Let us begin with a short explanation of what opening balance is: The opening balance is the amount of funds that are bought forward from the end of one accounting period to the beginning of a new accounting period. In a firm’s account, the first entry done is of the opening balance. It can either hRead more
Let us begin with a short explanation of what opening balance is:
The opening balance is the amount of funds that are bought forward from the end of one accounting period to the beginning of a new accounting period.
In a firm’s account, the first entry done is of the opening balance. It can either have a debit balance or a credit balance depending upon whether the firm has a negative or positive balance.
Opening balance of a ledger
Opening balance is the first entry of the ledger account at the beginning of an accounting period.
In the case of a newly started business, there will be no closing balances and as such there will be no balances to be carried forward. In such a case, the investment and capital of the business will be entered as an opening balance for the current accounting period.
So the first and foremost part is to identify on which side of the ledger i.e. the debit side or the credit side the opening balance is to be entered.

For Example, A trial balance is given which represents the debit and credit balances, accordingly, I will prepare different ledger accounts to make it simpler.
The trial balance shows the opening balance of various accounts. Now posting them in ledger accounts.

As the Furniture is an Asset account, the opening balance will be on the debit side of the ledger account.

As Sundry creditor is a credit account, we put the opening balance on the credit side.

As the Capital is a credit account, we put the opening balance on the credit side.

As Wages is a debit account, we put the opening balance on the debit side.

As the Discount received is a credit account, we put the opening balance on the credit side.
Exception
Drawing Account.
Drawing account is an exception to this topic. It is considered a contra account to the owner’s capital account because it reduces the value of the owner’s equity. Drawings, therefore, have no opening balance.
Contra Entry.
Contra entry involves transactions of cash and bank. Any entry which involves both the cash and bank is contra entry.
For example, we deposit cash 5000 into the bank.
Accounting entry for this transaction would be

In this case, the ledger entry would be

As the bank account has a debit balance, the opening balance would come on the debit side.

As the cash account has a credit balance, the opening balance would come on the credit side.
Alternatively, If we withdraw cash 5000 from the bank.
Accounting entry would be

In this case, the ledger entry would be

As the Cash account has a debit balance, the opening balance would come on the debit side.

As the Bank account has a credit balance, the opening balance would come on the credit side.
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Assets can be classified as Financial or Non-financial assets. One might wonder why this is necessary. Let us dive into this concept, beginning with understanding what financial and non-financial assets are and why they are classified as such. What are Assets? Assets are things that have a monetaryRead more
Assets can be classified as Financial or Non-financial assets. One might wonder why this is necessary. Let us dive into this concept, beginning with understanding what financial and non-financial assets are and why they are classified as such.
What are Assets?
Assets are things that have a monetary value and are beneficial for a business. Assets are commonly classified as tangible, intangible, current, fixed, financial, non-financial, etc.
Plant and machinery, land, buildings, cash, bank balance, patents, etc are some of the examples of assets that a business has.
What are Financial Assets?
Financial assets are the things of value that are held by a person for their underlying value. They are intangible and do not have a physical form. For example – Stocks, bonds, debentures, options, futures, etc.
The value of these assets may change over time depending upon the market conditions, changes in government policies, fluctuations in interest rates, etc.
In comparison to non-financial or physical assets, financial assets are more liquid as they can be traded and can be converted into cash.
What are Non-financial assets?
Non-financial assets are tangible or intangible assets that have a value but cannot be easily converted into cash. They are not as liquid and generally not traded.
Examples of such assets are buildings, plant and machinery, patents, trademarks, etc.
Why do we separate Financial and Non-Financial Assets?
The following are several important reasons why it is important to segregate the same:
Difference between Financial and Non – Financial Asset
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