Here is a sample Chart of Accounts, showing accounts in the correct order.

Account group dividers are usually omitted in actual practice. They are shown here for illustrative purposes, so the student can see how the Chart of Accounts is organized, and how it relates to the financial statements.
ABC Company, Inc. Chart of Accounts Balance Sheet Accounts ---- Asset Accounts ---Cash Accounts Receivable Prepaid Expenses Supplies Inventory Land Buildings Vehicles & Equipment Accumulated Depreciation Other Assets ---- Liability Accounts ---Accounts Payable Notes Payable - Current Notes Payable - Long Term ---- Stockholders' Equity Accounts ---Common Stock Retained Earnings Income Statement Accounts ---- Revenue Accounts ---Sales Revenue Sales Returns & Allowances Sales Discounts Interest Income ---- Expense Accounts ---Advertising Expense Bank Fees Depreciation Expense Payroll Expense Payroll Tax Expense Rent Expense Income Tax Expense Telephone Expense Utilities Expense

When do we use Debit or Credit? When to use a debit or credit to record a journal entry is one of the biggest problems for beginning accounting students. It doesn't have to be difficult, if you remember a few simple rules. First, you will always use both a debit and credit. That's the idea of the double-entry system. You have two columns, so every journal entry will have an equal dollar amount in each column. Remember the Accounting Equation? Assets Left side Debit side Debit = Increase Credit = Decrease = Liabilities+Owners' Equity Right Side Credit Side Credit = Increase Debit = Decrease

Accounts on the Left side will INCREASE with a Debit (Left column) entry. Accounts on the Right side will INCREASE with a Credit (Right column) entry. They will each DECREASE with the OPPOSITE entry. Refer to the Chart of Accounts to determine whether an account falls on the Left or Right side of the Accounting Equation.

Normal Account Balances Accounts have a normal balance - the balance they would have if increases to the account are more than decreases to the account. If the account has a balance opposite its normal balance, we say the balance is negative, in relation to what it should be. Negative in this sense does not refer to debits or credits, but to a normal or negative balance, regardless of whether that is a debit or credit balance. You will save a lot of time making journal entries if you remember the normal balance for the accounts. account type Revenue accounts Expense accounts Asset accounts Liability accounts Owners' equity accounts normal balance credit debit debit credit credit example sales revenue rent expense cash, accounts receivable accounts payable capital stock

If you are recording a sale, or other income transaction, you would credit the revenue account, and debit some other account (cash or accounts receivable). If you are recording an expense, you would debit the expense account, and credit some other account. Many transactions are so common it's easier to remember them, rather than try and think them through each time you have to record them. If you remember how to record one side of the journal entry it is fairly easy to figure out the other side from the information given, e.g.. cash sale v. credit sale.

Type of entry Record a sale Record an expense Record a credit sale Record a cash sale Buy supplies on credit

Do this credit a revenue account debit an expense account debit Accounts Receivable debit Cash credit Accounts Payable

If you refer to these charts in the beginning it will writing journal entries much easier. Soon you won't have to refer to your charts any more. Easy Method to journal entries. Follow these simple steps. Ask yourself these questions:

1) Is Cash used in this transaction? Cash is your first Asset account, it falls on the Left side of the equation, and will be used very often. It is easy to remember the rules for the Cash account: Debit = Increase; Credit = Decrease. 2) Was Cash received or paid? Cash Received = Increase = Debit Column = Left Column Cash Paid = Decrease = Credit Column = Right Column Decide whether Cash belongs in the Debit or Credit column, write the word "Cash" in the Account column, and the dollar amount in the Debit or Credit column. You are now half way done with the journal entry. 3) Enter the balancing dollar amount in the opposite column as Cash. You don't need to worry about the other account title yet. Remember that a double-entry journal entry needs equal dollar amounts in the Debit and Credit column for each journal entry. Make that dollar entry now, and you're 75% done. 4) Refer to the information given, check the Chart of Accounts, tighten your thinking bolts and select the correct account for the second part of the journal entry. Use account titles exactly as they appear in the Chart of Accounts. Don't get creative and make up account titles. 5) If Cash was not used you can substitute "Cash" temporarily where it would go IF it had been used in the transaction. For instance, suppose you are at a restaurant. You could pay in cash, or charge the meal on a credit card. Either way you have paid for a meal, and the journal entry will be very similar. So you can pencil in the word "cash" lightly where it would go. After you finish the journal entry, refer to the Chart of Accounts and replace "cash" with the appropriate account, which will usually end with "Payable" or "Receivable" such as Accounts Payable, Interest Receivable, etc. .............. The Cash account is equivalent to the company's checking account. The balance goes up when money is deposited in the account, and the balance goes down when checks are written. It works just like your checking account! So now you know that Cash is an Asset account, is on the Left side of the accounting equation, and the balance can go up or down. The rules you use for the Cash account will be the same for all asset accounts. Now you know how to make journal entries for all asset accounts. Wasn't that easy? Liability and Owners' Equity accounts are on the Right side of the Accounting Equation, and they follow the OPPOSITE rules as the Cash account. Now you know how to make journal entries for all those accounts! Wasn't that easy, too?

So if you can remember one thing, how the Cash account works, you can easily figure out each and every other account. Since there are only 2 sides to the Accounting Equation, there are only 2 possibilities. Pretty simple. Posting to the Ledger Journal entries must be posted to the Ledger accounts on a regular basis. In many computer based systems this is done automatically, when journal entries are made. In a manual system, and some computer systems, the journal entries are posted on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, called "batch posting." When you Post, you simply take each line from the journal entries, and transfer the amounts to the corresponding Ledger accounts. You have to be very careful to post all journal entries, get the dollar amounts right, and enter them in the correct column of the correct account. Needless to say, in a manual system errors do get made. Posting is actually a routine and mechanical procedure. The Income Statement Relates to a period of time. Revenue - the price of your goods and services Expenses - costs incurred in earning revenue Net Income - the excess of Revenue over Expenses, on the Income Statement Net Loss - the excess of Expenses over Revenue, on the Income Statement Net Income is synonymous with Net Profit. Debit and Credit Rules Revenues = Credit Entry Expenses = Debit Entry All revenue and expense entries follow these simple rules. The opposite side entry is usually made only to correct an error in an earlier journal entry. This is true of all income statement accounts. Many balance sheet accounts tend to increase and decrease on a regular basis. Cash, Inventory, Accounts Receivable, Supplies, Accounts Payable all change on a frequent basis. Income statement accounts only increase, and do so according the the rules above. It is really easy to remember this simple rule. ..... Revenue ..... Example February 3, the company makes a credit sale of $250. Date Feb-3 Account Accounts Receivable Sales Revenue Debit $250 Credit $250

Example February 5, the company makes a cash sale of $250. Date Feb-5 Account Cash Sales Revenue Debit $250 Credit $250

These two entries are almost identical. Notice that Sales Revenue is on the Credit side in both entries. Remember this and it will make all your journal entries easier. When you record a revenue you will put it on the Credit side.

.............. Another example .... without cash. April 20, the company opens a charge account at Office Emporium. They buy a $1000 computer, and say "charge it!" 1) Is Cash used in this transaction? No. [We will use the substitution method] 2) If Cash were used...Would it be received or paid? Paid. [Decrease = Credit Column] --- enter the "cash" portion of the journal entry. Pencil "cash" in lightly, you will replace it later with the correct account title. 3) Enter the balancing dollar amount in the opposite column. Date Apr-20 Account cash Debit $1000 Credit $1000

Notice that I have roughed in the structure of the journal entry, but the actual accounts have not been entered yet. 4) Refer to the information given, check the Chart of Accounts, tighten your thinking bolts and select the correct account for the second part. This is an example of buying equipment, in this case we will use the account Office Equipment. 5) Refer to the Chart of Accounts and replace "cash" with the appropriate account, which will usually end with "Payable" or "Receivable" such as Accounts Payable, Interest Receivable, etc. In this case we will use Accounts Payable, one of the most frequently used accounts. Accounts Payable is used to refer to most of the common, day-to-day debts and current liabilities that a

company incurs. It is short-term debt, meant to be paid soon, like the phone bill, utility bill, etc. Date Apr-20 Account Office Equipment Accounts Payable Debit $1000 Credit $1000

These are all examples of simple journal entries. There is one debit and one credit. Some transactions might involve more then two accounts, and we would use three or more lines to write those entries. These are called compound journal entries (or complex journal entries). There is no limit to the number of debit or credit accounts that can be included in a journal entry. All necessary accounts will be used. The journal entry will balance, regardless of the number of accounts used. Let's try an example of a compound journal entry. June 5, the company buys building and land for $100,000. They make a down payment of $20,000 and sign a mortgage note with their bank for the balance. An appraisal shows the land alone has a value of $10,000. 1) Is Cash used in this transaction? Yes & No. [We will use the substitution method along with Cash] 2) If Cash were used...Would it be received or paid? Paid. [Decrease = Credit Column] --- enter the Cash portion of the journal entry. We will use Notes Payable to enter the $80,000 we borrowed from the bank, on its own line, but on the same side as Cash - the Credit side in this case.

Date June-5

Account

Debit

Credit

Notes Payable Cash

$80,000 $20,000

3) Enter the balancing dollar amount in the opposite column. 4) Refer to the information given, check the Chart of Accounts, tighten your thinking bolts and select the correct account for the second part. I left 2 blank lines above, because I knew we had both land and a building, which must be entered separately. Date June-5 Account Land Building Notes Payable Cash Debit $10,000 $90,000 Credit

$80,000 $20,000

Total

-------$100,000

-------$100,000

In this example I have totaled the columns to show that the journal entry is in balance. In real accounting systems a total is only drawn at the bottom of the page, not after each journal entry. Here's another example of a compound journal entry. This one also shows how to record the issue of common stock, a very important journal entry to know. On May 1, Bill, Bob and Quinn create a new corporation, BBQ, Inc. They raise capital in the company by selling 10,000 shares of Common Stock for $5 per share. The common stock has a Par value of $1 per share. 1) Is Cash used in this transaction? Yes. The organizers are raising initial capital to start a new company. If the stock were sold on a stock exchange this would be referred to as an IPO (Initial Public Offering). 2) If Cash were used...Would it be received or paid? Received. [Increase = Debit Column] --- enter the Cash portion of the journal entry. They sold 10,000 shares of stock at $5 per share, so they have raised 10,000 x $5 = $50,000. Date May-1 Account Cash Debit $50,000 Credit

3) Enter the balancing dollar amount in the opposite column. 4) Refer to the information given, check the Chart of Accounts, tighten your thinking bolts and select the correct account for the second part. Common stock is recorded as a credit to the Common Stock account. It is recorded at Par value, in this case $1 per share. So 10,000 x $1 = $10,000. Date May-1 Account Cash Common Stock Debit $50,000 Credit $10,000

The journal entry is out of balance and we need to finish it up. Any excess raised by the sale of stock is credited to the Additional Paid-In Capital account.

Date May-1

Account Cash Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital

Debit $50,000

Credit $10,000 $40,000

This is a good example of an important journal entry every accountant and bookkeeper should know. We don't use it very often, but it's important to know how to make this type of journal entry. A word about issuing stock. Each state has slightly different laws regarding corporations. Most states permit Par value stock, and some have a Legal Capital rule, forcing corporations to maintain tangible capital equal to the Legal Capital. This is in place to protect stockholders. Some states permit No-Par stock. States also allow Preferred stock, which pays a fixed dividend, similar to an interest-bearing investment. Preferred stock usually has a Par value, and is recorded as in the example above, except the Preferred Stock account is used. Some company's maintain a separate account Additional Paid-In Capital on Preferred Stock, but Additional Paid-In Capital usually reverts to the Common stockholders, regardless of it's source. Posting to the Ledger Journal entries must be posted to the Ledger accounts on a regular basis. In many computer based systems this is done automatically, when journal entries are made. In a manual system, and some computer systems, the journal entries are posted on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, called "batch posting." When you Post, you simply take each line from the journal entries, and transfer the amounts to the corresponding Ledger accounts. You have to be very careful to post all journal entries, get the dollar amounts right, and enter them in the correct column of the correct account. Needless to say, in a manual system errors do get made. Posting is actually a routine and mechanical procedure. Using T-Accounts You will see many examples of T-Accounts in your textbook. A T-Account is just a simple way to represent a Ledger account. It's handy for accounting students, because you can make quite a few T-Accounts on one page, and post journal entries quickly. This makes it easier to do homework assignments or analyze transactions. Most of your homework assignments will only use a few accounts, and there will only be one or two entries to each account. You can make 3 T-Accounts across a page, and several rows down the page. The Cash account should be larger than the rest, since it will have quite a few entries in most assignments. When you post to T-Accounts, make a large T and write the name of the account above it. Write the Debit entries on the left half of the T, and Credit entries on the right side of the T. I usually draw a line underneath the entries, net all the entries together, and put the balance on the correct side of the T below the line. The Income Statement Relates to a period of time.

Revenue - the price of your goods and services Expenses - costs incurred in earning revenue Net Income - the excess of Revenue over Expenses, on the Income Statement Net Loss - the excess of Expenses over Revenue, on the Income Statement Net Income is synonymous with Net Profit. Debit and Credit Rules Revenues = Credit Entry Expenses = Debit Entry All revenue and expense entries follow these simple rules. The opposite side entry is usually made only to correct an error in an earlier journal entry. This is true of all income statement accounts. Many balance sheet accounts tend to increase and decrease on a regular basis. Cash, Inventory, Accounts Receivable, Supplies, Accounts Payable all change on a frequent basis. Income statement accounts only increase, and do so according the the rules above. It is really easy to remember this simple rule. ..... Revenue ..... Example February 3, the company makes a credit sale of $250. Date Feb-3 Account Accounts Receivable Sales Revenue Debit $250 Credit $250

Example February 5, the company makes a cash sale of $250. Date Feb-5 Account Cash Sales Revenue Debit $250 Credit $250

These two entries are almost identical. Notice that Sales Revenue is on the Credit side in both entries. Remember this and it will make all your journal entries easier. When you record a revenue you will put it on the Credit side. ..... Expenses ..... Example February 1, the company pays rent, $500.

Date Feb-1

Account Rent Expense Cash

Debit $500

Credit $500

Example February 5, the company has an service company clean their office every week. The fee is $100 each week, and the bill is paid at the end of the month. This is the first time the office has been cleaned this month. Date Feb-5 Account Office Expense Accounts Payable Debit $100 Credit $100

These are both examples of an Expense entry. The expense part is always in the Debit column. You will list it first, and then either Cash or Accounts Payable. An entry to record Payroll Expense would credit Wages Payable. An entry to record Interest Expense would credit Interest Payable. These are special payable accounts. Most common business expenses will credit Accounts Payable or occasionally Cash. When to record Revenue Realization Principle - at the time goods are sold or services are rendered. When to record Expenses Matching Principle - offsetting expenses against revenues in the appropriate time period. For instance, the bill for June's long distance phone calls is paid in July. The long distance expense should show up on the June income statement.