How Double-Entry Bookkeeping Works in a General Ledger

Make sure you have a good understanding of this concept before moving on past the accounting basics section. This is always the case except for when a business transaction only affects one side of the accounting equation. For example, if a restaurant purchases a new delivery vehicle for cash, the cash account is decreased by the cash disbursement and increased by the receipt of the new vehicle. This transaction does not affect the liability or equity accounts, but it does affect two different assets accounts. Thus, assets are decreased and immediately increased resulting in a net effect of zero. Recording multiple transactions that require both credit and debit entries can be time-consuming and lead to mistakes.

Double Entry: What It Means in Accounting and How It’s Used

Accountants call this the accounting equation, and it’s the foundation of double-entry accounting. If at any point this equation is out of balance, that means the bookkeeper has made a mistake somewhere along the way. The bank’s records are a mirror image of your records, so credit for the bank is a debit for you, and vice versa. This system of accounting is named the double-entry system because every transaction has two aspects, both of which are recorded. This single-entry bookkeeping is a simple way of showing the flow of one account.

1. Bookkeeping supports every other accounting process, including the production of financial statements and the generation of management reports for company decision-making.
2. Here is the equation with examples of how debits and credit affect all of the accounts.
3. This accounting system also allows you to track business finances more effectively, and make better decisions about where to allocate your resources.

A How-To Guide for Creating a Business Budget

Plus, if the IRS conducts an audit, you’ll have everything you need to back up your numbers. Bookkeeping supports every other accounting process, including the production of financial statements and the generation of management reports for company decision-making. For instance, if a business takes a loan from a financial entity like a bank, the borrowed money will raise the company’s assets and the loan liability will also rise by an equivalent amount. If Lucie opens a new grocery store, she may start the business by contributing some of her own savings of $100,000 to the company. The first entry to the general ledger would be a debit to Cash, increasing the assets of the company, and a credit to Equity, increasing Lucie’s ownership stake in the company.

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For example, if a business sells a good, the expenses of income statement the good are recorded when it is purchased, and the revenue is recorded when the good is sold. To account for the credit purchase, entries must be made in their respective accounting ledgers. Because the business has accumulated more assets, a debit to the asset account for the cost of the purchase ($250,000) will be made. If a business buys raw materials by paying cash, it will lead to an increase in inventory (asset) while reducing cash capital (another asset). Because there are two or more accounts affected by every transaction carried out by a company, the accounting system is referred to as double-entry accounting. Bookkeeping and accounting are ways of measuring, recording, and communicating a firm’s financial information.

When the good is sold, it records a decrease in inventory and an increase in cash (assets). Double-entry accounting provides a holistic view of a company’s transactions and a clearer financial picture. To account for the credit purchase, a credit entry of $250,000 will be made to accounts payable. The debit entry increases the asset balance and the credit entry increases the notes payable liability balance by the same amount. The basic rule of double-entry bookkeeping is that each transaction has to be recorded in two accounts (credits and debits). The total amount credited has to equal the total amount debited, and vice versa.

Accounting Services

Small businesses with more than one employee or looking to apply for a loan should use double-entry accounting. This system is a more accurate and complete way to keep track of the company’s financial health and how fast it’s growing. For a sole proprietorship, single-entry accounting can be sufficient, but if you expect your business to keep growing, it’s a good idea to master double-entry accounting now. Double-entry accounting will allow you to have a deeper understanding of your company’s financial health, quickly catch accounting mistakes, and share a snapshot of your business with investors. With the help of accounting software, double-entry accounting becomes even simpler.

For example, consider the entries resulting from an approved expense claim. The amounts are large, so perhaps the expenses were incurred by a senior manager or just possibly a journalist. A long time ago, most people did it this way, with debit on the left and credit on the right.

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