Post Closing Trial Balance Explanation and Example

Hence, any additional transactions are recorded for the next accounting period. As mentioned above, it ensures that no temporary accounts are remaining and all debit balances equal all credit balances. As we can see from the above example, the debit and the credit columns balances are matching. This means that there is no error while posting the closing entries to their individual accounts and then listing those account balances on the post-closing trial balance. The last step in the accounting cycle (not counting reversing entries) is to prepare a post-closing trial balance.

What are the steps to prepare a post-closing trial balance?

• It is important to note that the post-closing trial balance contains only balance items accounts.
• And finally, in the fourth entry the drawing account is closed to the capital account.
• Post Closing Trial Balance is the list of all the balance sheet items and their balances, excluding the zero balance accounts.
• Instead, they are accounting department documents that are not distributed.
• Post-closing trial balances are used to verify whether the debit balance total is equal to the credit balance total.
• Like other trial balances, the post-closing trial balance doesn’t list the accounts with zero balances.

This adjustment reflects earned revenue and incurred expenses for the period. The adjusted trial balance has to be expanded to include any adjusted accounts. At the end of a period, revenue, and expense ledger accounts are removed and closed.

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This equation shows that the ending balance in retained earnings is calculated by adding net income and subtracting dividends from the beginning balance of retained earnings. Income Summary is then closed to the capital account as shown in the third closing entry. The articles and research support materials available on this site are educational and are not intended to be investment or tax advice. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

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• These include accounts receivable, inventory, cash, investments, vehicles, furnishings, and other assets.
• Accounting software requires that all journal entries balance before it allows them to be posted to the general ledger, so it is essentially impossible to have an unbalanced trial balance.
• They will work in a variety of jobsin the business field, including managers, sales, and finance.
• You will notunderstand how your decisions can affect the outcome of yourcompany.
• If these two don’t equal, there is either a problem with closing entries or the adjusted trial balance.
• As with the unadjusted and adjusted trial balances, both the debit and credit columns are calculated at the bottom of a trial balance.

Like all trial balances, the post-closing trial balance has thejob of verifying that the debit and credit totals are equal. Thepost-closing trial balance has one additional job that the othertrial balances do not have. The post-closing trial balance is alsoused to double-check that the only accounts with balances after theclosing entries are permanent accounts.

After closing out our temporary accounts, we make one more trial balance that shows our permanent accounts.

The post-closing trial balance contains all accounts that are currently recorded in the general ledger. The balances for each account are added together to show that the debit and credit balance is equal. The original trial balance contains recorded transactions in accounts as they take place. There are some business transactions, such as accruals and prepayments that have to be adjusted at the end of each accounting period.

Since temporary accounts are already closed at this point, the post-closing trial balance will not include income, expense, and withdrawal accounts. It will only include balance sheet accounts, a.k.a. real post closing trial balance or permanent accounts. Understanding the distinction between temporary and permanent accounts is vital for maintaining accurate financial records. Temporary accounts, also called nominal accounts, capture financial activities for a specific period, including revenues, expenses, and dividends. Their balances reset to zero at the end of each accounting cycle, providing a clean slate for the new period. It’s important to note that the after-closing trial balance is not a financial statement but rather a report that is used to ensure the accuracy of the company’s books before preparing the financial statements.

This one contains entries pertaining to account reconciliation adjustments, depreciation entries, and charges of prepaid expenses to expense. The accountant may prepare a series of adjusted trial balances, making a number of adjusting entries before closing the books for the month. The other two are the unadjusted and adjusted trial balances, both of which are prepared before the temporary accounts are closed out.

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In other words, a post-closing trial balance only includes permanent accounts, such as assets, liabilities, and equity accounts, which are not closed at the end of the accounting period. A post-closing trial balance ensures that all temporary accounts have been closed and that the company’s books are balanced. An adjusted trial balance is prepared after adjusting entries are made at the end of an accounting period. Adjusting entries are made to record any transactions that occurred but were not recorded during the period or correct any accounting records errors. Additionally, a post-closing trial balance can be used to check the accuracy of financial statements, as it lists all the accounts with their updated balances after the closing entries have been made. A post-closing trial balance is a financial report that lists all the accounts with their updated balances after the closing entries have been made at the end of an accounting period.