The fourth transaction occurs on December 3, when a customer gives Direct Delivery a check for $10 to deliver two parcels on that day. Because of double entry, we know there must be a minimum of two accounts involved—one of the accounts must be debited, and one of the accounts must be credited.
Because Direct Delivery received $10, it must debit the account Cash. It must also credit a second account for $10. The second account will be Service Revenues, an income statement account. The reason Service Revenues is credited is because Direct Delivery must report that it earned $10 (not because it received $10). Recording revenues when they are earned results from a basic accounting principle known as the revenue recognition principle. The following tip reflects that principle.
Revenues accounts are credited when the company earns a fee (or sells merchandise) regardless of whether cash is received at the time.
Here are the two parts of the transaction as they would look in the general journal format:
Let’s assume that on December 3 the company gets its second customer—a local company that needs to have 50 parcels delivered immediately. Joe’s price of $250 is very appealing, so Joe’s company is hired to deliver the parcels. The customer tells Joe to submit an invoice for the $250, and they will pay it within seven days.
Joe delivers the 50 parcels on December 3 as agreed, meaning that on December 3 Direct Delivery has earned $250. Hence the $250 is reported as revenues on December 3, even though the company did not receive any cash on that day. The effort needed to complete the job was done on December 3. (Depositing the check for $250 in the bank when it arrives seven days later is not considered to take any effort.)
Let’s identify the two accounts involved and determine which needs a debit and which needs a credit.
Because Direct Delivery has earned the fees, one account will be a revenues account, such as Service Revenues. (If you refer back to the last TIP, you will read that revenue accounts—such as Service Revenues—are usually credited, meaning the second account will need to be debited.)
In the general journal format, here’s what we have identified so far:
We know that the unnamed account cannot be Cash because the company did not receive money on December 3. However, the company has earned the right to receive the money in seven days. The account title for the money that Direct Delivery has a right to receive for having provided the service is Accounts Receivable (an asset account).
Again, reporting revenues when they are earned results from the basic accounting principle known as the revenue recognition principle.
For simplicity, let’s assume that the only expense incurred by Direct Delivery so far was a fee to a temporary help agency for a person to help Joe deliver parcels on December 3. The temp agency fee is $80 and is due by December 12.
If a company does not pay cash immediately, you cannot credit Cash. But because the company owes someone the money for its purchase, we say it has an obligation or liability to pay. Most accounts involved with obligations have the word “payable” in their name, and one of the most frequently used accounts is Accounts Payable. Also keep in mind that expenses are almost always debited.
The accounts and amounts for the temporary help are:
Expenses are (almost) always debited.
If a company does not pay cash right away for an expense or for an asset, you cannot credit Cash. Because the company owes someone the money for its purchase, we say it has an obligation or liability to pay. The most likely liability account involved in business obligations is Accounts Payable.
Revenues and expenses appear on the income statement as shown below:
After the entries through December 3 have been recorded, the balance sheet will look like this:
Notice that the year-to-date net income (bottom line of the income statement) increased Stockholders’ Equity by the same amount, $180. This connection between the income statement and balance sheet is important. For one, it keeps the balance sheet and the accounting equation in balance. Secondly, it demonstrates that revenues will cause the stockholders’ equity to increase and expenses will cause stockholders’ equity to decrease. After the end of the year financial statements are prepared, you will see that the income statement accounts (revenue accounts and expense accounts) will be closed or zeroed out and their balances will be transferred into the Retained Earnings account. This will mean the revenue and expense accounts will start the new year with zero balances—allowing the company “to keep score” for the new year.
Marilyn suggested that perhaps this introduction was enough material for their first meeting. She wrote out the following notes, summarizing for Joe the important points of their discussion:
Note: To learn more about debits and credits, visit our Explanation of Debits and Credits and Quiz for Debits and Credits.
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Submit Feedback No ThanksThe accounting guideline requiring that revenues be shown on the income statement in the period in which they are earned, not in the period when the cash is collected. This is part of the accrual basis of accounting (as opposed to the cash basis of accounting).
A company’s net income from the start of the current accounting year until a specified date. For example, the year-to-date net income at May 31, 2024 for a calendar year company is the net income from January 1, 2024 until May 31, 2024. For a company with a fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023 the year-to-date net income at May 31, 2024 is the net income for the 11-month period from July 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.
Retained earnings is the cumulative amount of earnings since the corporation was formed minus the cumulative amount of dividends that were declared. Retained earnings is the corporation’s past earnings that have not been distributed as dividends to its stockholders.
Advertising Expense is the income statement account which reports the dollar amount of ads run during the period shown in the income statement. Advertising Expense will be reported under selling expenses on the income statement.
Under the accrual basis of accounting, the account Rent Expense will report the cost of occupying space during the time interval indicated in the heading of the income statement, whether or not the rent was paid within that period. (Rent that has been paid in advance is shown on the balance sheet in the current asset account Prepaid Rent.) Depending upon the use of the space, Rent Expense could appear on the income statement as part of administrative expenses or selling expenses. If the rented space was used to manufacture goods, the rent would be part of the cost of the products produced.
The compensation earned by hourly-paid employees during the interval of time indicated in the heading of the income statement. Under the accrual basis of accounting, the date that wages are paid does not determine when the wages are reported as an expense
A current asset which indicates the cost of the insurance contract (premiums) that have been paid in advance. It represents the amount that has been paid but has not yet expired as of the balance sheet date.
A related account is Insurance Expense, which appears on the income statement. The amount in the Insurance Expense account should report the amount of insurance expense expiring during the period indicated in the heading of the income statement.
A current asset representing the cost of supplies on hand at a point in time. The account is usually listed on the balance sheet after the Inventory account.
A related account is Supplies Expense, which appears on the income statement. The amount in the Supplies Expense account reports the amounts of supplies that were used during the time interval indicated in the heading of the income statement.
A current asset account that reports the amount of future rent expense that was paid in advance of the rental period. The amount reported on the balance sheet is the amount that has not yet been used or expired as of the balance sheet date.
A current asset that reports the amount paid for advertising that has not yet taken place. When the advertising occurs the prepaid advertising is reduced and advertising expense is recorded.
A long-term asset account that reports the cost of real property exclusive of the cost of any constructed assets on the property. Land usually appears as the first item under the balance sheet heading of Property, Plant and Equipment. Generally, land is not depreciated.
Buildings is a noncurrent or long-term asset account which shows the cost of a building (excluding the cost of the land). Buildings will be depreciated over their useful lives by debiting the income statement account Depreciation Expense and crediting the balance sheet account Accumulated Depreciation.
Equipment is a noncurrent or long-term asset account which reports the cost of the equipment. Equipment will be depreciated over its useful life by debiting the income statement account Depreciation Expense and crediting the balance sheet account Accumulated Depreciation (a contra asset account).
This current liability account will show the amount a company owes for items or services purchased on credit and for which there was not a promissory note. This account is often referred to as trade payables (as opposed to notes payable, interest payable, etc.)
To learn more about accounts payable, see our Accounts Payable Outline.
The amount of principal due on a formal written promise to pay. Loans from banks are included in this account.
A current liability account that reports the amounts owed to employees for hours worked but not yet paid as of the date of the balance sheet.
This current liability account reports the amount of interest the company owes as of the date of the balance sheet. (Future interest is not recorded as a liability.)
Under the accrual basis of accounting, the Service Revenues account reports the fees earned by a company during the time period indicated in the heading of the income statement. Service Revenues include work completed whether or not it was billed. Service Revenues is an operating revenue account and will appear at the beginning of the company’s income statement.
An income statement account that reports the amount of service revenues earned during the time interval indicated in the heading of the income statement. (Under the accrual basis of accounting, fees earned are reported in the time period in which they are earned and not in the period in which the company receives payment.)
A liability account that reports amounts received in advance of providing goods or services. When the goods or services are provided, this account balance is decreased and a revenue account is increased. To learn more, see Explanation of Adjusting Entries.
A current asset resulting from selling goods or services on credit (on account). Invoice terms such as (a) net 30 days or (b) 2/10, n/30 signify that a sale was made on account and was not a cash sale.
To learn more about accounts receivable, see our Accounts Receivable and Bad Debts Expense Outline.
The type of stock that is present at every corporation. (Some corporations have preferred stock in addition to their common stock.) Shares of common stock provide evidence of ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock elect the corporation’s directors and share in the distribution of profits of the company via dividends. If the corporation were to liquidate, the secured lenders would be paid first, followed by unsecured lenders, preferred stockholders (if any), and lastly the common stockholders.
The matching principle is one of the basic underlying guidelines in accounting. The matching principle directs a company to report an expense on its income statement in the period in which the related revenues are earned. Further, it results in a liability to appear on the balance sheet for the end of the accounting period. The matching principle is associated with the accrual basis of accounting and adjusting entries.
The accounting guideline requiring amounts in the accounts and on the financial statements to be the actual cost rather than the current value. Accountants can show an amount less than cost due to conservatism, but accountants are generally prohibited from showing amounts greater than cost. (Certain investments will be shown at fair value instead of cost.)
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