Double Entry: What It Means in Accounting and How It’s Used

Because every transaction involves certain kinds of monetary exchanges between at least two business accounts, the term “double-entry system” refers to the dual entries companies record into the pairs of accounts. Depending on the transaction, the value of each of the accounts increases or decreases. To increase or decrease an account, companies make a debit or credit entry to the account based on the account type. The essential point of the double-entry system is to achieve a recording balance between related accounts. While this sounds simple enough, businesses are tracking thousands of transactions in a hundred different categories.

As a company borrows cash and buys goods and services on credit, the liabilities increase. Conversely, as liabilities are paid back, the balance on the account is reduced. The accounting cycle is a chain of steps which set the procedures for a business to collect, record and analyze its financial data. For example, a retail company’s accounting cycle will differ, that from a manufacturing business.

Financial Accounting

A company selling a product for $1,000 is an example of double-entry bookkeeping. The company debits its cash account for $1,000 and credits its revenue account wave accounting review for the same amount. This action increases the company’s total assets by $1,000 while accurately recording the revenue earned from the product sale.

For example, when you take out a business loan, you increase (credit) your liabilities account because you’ll need to pay your lender back in the future. You simultaneously increase (debit) your cash assets because you have more cash to spend in the present. The same goes if you invest your own money into your startup business. Your assets increase (are debited) because now your business has cash. At the same time, owner’s equity increases (is credited) because now you’re a shareholder.

Double-entry bookkeeping

The important point is that debits, on the left side of the ledger, must be balanced by equal credits on the right side, to properly track the source of money for each transaction, and the destination for the money. Beyond this, you can have other types of accounts (or sub-accounts) within this overall chart of accounts, depending on the number of transactions or your business needs. There are usually 10 steps of a complete accounting cycle and all steps require the use of double-entry accounting. For example, one of the steps of the accounting statements is to journalize entries for transactions, which involves the use of the double-entry system as two entries are recorded. The double entry system is used to satisfy the principle of the accounting equation which says that the assets are equal to liabilities and owner’s equity. The double entry system helps accountants reduce mistakes, it also helps by providing a good check and balance benefit.

Learn lifecycle cost analysis from the premier TCO article, expose hidden costs before you buy, know your purchase decision is sound. In double-entry accounting, each financial event (such as cash inflow from a customer sale) calls for at least two accounting system impacts. Start-up firms creating their accounting systems must decide whether to manage financial reporting and record-keeping either with a Single-Entry System or a Double-Entry System.

What are the benefits of double-entry bookkeeping?

This results in a debit of $5,000 of the company’s accounts receivable account and a credit of $5,000 to its sales account. Later, the customer pays the $5,000 invoice, at which point the company records a debit of $5,000 to its cash account and a credit of $5,000 to its accounts receivable account. The end result of these transactions is a sale of $5,000 and an increase in cash of $5,000. The primary disadvantage of the double-entry accounting system is that it is more complex.

This is why single-entry accounting isn’t sufficient for most businesses. Sole proprietors, freelancers and service-based businesses with very little assets, inventory or liabilities. The system might sound like double the work, but it paints a more complete picture of how money is moving through your business. And nowadays, accounting software manages a large portion of the process behind the scenes. For example, if John lends $300 to Adam, Adam’s savings account will have a debit of $300 (money added), and his payable account will have a credit of $300 (indicating his debt to John). You invested $15,000 of your personal money to start your catering business.

A double-entry bookkeeping system makes it easier to detect errors and fraud.

They needed, moreover, systems that recognize transactions for acquiring assets, earning revenues, incurring expenses, creating debt, and owning equities. Double-entry bookkeeping is based on balancing the accounting equation. The accounting equation serves as an error detection tool; if at any point the sum of debits for all accounts does not equal the corresponding sum of credits for all accounts, an error has occurred. However, satisfying the equation does not guarantee a lack of errors; the ledger may still “balance” even if the wrong ledger accounts have been debited or credited. To illustrate double entry, let’s assume that a company borrows $10,000 from its bank. The company’s Cash account must be increased by $10,000 and a liability account must be increased by $10,000.

• They needed, moreover, systems that recognize transactions for acquiring assets, earning revenues, incurring expenses, creating debt, and owning equities.
• After a series of transactions, therefore, the sum of all the accounts with a debit balance will equal the sum of all the accounts with a credit balance.
• The total of the trial balance should always be zero, and the total debits should be exactly equal to the total credits.
• Strong branding ultimately pays off in customer loyalty, competitive edge, and bankable brand equity.
• Single-entry bookkeeping systems only track revenues and expenses—they do not monitor assets, liabilities, or owners’ equity.