GL - Reversing Journal Entry
Reversing Journals are special journals that are automatically reversed after a specified date. A reversing entry is a journal entry to “undo” an adjusting entry. When you create a reversing journal entry it nullifies the accounting impact of the original entry. Reversing entries make it easier to record subsequent transactions by eliminating the need for certain compound entries. See an example of reversing journal entry!
What is a Reversing Journal Entry?
A reversing entry is a journal entry to “undo” an adjusting entry. When you create a reversing journal entry it nullifies the accounting impact of the original entry. Reversing entries make it easier to record subsequent transactions by eliminating the need for certain compound entries.
Reversing entry can be created in two ways. The first method is to use the same set of accounts with contra debits and credits, meaning that the accounts and amounts that were debited in the original entry will be credited with the same amount in the reversing journal “nullifying” the accounting impact. The second method is to create a journal with the same accounts but with negative amounts that will also nullify the accounting impact of the original transaction.
Automated Process Requirements:
- The accounts have been set up in the chart of accounts.
- The reversal criteria have been specified in the original adjustment or accrual journal, otherwise, the user generally needs to submit the journal manually for reversal.
- The date of the reversing journal has already been specified and the accounting period for that date is available for creating and posting transactions.
Process Flow Steps
- Enter a journal that reverses in the next month.
- Select the appropriate reversal option.
- At the beginning of the next period system creates a reversing entry dated the first day of the next accounting period.
Example of a reversing entry:
The business has taken premises on rent. The rent payable for each month is $200 and the invoice is raised by the landlord on the 15th of the subsequent month. The accounting department takes 5 days to process the payment and deposit the amount in the Landlord’s account. December is the close of the accounting year and the invoice for rent for the month of December will be received by the company on the 15th of January and payment will be made by the 20th of January.
Closing Books: On the 31st of December, the accounting department passes the rent accrual accounting entry, debiting the “Rent Expense” and crediting the “Rent Payable Account”. This entry records the rent for the month of Dec and creates a liability for “Rent Payable” to the landlord next month. At the beginning of the next accounting year, on day one this entry is reversed by debiting the “Rent Payable” and crediting the “Rent Account”.
Making Payment: Once the payment for Rent is made on 20th January (Again by Debiting “Rent Expense” and Crediting “Bank Account”) this reversal will ensure that the rent for last year is not impacting the current year financials as the net impact on the “Rent Expense” account will be zero.
Related Links
You May Also Like
-
Functional Organizational Structures
A functional organizational structure is a structure that consists of activities such as coordination, supervision and task allocation. The organizational structure determines how the organization performs or operates. The term organizational structure refers to how the people in an organization are grouped and to whom they report.
-
Shared Services is the centralization of service offering at one part of an organization or group sharing funding and resourcing. The providing department effectively becomes an internal service provider. The key is the idea of 'sharing' within an organization or group.
-
Although technically a general ledger appears to be fairly simple compared to other processes, in large organizations, the general ledger has to provide many functionalities and it becomes considerably large and complex. Modern business organizations are complex, run multiple products and service lines, leveraging a large number of registered legal entities, and have varied reporting needs.
-
Period End Accruals, Receipt Accruals, Paid Time-Off Accruals, AP Accruals, Revenue Based Cost Accruals, Perpetual Accruals, Inventory Accruals, Accruals Write Off, PO Receipt Accrual, Cost Accrual, etc. are some of the most complex and generally misconstrued terms in the context of general ledger accounting. In this article, we will explore what is the concept of accrual and how it impacts general ledger accounting.
-
A legal entity is an artificial person having separate legal standing in the eyes of law. A Legal entity represents a legal company for which you prepare fiscal or tax reports. A legal entity is any company or organization that has legal rights and responsibilities, including tax filings.
-
Business Metrics for Management Reporting
Business metric is a quantifiable measure of an organization's behavior, activities, and performance used to access the status of the targeted business process. Traditionally many metrics were finance based, inwardly focusing on the performance of the organization. Businesses can use various metrics available to monitor, evaluate, and improve their performance across any of the focus areas like sales, sourcing, IT or operations.
-
GL - Review & Approve Journals
Review and Approval mechanisms ensure that the accounting transaction is reasonable, necessary, and comply with applicable policies. Understand why we need review and approval processes, what are they, and how they are performed in automated general ledger systems. Learn the benefits of having journal approval mechanisms in place.
-
As the business grows, the company may want to transition to a branch structure as branches are allowed to conduct a much broader range of activity than representative offices. Branches can buy and sell goods, sign contracts, build things, render services, and generally everything that a regular business can do. A company expands its business by opening up its branch offices in various parts of the country as well as in other countries.
-
A subsidiary is a company that is completely or partly owned by another corporation that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock, and which normally acts as a holding corporation which at least partly or wholly controls the activities and policies of the daughter corporation.
-
The purpose of the general ledger is to sort transaction information into meaningful categories and charts of accounts. The general ledger sorts information from the general journal and converts them into account balances and this process converts data into information, necessary to prepare financial statements. This article explains what a general ledger is and some of its major functionalities.
