part of the double-entry system.
Bank Payments Daybook
Date Supplier Name Reference Amount Trade Creditors Other
17 July 2006 Electricity Company BP701 1000 1000  
19 July 2006 Widget Company BP702 900 900  
28 July 2006 Owner's Wages BP703 400 400
Total2300 1900 400
Credit Debit Debit
Bank Trade Wages
Account Creditors control a/c
control a/c 
Keys: PI = Purchase Invoice, BP = Bank Payment

Each individual line is posted as follows:
  • The amount value is posted as a debit to the individual supplier's ledger a/c.
  • The analysis amount is posted as a credit to the relevant general ledger a/c.
From example above:
  • Line 1 - Amount value 1000 is posted as a debit to the Supplier's ledger a/c ELE01-Electricity Company.
  • Line 2 - Amount value 900 is posted as a debit to the Supplier's ledger a/c WID01-Widget Company.


The totals of each column are posted as follows:
  • Amount total value 2300 posted as a credit to the Bank Account.
  • Trade Creditors total value 1900 posted as a debit to the Trade creditors control a/c.
  • Other total value 400 posted as a debit to the Wages control a/c.
Double-entry has been observed because Dr = 2300 and Cr = 2300.

The daybooks are the key documents (books) to the double entry system. From these daybooks we create the ledger accounts. Each transaction will be recorded in at least two ledger accounts.

Supplier ledger cards
Supplier Ledger Cards
A/c Code: ELE01 - Electricity Company
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
17 July 2006 Bank Payments DaybookBP701 1000 10 July 2006 Invoice PI1 1000
31 July 2006 Balance c/f 0  
-------
1000 1000
1 August 2006 Balance b/f 0
A/c Code: WID01 - Widget Company
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
19 July 2006 Bank Payments Daybook BP702 900 12 July 2006 Invoice PI2 1600
31 July 2006 Balance c/f 700  
-------
1600 1600
1 August 2006 Balance b/f 700


Sales/customers

Sales daybook
Sales Invoice Daybook
Date Customer Name Reference Amount Parts Service
2 July 2006 JJ Manufacturing SI1 2500 2500  
29 July 2006 JJ ManufacturingSI2 3200   3200
------- -------
Total5700 2500 3200
Debit Credit Credit
Trade SalesSales
debtorsPartsService
control a/ca/c a/c
Each individual line is posted as follows:
  • The amount value is posted as a debit to the individual customer's ledger a/c.
  • The analysis amount is posted as a credit to the relevant general ledger a/c.
From example above:
  • Line 1 - Amount value 2500 is posted as a debit to the Customer's ledger a/c JJM01-JJ Manufacturing.
  • Line 2 - Amount value 3200 is posted as a debit to the Customer's ledger a/c JJM01-JJ Manufacturing.


The totals of each column are posted as follows:
  • Amount total value 5700 posted as a debit to the Trade debtors control a/c.
  • Sales-parts total value 2500 posted as a credit to the Sales parts a/c.
  • Sales-service total value 3200 posted as a credit to the Sales service a/c.
Double-entry has been observed because Dr = 5700 and Cr = 5700.

Bank receipts daybook
The receipts book is not part of the double-entry system
Bank Receipts Daybook
Date Customer Name Reference Amount Customers Others
20 July 2006 JJ Manufacturing BR1 2500 2500 0
Total2500 2500 0
Debit Credit Credit
Bank a/c Trade Other
control a/c Debtors control a/c
control a/c 
Keys: SI = Sales Invoice, BR = Bank Receipt

Each individual line is posted as follows:
  • The amount value is posted as a credit to the individual customer's ledger a/c.
  • The analysis amount is posted as a debit to the relevant general ledger a/c.
From example above:
  • Line 1 - Amount value 2500 is posted as a credit to the Customer's ledger a/c JJM01 - JJ Manufacturing.


The totals of each column are posted as follows:
  • Amount total value 2500 posted as a credit to the Trade debtors control a/c.
  • Customers total value 2500 posted as a debit to the Bank a/c.
Double-entry has been observed because Dr = 2500 and Cr = 2500.

The daybooks are the key documents (books) to the double entry system. From these daybooks we create the ledger accounts. Each transaction will be recorded in at least two ledger accounts.

Customer ledger cards
Customer Ledger cards are not part of the Double-entry system. They are for memorandum purposes only. They allow you to know the total amount an individual customer owes you.
CUSTOMER LEDGER CARDS
A/c Code: JJM01 - JJ Manufacturing
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
2 July 2006 Sales invoice daybookSI1 2500 20 July 2006 Bank receipts daybook BR1 2500
29 July 2006 Sales invoice daybookSI2 3200 31 July 2006 balance c/f 3200
-------
5700 5700
1 August 2006 Balance b/f 3200  
|- style="background:#efefef;"

General/Nominal ledger

General/Nominal ledger
GENERAL/NOMINAL LEDGER
Sales parts
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
31 July 2006 Balance c/d 25002 July 2006 Sales invoice daybook SI1 2500
-------
2500 2500
1 August 2006 Balance b/d2500
Sales service
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
31 July 2006 Balance c/d 3200 29 July 2006 Sales invoice daybook SI2 3200
-------
3200 3200
1 August 2006 Balance b/d3200
Electricity
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
10 July 2006 Electricity Co. PI1 1000 31 July 2006 Balance c/d 1000
-------
1000 1000
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 1000  
Widgets
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
12 July 2006 Widget Co. PI2 1600 31 July 2006 Balance c/d 1600
-------
1600 1600
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 1600  
Other a/c
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
28 July 2006 Owner's WagesBP703 400 31 July 2006 Balance c/d 400
-------
400 400
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 400  
Bank Control A/c
Date Details Reference Amount Date DetailsReference Amount
31 July 2006 Bank receipts daybook BR-Jul250031 July 2006 Bank payments daybook BP-Jul2300
31 July 2006 Balancec/d 200
-------
2500 2500
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 200  
Trade Debtors Control A/c
Date Details Reference Amount Date DetailsReference Amount
1 July 2006 Balanceb/d 0 31 July 2006 Bank receipts daybook BR-Jul 2500
31 July 2006 Sales Invoice Daybook SI-Jul 5700 31 July 2006 Balance c/d 3200
-------
5700 5700
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 3200  
Trade Creditors Control A/c
Date Details Reference Amount Date DetailsReference Amount
31 July 2006 Bank Payments Daybook BP-Jul 1900 1 July 2006 Balance b/d 0
31 July 2006 Balance c/d 700 31 July 2006 Purchase Daybook PI-Jul 2600
-------
2600 2600
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 700
The customers ledger cards shows the breakdown of how the trade debtors control a/c is made up. The trade debtors control a/c is the total of outstanding debtors and the customer ledger cards shows the amount due for each individual customer. The total of each individual customer account added together should equal the total in the trade debtors control a/c.

The supplier ledger cards shows the breakdown of how the trade creditors control a/c is made up. The trade creditors control a/c is the total of outstanding creditors and the suppliers ledger cards shows the amount due for each individual supplier. The total of each individual supplier account added together should equal the total in the trade creditors control a/c.

Each Bank a/c shows all the money in and out through a bank. If you have more than one bank account for your company you will have to maintain separate bank account ledger in order to complete bank reconciliation statements and be able to see how much is left in each account.

Bank account
Bank A/c
Date Details Reference Amount Date Details Reference Amount
1 July 2006 Balance b/d 0 17 July 2006Bank Payments DaybookBP701 1000
20 July 2006 Bank Receipts Daybook BR1 2500 19 July 2006Bank Payments DaybookBP702 900
28 July 2006Bank Payments DaybookBP703 400
31 July 2006Balance c/d 200
-------
2500 2500
1 August 2006 Balance b/d 200  


Unadjusted trial balance
Trial balance as at 31 July 2006
A/c description Debit Credit
Sales-parts 2500
Sales-service 3200
Widgets 1600 
Electricity 1000 
Other 400 
Bank 200 
Trade Debtors Control A/c 3200 
Trade Creditors Control A/c 700
6400 6400
Both sides must have the same overall total
Debits = Credits.
The individual customer accounts are not to be listed in the trial balance, as the Trade debtors control a/c is the summary of each individual customer a/c.

The individual supplier accounts are not to be listed in the trial balance, as the Trade creditors control a/c is the summary of each individual supplier a/c.

Important note: this example is designed to show double entry. There are methods of creating a trial balance that significantly reduce the time it takes to record entries in the general ledger and trial balance.

Profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet

Profit and loss statement
for the month ending 31 July 2007
Dr
x Sales  
x Sales-parts 250000
x Sales-service 320000
x
x 570000
x Widgets 160000
x
x Gross Profit 410000
x Less expenses 
x Electricity 100000
x Other 40000
x
x 140000
x
x Net Profit 270000
x
Balance sheet
as at 31 July 2007
Dr
x Current Assets  
x Bank A/c 20000
x Trade Debtors 320000
x
x 340000
x Current Liabilities  
x Trade Creditors 70000
x
x 70000
x
x Net Current Assets 270000
x
x Capital & Reserves  
x Revenue Reserves a/c 270000
x
x 270000
x


Example 2

Transactions
XYZ Company is closing its books for the end of the month. Each of the daily journals has been summarized and the amounts are ready to be transferred to the general ledger. The amounts to be transferred are:
  • Purchase raw materials on trade credit: $500,000
  • Pay workers from cash in bank to make goods: $1,500,000
  • Pay sales force from cash in bank to sell goods: $1,000,000
  • Sell goods for cash: $3,500,000


To close the books for the month, we will adjust expenses and revenue to zero by appropriately crediting and debiting the income summary and then closing the income summary to retained earnings
Retained earnings

In accounting, retained earnings refers to the portion of net income which is retained by the corporation rather than distributed to its owners as dividends....
 (part of equity).

These items are entered in the ledger below; each matching credit and debit have been numbered to make finding them in the ledger easier.

Ledgers
General Ledger (in 000s)
Transaction Debit Credit Balance
Expenses
Balance forward    -
1 Raw materials $ 500   $ 500
2 Labor $ 1500   $ 2000
3 Sales costs $ 1000   $ 3000
5 Income summary   $ 3000 -
Total $ 3000 $ 3000  
Revenue
Balance forward    -
4 Revenue from sales   $ 3500 $ 3500
6 Income summary $ 3500   -
Total $ 3500 $ 3500
Cash
Balance forward   $11000
2 Labor   $ 1500 $ 9500
3 Sales costs  $ 1000 $ 8500
4 Revenue from sales $ 3500  $12000
Total$ 3500 $ 2500
Accounts Payable
Balance forward     $ 1000
1 Raw materials   $ 500 $ 1500
Total - $ 500
Income summary
Balance forward    -
5 Expense$ 3000   $ 3000
6 Revenue   $ 3500 $ 500
7 Retained earnings$ 500   -
Total$ 3500 $ 3500
Retained earnings
Balance forward    $10000
7 Income summary   $ 500 $10500
Total - $ 500
Total all accounts: $13500 $13500  


The amount in equity (in the form of retained earnings) has changed with a net credit of $500,000. Since equity has a normal balance of credit, this means there is now $500,000 more in equity than at the beginning of the month.

See also

  • Accounting equation
    Accounting equation

    The basic accounting equation is the foundation for the double-entry bookkeeping system.It shows how assets were financed: either by borrowing money from someone or by paying your own money ....
  • Nostro and vostro accounts
  • Single-entry accounting system
    Single-entry accounting system

    Single-entry bookkeeping system also known as Single-entry accounting system is a one sided accounting entry to maintain financial information....


External links