Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Structure:
3.1 Introduction
Objectives
3.2 Meaning of Double Entry Accounting
3.3 Classification of Accounts under Traditional Approach
3.4 Classification of Accounts under Accounting Equation
Approach
3.5 Comparison of Traditional Approach with Modern Approach
Equal Approach
3.6 Accounting Trail
3.7 Transactions and Events
3.8 Meaning and Rules of Debit and Credit
3.9 Journalising
3.10 Posting to Ledger
3.11 Accounting Equation
3.12 Summary
3.13 Glossary
3.14 Terminal Questions
3.15 Answers
3.16 Case Study
3.1 Introduction
In the previous unit, we dealt with accounting principles, concepts,
policies, and accounting standards. All these give broad principles or
guidelines for recording and communicating financial information.
But we also need specific rules for doing this. Such specific rules are
given by the principles of book-keeping. In this unit, we will discuss
the meaning and significance of double entry accounting, the
classification of accounts under traditional approach, and accounting
equation approach. This classification is required because business
entities may not be confined to the geographical boundaries of the
nation. Accounting trail is a sequential order in which the accounting
process flows. The eight process steps of accounting trail are
discussed briefly in this unit. We will also discuss the rules of debit
and credit on various types of accounts.
Objectives:
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
• define double entry book keeping
• classify different types of accounts under traditional approach
and the accounting equation approach
• state the process involved in accounting trail
• explain the rules of double entry system of book-keeping
• pass journal entries in the journal
Personal account
Personal account may be of three types as shown in figure 3.1.
Nominal accounts
The examples of nominal accounts are:
• Salary, rent, etc (expenses)
• Loss on sale of assets or investments (losses)
• Sales, interest earned (incomes)
• Profit on sale of assets or investments (gains)
Personal account
• (other than those related to owners) having • Asset a/c
debit balance • Liabilities
• (other than those related to owners) having a/c
credit balance • Capital a/c
• Those relating to owners
Real account
• Asset a/c
Nominal account
• Related to expenses
• Expenses
• Related to revenue
a/c
• Revenue
a/c
Illustration 2:
Classify the following accounts according to Traditional and
Modern approach.
1. Capital account 2. Drawings 3. Building
account
4. Purchases 5. Sales account 6. Carriage inward
account
7. Carriage 8. Cash 9. Goodwill
outward
10. Interest paid 11. Interest received 12. Commission paid
13. Commission 14. Discount allowed 15. Conveyance
received charges
16. Sales promotion 17. Entertainment 18. Subscription paid
expenses expenses
19. Subscription 20. Light, power, and 21. Telephone,
received electricity postage, and
telegram
22. Repairs incurred 23. Insurance 24. Bad debts written
premium paid off
25. Bad debts 26. Discount 27. Postage and
recovered received stationery
purchased
28. Furniture 29. Bank account 30. Wages and salaries
paid
31. Travelling 32. Current account 33. Loan account of a
expenses of the partner partner
34. Sales return 35. Bank overdraft 36. Loan account of the
account partner
37. Outstanding 38. Prepaid rent 39. Interest accrued
salaries account account account
40. Interest
received in
advance
Solution:
According to traditional approach:
Personal account Real Nominal account
account
Solution:
Analysis of Transaction under Traditional Approach
Activity 1:
Using the above example select any ten transactions and analyse
the accounting treatment under modern approach.
Answers to Activity 1:
Analysis of the transaction using Modern approach
3.9 Journalising
As we have understood, one of the most important functions of
accounting is the recording of transactions. The transactions and
events are recorded in the books (journal) in the form of entries.
These entries are called journal entries. The journal entries are
systematically passed in the journal as per the rules of debit and
credit discussed in the previous section.
Journalising is the process of passing journal entries in the journal.
These entries are passed in a chronological order. That is, in the
order of time, as and when they occur.
We know that every transaction has two aspects, the debit aspect
and the credit aspect. By usage, the debit entry is passed first and
then the credit entry. The “Dr.” is written against the account which
is debited. The account which is credited is written below starting
with “To”.
Given below is the format of the journal.
These columns are explained below.
• Date – The date of the transaction is recorded
• Particulars – The journal entry is recorded
• Ledger Folio (LF) – The page number in the ledger where that
particular journal entry is posted is recorded
• Debit – The debit amount is recorded
• Credit – The credit amount is recorded
• Narration – It is a brief explanation about the journal entry
Illustration 4:
Pass journal entries and provide the narrations for the transactions
given in illustration 3.
Solution:
Books of Subramanya
Journal
3.10 Posting to Ledger
As we have understood, the second process in the accounting trail is
classifying. This involves putting together all transactions pertaining
to a particular account. This is done in another book called “Ledger”.
Ledger is the book of final entry. The transactions recorded in the
journal as journal entries are transferred to this book. It consists of
“T” form accounts called ledger accounts. A “T” form account is
opened for each account. The “T” form account has two sides. The
left hand side is called the “Debit side”. The right hand side is called
the “Credit side”.
The format of the “T” account is shown below.
_______ Account
Compound entries
A compound journal entry is passed when more than two accounts
are involved in a transaction and the transaction is recorded by
means of a single entry instead of passing several journal entries.
Example 1: Paid Rs.980 to Bharat in full settlement of his account
of Rs.1000
Journal entry
Bharat’s a/c Dr. 1000
To Discount Received a/c 20
To Cash a/c 980
Posting to ledger
It is the process of transferring journal entries from journal to ledger.
Each journal entry is posted to both the accounts in the ledger under
the appropriate side. To decide the appropriate side, the following
thumb rule may be followed.
• If an account is debited in the journal entry, then post it on the
debit side of that account in the ledger.
• If an account is credited in the journal entry, then post it on the
credit side of that account in the ledger.
Illustration 5:
Post the journal entries passed in illustration 4 to ledger and balance
the accounts for the month of January 2011.
Solution:
Books of Subramanya
Ledger
Cash account
Capital account
Furniture account
Mohan’s account
Purchases account
Ram’s account
Sales account
Shyam’s account
Bank account
Drawings account
Salary account
Rent account
Illustration 6:
Identify the accounts which have debit balance and the accounts
which have credit balance in illustration 5.
Solution:
Accounts having debit balance
• Cash
• Furniture
• Purchases
• Shyam
• Bank
• Drawings
• Salary
• Rent
• Advance to suppliers
• Interest on loan
Accounts having credit balance
• Capital
• Loan from Mahesh’s account
• Mohan
• Ram
• Sales
• Advance from customers
• Bank interest
Activity 2:
Show the accounting equation for the following transaction
a) Shri Ram commenced business with Rs.50,000
b) Paid rent in advance Rs.2000
c) Purchased a typewriter for Rs.7000
d) Bought furniture from M/s Mohan Lal on credit for Rs.3000
e) Purchased goods from Sohan for cash Rs.35,000
f) Sold goods to Shyam for cash Rs.40,000 (costing Rs.30,000)
Answers to Activity 2
Accounting Equation: Asset = Liabilities + Capital
3.12 Summary
Let us recapitulate the important concepts discussed in this unit:
• Double entry system of book-keeping identifies and records two
aspects in every transaction.
• The accounts are classified into personal account, real account,
and nominal account. Under accounting equation or modern
approach, the accounts are classified into asset account, liability
account, capital account, revenue account, and expenses
account.
• Journalising is the first process in accounting trial. Transactions
are recorded in the journal in the form of journal entries.
• Posting to ledger is the process of transferring journal entries
from journal to ledger. Each journal entry is posted to both the
accounts in the ledger under the appropriate side.
3.13 Glossary
Accounting trail: The cycle of processes starting from recording of
transactions to preparing of profit and loss account and balance
sheet.
Balancing: The act of finding the net effect of debits and credits to
an account.
Nominal accounts: Accounts of expenses, losses, incomes, and
gains.
Personal accounts: Accounts of persons (natural, artificial or
representative).
Real accounts: Accounts of assets.
3.15 Answers
Self Assessment Questions
1. b)
2. a. Stock of goods increases and cash balance is reduced
b. Delivery van is an asset and the supplier of the
delivery van becomes a creditor and it appears as
liability
c. Creditor’s balance is reduced on liabilities side and
cash paid brings down the cash balance on the asset
side
d. The bank balance comes down on asset side and
capital account is reduced by the amount of drawings
on the liabilities side.
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. Real, Personal, Nominal
11. True
12. True
13. True
14. True
15. i) Event ii) Event iii) Transaction iv) Transaction v) Event
16. Assets
17. Equity
18. Rs. 2 lakh
19. Assets are Rs.6 lakh
20. True
Terminal Questions
1. Liabilities + Owner’s capital
2. Every transaction has two aspects, debit and credit and for
every debit there is an equivalent credit.
3. Accounting trial is a sequential order in which the accounting
process. Refer 3.6
4. flows. a) Rs.40000 b) Rs.200000 c) Rs.164000 d) Rs.140000
His accountant had prepared the bank account for six months in the
ledger and reported that the bank balance as on 31.10.2011 was Rs.
64,000 credit (overdraft).
Bank Account
Mr. R. Das was however shocked because his bank statement
showed a balance of Rs.1,97,000.
He suspects that the accountant has not prepared the bank account
correctly. He requests you to:
1. Check the account prepared by him
2. Show the wrong entries (if any) made by him.
3. Redraft the account.
All his transactions were through bank.
Source: Jain S. P. and K. L. Narang, Financial Accounting, Kalyani
Publishers.
Case Study – Hint
Mistakes made by the accountant
• Non cash items like depreciation, credit sales, discount allowed
and bad debts written off do not appear in the bank account.
• Transactions which increase the bank balance must be debited
to the bank account. He has debited ‘Drawings’ (Rs. 35,000) and
furniture purchased (Rs. 25,000) to the account both of which
actually decrease the bank balance.
• Transactions which decrease the bank balance must be credited
to the bank account. He has credited ‘interest received’ (Rs.
40000) and ‘cash’ deposited (Rs. 1,57,000 and Rs. 50,000) to
the account both of which actually increase the bank balance.
Redrafted Bank Account
Bank Account
References:
• Narayanaswamy.R, Financial Accounting, A Managerial
Perspective 3/e, PHI.
• Jain S. P. and K. L. Narang, Financial Accounting, Kalyani
Publishers.
E-Reference:
• www.phindia.com/narayanaswamy – retrieved on December
22nd 2012