What is a Journal Entry?

A journal entry is used for recording a business transaction in an accounting record. A journal entry is typically recorded in the general ledger. However, it can also be recorded in a sub-ledger that is then summarized in the general ledger and rolled forward to the general ledger. This is used to create financial statements.

Journal entries are records of business transactions kept in an accounting book. A journal entry properly documented contains the correct date, debit/credit amounts, transaction description, and a unique reference number.

The journal entry is the first stage of the accounting cycle. A journal records all financial transactions and notes the accounts affected. Most businesses use double-entry Accounting systems. Every financial transaction has at least one impact on at least two accounts. One account is debited and another is credited. A journal entry can have equal credit and debit amounts.

A journal entry records every business transaction in at most two places. This is double-entry accounting. If you sell cash for revenue, it increases both your cash and revenue accounts. You can also buy goods on account to increase both your accounts payable and inventory accounts.

What’s Included in a Journal entry?

These are the elements that make up a journal entry’s structure:

A header line can include a journal entry number or date.

The account number and the account name are listed in the first column. If it is necessary for crediting an account, this field will be indented.

The second column includes the amount of debit to be entered.

The credit amount is shown in the third column.

The footer line can also contain a brief description of why the entry was made.

The basic format for journal entries is:

A journal entry should mainly have at least two line items. The total amount that you enter in the debit column must equal the total amount that you enter in credit.

A journal entry is typically printed and kept in a book of accounting transactions. Backup materials are attached to support the entry. The external auditors may have access to this information as part of the year-end review of a company’s financial statements and related system.

What is the purpose of a journal entry?

Basically journal is a record that lists transactions as they occur and shows which accounts were affected by each transaction. Journal entries are required to be completed in double-entry accounting systems. Each entry requires both a debit or credit. When you purchase goods, it increases both inventory and accounts payable.

All financial reports are built on journal entries. These journal entries provide valuable information that auditors can use to evaluate the impact of financial transactions on a company’s business. Journalized entries are then added to the general ledger.

What are Debits and Credits?

The double-entry accounting system is a common practice in most organizations. This system states that every transaction must impact at least two accounts. Therefore, a journal entry will always include a debit and credit in the ledgers. So that the journal entry is balanced, the totals of all debits and credit must equal one another.

An accountant will need to determine which accounts are used to record the credit and debit in order for a journal entry to be prepared. Accounting is complicated because of the many types of accounts that these transactions are kept. Debits, for example, can be used to increase an asset, expense, or decrease in revenue, equity, liability, and/or liability. Credits can be used to increase an account’s equity, liability or revenue, or decrease an expense or asset account.

Here are some examples. A credit is recorded when a company sells on credit. A debit will increase the assets receivable (asset), and a credit will increase the revenue (revenue).

A business can take out a loan. The transaction will be recorded as a debit in the cash account and credit in the loans payable account. A debit would increase cash account (asset), and a credit would raise loans payable account (liability).

Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders or Owners Equity

Credits and debits add or subtract from the total of the account where they are entered. Credits are always placed on the right, and debits are always in the left column for consistency and easy identification.

Double-entry systems have debits and credit that always add up. Unbalanced ledgers are those where one column doesn’t add up to another.

This equation can also be used to express the rule: assets = liabilities + stockholders/owner’s equity

Assets are resources that the business owns. The business’s liabilities are the amount it owes. Equity is the sum of net income and investment. This equation must always be balanced.

Types of journal entries

There are many types of journal entries. These are listed below.

Editing Journal Entry

An adjusting entry is made at month-end to modify the financial statements in order to make them conform to the applicable accounting framework. If the company also is using the accrual method of accounting, for example, unpaid wages could be accrued at month-end.

Compound Journal Entry

A compound journal entry includes more than 2 lines of entries. This is often used to record complicated transactions or multiple transactions at once. The journal entry to record payroll, for example, usually has many lines because it records multiple tax liabilities and deductions.

Reversing Journal Entry

Reversing entries are usually adjusting entries that are reversed at the beginning of the next period. This is often because an expense was due to be accrued in a previous period and is no longer required. In other words, the wage accrual from the previous period is reversed in order to make way for actual payroll expenditure.

Journal Entry Best Practices

Common transactions such as supplier invoices and customer billings are not recorded in journals. These transactions can be handled by specialized software modules. They provide a standard online form that can be completed. After you fill out the form, the software creates an accounting record. Journal entries cannot be used to record high volume activities.

It is mainly a good idea to create a template in your accounting software for journal entries that are created on a regular basis. The template includes the accounts that are normally debited or credited so you can quickly fill it in when creating new entries. Templates are efficient and reduce errors.

Journal entries and any attached documentation should be kept for at least five years. In the corporate archiving policies, it should specify the minimum period for journal entries.

Six Types of Journal Entries

Six types of journal entries exist, seven if you include the obscure, obscure, and rarely-used single entry. Standard accounting uses double-entry accounting. The single journal entry is not required. This is better suited for checkbook balance than business accounting, which requires many accounts.

Each of the six primary entry types serves a specific purpose in accounting. They all present an objective, balanced and accurate statement of the company’s financial position.

They are:

Opening entries

These entries carry the ending balance of the previous accounting period over to the current accounting period as the starting balance. Example: After all liabilities had been paid, the ending balance for Cash on the balance sheet of the previous accounting period was $11,000. This $11,000 balance is the current opening entry.

Transfer entries

Transfer entries are used to move or allocate income or expenses from one account into another. My Toys Manufacturing, for example, transfers cash from its main bank account to a subsidiary. Transfer journal entries are used to track the money being transferred from one account into another. These entries are not made by a third party and must always be zero.

Closing entries

These entries signify the end of an accounting cycle at a balance. A balance can then be transferred from temporary to permanent accounts or from one accounting period on the next. The closing entry in the case of temporary accounts zeroes out the account and any excess balance is transferred to a more permanent account. The temporary account is closed.

Temporary accounts can include income summary accounts, expense and loss accounts, revenue, income and gains accounts, and dividend and withdrawal accounts. Accounting periods have a closing entry that represents the account’s ending balance at the end. This value is then used to create the opening entry for the next accounting period. It is then the accounting period for this account that is closed.

Adjusting entries

Adjusting entries are entries that account for changes that were not previously recorded in the journal. They are in accordance with the accrual method. These entries are made in the general ledger at the end of accounting period according to matching and revenue recognition principles. Examples include estimates, accruals and deferrals.

An expense accrual is an expense that was reported in an accounting period prior to it being actually paid. One example would be electricity consumed by a plant during the month prior to the utility issuing a bill.

Revenue accruals refer to work performed or products delivered, but not invoiced.

A expense deferral is when a payment was made in an accounting period before the expense has actually been incurred. A payment for insurance that covers six months is an example of a deferred expense. Deferred revenue is when a company receives payment in advance for products or services that will be delivered in the future.

Complimentary entries

These entries can be used to record multiple accounts to be debited and credited at once. Although the rule of journal entries requires that the total debits and credits must be equal, the credit and debit amounts do not necessarily have to be equal. One debit may have two or three credits. Or one credit can have two or three debits. Payroll, for example, may have many journal entries. This can be reduced to a simplified form called compounded.

Reversing entries

Reversing entries are made at a new accounting period. The reverse or undo an adjusting entry that was made at the end of the previous accounting period. This option reduces accounting errors caused by double-counting income or expenses and improves efficiency when processing actual invoices. They are also used to simplify bookkeeping. An example: an accrued expense that was reported in the previous accounting period may be reversed. This allows the expense to be accounted for in its original accounting period without having to report it twice.

How to prepare journal entries for your business ?

To ensure that transactions are correctly recorded, it is important to properly prepare journal entries. Start by deciding which transaction should be entered where. You’ll be able to reduce the number of journal entries if you use accounting software. The software automates data flow to other accounts and reports, so you won’t need to make as many.

Manual bookkeeping is not the best option. To properly record a transaction, you will need to determine what the transaction has on your company books.

Identify the affected accounts: This is the first step in identifying which accounts the transaction will affect. This can be confusing if accounting terminology and principles are not familiar to you. You should be looking for areas that will benefit from the transaction. Which accounts will see again and which ones will see a decrease?

Sort transactions first: Sorting transactions according to type (e.g., bank deposits, quarterly taxes) will help you track the correct path for recording these transactions.

Pay attention to the money: Once the transaction has been sorted out, consider how it will affect the value of the related accounts in terms of debits and credit. You might ask, “Where did the money come? And where did it go?”

Here’s the journal entry to record the receipt of the supplies and the related payable:

Reference number:  2416
Date: 1/10/2022
Office Supplies (account 6390)               $438.77
Accounts Payable (account 2100)                         $438.77
To record payable for invoice 438.77 from  Office supplies

Two weeks later, Sally pays the invoice:

Reference number: 2678
Date: 1/24/2022
Accounts Payable (account 2100)  $438.77
Cash (account 1010)                                          $438.77
To record payment on invoice 4987 from Office supplies

On January 12, Sally completes a consulting project for Ace Design, Inc. and sends out invoice number 21095 for $2,560.00:

Reference number: 2421
Date: 1/12/2022
Accounts Receivable (account 2100) $2,460.00
Revenue (account 4101)                                           $2,460.00
To record invoice 21095 for Smart Design, Inc.

Two days later, she receives payment on that invoice:

Reference number: 2429
Date: 1/14/2022
Cash (account 1010)                             $2,460.00
Accounts Receivable (account 2100)                   $2,460.00
To record payment on invoice 21095 from Smart Design, Inc. 

What did the transaction bring to the business and what did it take away.

Accounting is no different from physics. There are always equal and opposite reactions to every action. You must identify all transactions and their reactions.

Identify your account type. Some transactions are simple to map using credits and debits from various accounts. Some transactions may prove more difficult. These are some tips that will help you to figure them out.

The basic account types are important to know: All journal entries fall under one of these account types: Assets and Liabilities, Revenue, Expense, Revenue, Equity. It will be easier for you to recognize the different types and to see how they relate to each other.

Standard accounting rules can be used to determine where credit and debits are applied. Accounting rules exist for a number of good reasons. One reason is to standardize what goes where in financial reports. The accounting rules are the definitive guide to where debits and credit can be applied to any journal entry.

Prepare your journal entry. Once you have identified the transaction type, and the accounts that it affects you are ready to create your journal entry.

You must enter the correct date. Every journal entry must have a date to verify that the data is correct for the accounting period.

Assign the account code and name: Take note of the account name as well as the unique identifying general ledger code. Reporting purposes require that transactions are assigned to specific accounts. The various line items in financial statements are fed by account balances.

Input the debit and credit amounts. If accounting software is used, it’s possible that at least some of the crediting or debiting will be done in a journal entry. Double-check that you have correctly entered all credit and debits if you keep the company books manually.