2 The Recording Process

Learning Objectives
Describe how accounts, debits, and credits are used to
1 record business transactions.

2 Indicate how a journal is used in the recording process.

Explain how a ledger and posting help in the recording

3 process.

4 Prepare a trial balance.

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LEARNING Describe how accounts, debits, and credits
OBJECTIVE
1 are used to record business transactions.

◆ Record of increases and decreases

The in a specific asset, liability, owners’
Account equity, revenue, or expense item.
◆ Debit = “Left”
◆ Credit = “Right”

An account can
be illustrated in a
T-account form.

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 The Account

DEBIT AND CREDIT PROCEDURES

Double-entry system
◆ Each transaction must affect two or more accounts to
keep the basic accounting equation in balance.
◆ Recording done by debiting at least one account and
crediting at least one other account.
◆ DEBITS must equal CREDITS.

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 Debits and Credits

If the sum of Debit entries are greater than the sum of

Credit entries, the account will have a debit balance.

Transaction #1 $10,000 $3,000 Transaction #2

Transaction #3 8,000

Balance $15,000

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 Debits and Credits

If the sum of Credit entries are greater than the sum of

Debit entries, the account will have a credit balance.

Transaction #1 $3,000 Transaction #2

$10,000
8,000 Transaction #3

Balance $1,000

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 Debits and Credits

◆ Assets - Debits should exceed

credits.
◆ Liabilities – Credits should
exceed debits.
◆ Normal balance is on the
increase side.

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 Debits and Credits

◆ Owner’s investments and

revenues increase owner’s equity
(credit).
◆ Owner’s drawings and expenses
decrease owner’s equity (debit).

Helpful Hint Because

revenues increase owner’s
equity, a revenue account
has the same debit/credit
rules as the Owner’s
Capital account. Expenses
have the opposite effect.

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 Debits and Credits

◆ The purpose of earning revenues

is to benefit the owner(s).
◆ The effect of debits and credits on
revenue accounts is the same as
their effect on Owner’s Capital.
◆ Expenses have the opposite
effect: expenses decrease owner’s
equity.

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 Debits/Credits Rules
Normal Normal
Balance Balance
Debit Credit

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 Debits/Credits Rules

Balance Sheet Income Statement

Asset = Liability + Equity Revenue - Expense

Debit

Credit

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 Debits/Credits Rules

Question
Debits:
a. increase both assets and liabilities.
b. decrease both assets and liabilities.
c. increase assets and decrease liabilities.
d. decrease assets and increase liabilities.

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 Debits/Credits Rules

Question
Accounts that normally have debit balances are:
a. assets, expenses, and revenues.
b. assets, expenses, and equity.
c. assets, liabilities, and owner’s drawing.
d. assets, owner’s drawing, and expenses.

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 Summary of Debit/Credit Rules

Relationship among the assets, liabilities and owner’s equity

of a business:
Illustration 2-11
Basic
Equation Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity

Expanded
Equation
Debit/Credit
Effects

The equation must be in balance after every transaction. Total

Debits must equal total Credits.

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 DO IT! 1 Normal Account Balances

Kate Browne has just rented space in a shopping mall. In this space,
she will open a hair salon to be called “Hair It Is.” A friend has advised
Kate to set up a double-entry set of accounting records in which to
record all of her business transactions. Identify the balance sheet
accounts that Kate will likely need to record the transactions needed
to open her business. Indicate whether the normal balance of each
account is a debit or a credit.

Assets Liabilities Equity

Cash (debit) Notes payable (credit) Owner’s Capital (credit)

Supplies (debit) Accounts payable
Equipment (debit) (credit)

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 LEARNING Indicate how a journal is used in the
OBJECTIVE
2 recording process.

Steps in the Recording Process

Illustration 2-12

Analyze each transaction Enter transaction in a journal Transfer journal information to

ledger accounts

Business documents, such as a sales slip, a check, or a bill,

provide evidence of the transaction.
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 Steps in the Recording Process

The Journal
◆ Book of original entry.
◆ Transactions recorded in chronological order.
◆ Contributions to the recording process:
1. Discloses the complete effects of a transaction.
2. Provides a chronological record of transactions.
3. Helps to prevent or locate errors because the debit
and credit amounts can be easily compared.

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 Steps in the Recording Process

JOURNALIZING - Entering transaction data in the journal.

Illustration: On September 1, Ray Neal invested $15,000 cash in
the business, and Softbyte purchased computer equipment for
$7,000 cash.
Illustration 2-13

GENERAL JOURNAL

Sept. 1 Cash 15,000

Owner’s Capital 15,000

Equipment 7,000
Cash 7,000
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 Steps in the Recording Process

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND ENTRIES

Illustration: On July 1, Butler Company purchases a delivery truck
costing $14,000. It pays $8,000 cash now and agrees to pay the
remaining $6,000 on account. Illustration 2-14
Compound journal entry

GENERAL JOURNAL

July 1 Equipment 14,000

Cash 8,000
Accounts payable 6,000

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 DO IT! 2 Recording Business Activities

Kate Browne engaged in the following activities in establishing

her salon, Hair It Is:
1. Opened a bank account in the name of Hair It Is and
deposited $20,000 of her own money in this account as her
initial investment.
2. Purchased equipment on account (to be paid in 30 days) for
a total cost of $4,800.
3. Interviewed three persons for the position of hair stylist.
Prepare the entries to record the transactions.

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 DO IT! 2 Recording Business Activities

Prepare the entries to record the transactions.

1. Opened a bank account and deposited $20,000.

Cash 20,000
Owner’s Capital 20,000
2. Purchased equipment on account (to be paid in 30 days) for
a total cost of $4,800.

Equipment 4,800
Accounts Payable 4,800
3. Interviewed three persons for the position of hair stylist.

No entry
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 LEARNING Explain how a ledger and posting help in the
OBJECTIVE
3 recording process.

The Ledger
◆ General Ledger contains all the asset, liability, and owner’s
equity accounts.
Illustration 2-15

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 The Ledger

STANDARD FORM OF ACCOUNT Illustration 2-16

Three-column form
of account

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 Ledger

POSTING
Transferring
journal entries
to the ledger
accounts.

Illustration 2-17
Posting a journal
entry

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 Posting

Question
Posting:
a. normally occurs before journalizing.
b. transfers ledger transaction data to the journal.
c. is an optional step in the recording process.
d. transfers journal entries to ledger accounts.

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 Chart of Accounts
Illustration 2-18

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 The Recording Process Illustrated

Follow these steps:

1. Determine what
type of account is
involved.
2. Determine what
items increased or
decreased and by
how much.
3. Translate the
increases and
decreases into
debits and credits.

Illustration 2-19

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 Illustration 2-20
2-27 Purchase of office equipment LO 3
 Illustration 2-21
Receipt of cash
for future service

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 Illustration 2-22
2-29 Payment of monthly rent LO 3
 Illustration 2-23
Payment for
insurance

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 Illustration 2-24
2-31 Purchase of supplies on credit LO 3
 The Recording Process Illustrated

Illustration 2-25
Hiring of employees

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 Illustration 2-26
2-33 Withdrawal of cash by owner LO 3
 Illustration 2-27
2-34 Payment of salaries LO 3
 Illustration 2-28
2-35 Receipt of cash for services performed LO 3
Summary Journalizing and Posting
Illustration 2-29

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2-37 Illustration 2-29 LO 3
 Illustration 2-30
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 LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
4 Prepare a trial balance.

2-39 Illustration 2-31 LO 4

 Trial Balance

Limitations of a Trial Balance

Trial balance may balance even when:
1. A transaction is not journalized.
2. A correct journal entry is not posted.
3. A journal entry is posted twice.
4. Incorrect accounts are used in journalizing or posting.
5. Offsetting errors are made in recording the amount of a
transaction.

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 Dollar Signs and Underlining

Dollar Signs
◆ Do not appear in journals or ledgers.
◆ Typically used only in the trial balance and the financial
statements.
◆ Shown only for the first item in the column and for the total
of that column.
Underlining
◆ A single line is placed under the column of figures to be
added or subtracted.
◆ Totals are double-underlined.

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 Trial Balance

Question
A trial balance will not balance if:
a. a correct journal entry is posted twice.
b. the purchase of supplies on account is debited to Supplies
and credited to Cash.
c. a $100 cash drawing by the owner is debited to Owner’s
Drawing for $1,000 and credited to Cash for $100.
d. a $450 payment on account is debited to Accounts
Payable for $45 and credited to Cash for $45.

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 DO IT! 4 Trial Balance

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 DO IT! 4 Trial Balance

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