1) Liability 2) Asset 3) Expenses 4) Income
Definition The trial balance is a list of all the closing balances of the general ledger at the end of the year. Or in other words, I can say that it is a statement showing debit and credit balances. A trial balance is prepared on a particular date and not on a particular period. Importance As the tRead more
Definition
The trial balance is a list of all the closing balances of the general ledger at the end of the year. Or in other words, I can say that it is a statement showing debit and credit balances.
A trial balance is prepared on a particular date and not on a particular period.
Importance
As the trial balance is prepared at the end of the year so it is important for the preparation of financial statements like balance sheet or profit and loss
Purpose of trial balance which are as follows:
-
- To verify the arithmetical accuracy of the ledger accounts
- This means trial balance indicates that equal debits and credits have been recorded in the ledger accounts.
- It enables one to establish whether the posting and other accounting processes have been carried out without any arithmetical errors.
-
- To help in locating errors
- There can be some errors if the trial balance is untallied therefore to get error-free financial statements trial balance is prepared.
-
- To facilitates the preparation of financial statements
- A trial balance helps us to directly prepare the financial statements and then which gives us the right to not look or no need to refer to the ledger accounts.
Preparation of trial balance
-
- To verify the correctness of the posting of ledger accounts in the terms of debit credit amounts periodically, a periodic trial balance may be prepared ( say ) at the end of the month or quarter, or half year.
-
- There is no point in denying that a trial balance can be prepared at any time.
-
- But it should at least be prepared at the end of the accounting period to verify the arithmetical accuracy of the ledger accounts before the preparation of financial statements.
Methods of preparation
- Balance method
- Total amount methods
These are two methods that you can use to prepare trail balance, now let me explain to you in detail about these methods which are as follows:-
Balance method
- The balances of all the accounts ( including cash and bank account ) are incorporated in the trial balance.
- When ledger accounts are balanced only this method can be used.
- This method is generally used by accountants for preparation of the financial statements.
Total amount method
- Under this method, the total amount of debit and credit items in each ledger account is incorporated into the trial balance.
- This method can be used immediately after the completion of posting from the books of the original entry ledger.
Steps to prepare a trial balance
- First, we need to decide the method to opt for the preparation of the trial balance which is mentioned above.
- Then once opted, collect all the balances as per the method adopted and prepare accordingly by posting the debit and credit side of the trial balance.
- After this process arrange all the accounts in order of their nature (assets, liabilities, equity, income, and expenses ).
- Then you have to total debit and credit balances separately.
- After the above steps if there is any difference between the total debit and credit side balances then that is adjusted through the suspense account.
A suspense account is generated when the above case arises that is trial balance did not agree after transferring the balance of all ledger accounts including cash and bank balance.
And also errors are not located in timely, then the trial balance is tallied by transferring the difference between the debit and credit side to an account known as a suspense account.
Rules of trial balance
When we prepare a trial balance from the given list of ledger balances, the following rules to be kept in mind that are as follows :
- The balance of all
- Assets accounts
- Expenses accounts
- Losses
- Drawings
- Cash and bank balances
Are placed in the debit column of the trial balance.
- The balances of
- liabilities accounts
- income accounts
- profits
- capital
Are placed in the credit column of the trial balance.
See less
Therefore, 2) Asset is the correct option. Explanation The petty cash book is managed and made by not an accountant but the petty cashier and is done to record small incomes and expenditures that are not recordable in the cash book. Therefore, the desired result we obtain from the deduction oRead more
Therefore, 2) Asset is the correct option.
Explanation
The petty cash book is managed and made by not an accountant but the petty cashier and is done to record small incomes and expenditures that are not recordable in the cash book. Therefore, the desired result we obtain from the deduction of the total expenditure and total cash receipt is the closing balance of the petty cash book.
Petty cash refers to the in-hand physical cash that a business holds to pay for small and unplanned expenses.
Asset: The closing balance of the petty cash book is considered an asset because the petty cash book is a type of cash book. The petty cash book also deals in outflow and inflow of the cash, it also maintains and records income and expenditure that are similar to the cash book.
The petty cash book since being a part of the cash book, which records all the inflow and outflow of cash in a business, which is an asset, thus petty cash book’s closing balance is considered an asset. Also, the balance of the petty cash book is never closed. Their closing balance is carried forward to the next year.
Liability: The closing balance of the petty cash book is not considered a liability because that closing balance of the petty cash book doesn’t create a liability for the business. In fact, the closing of the petty cash book is placed under the head current asset in the balance sheet as mentioned above, it’s a part of the cash book which records the transactions of cash a/c which is an asset itself.
Expenses or Income: It is not an expense because the closing balance of the petty cash book is calculated by deducting the total expenditure from the total cash receipt.
That is an asset and it is considered to be a current asset, neither an income nor an expense. It is used for paying out petty expenses.
Therefore, the closing balance of the petty cash book is considered an asset.