How to Prepare an Adjusted Trial Balance

The adjusted trial balance is an internal document listing all general ledger accounts and their balances after updates. It confirms that total debits equal total credits, ensuring financial data is accurate and complete before financial statements are prepared. This is a crucial step in the accounting cycle.

Understanding the Unadjusted Trial Balance

The unadjusted trial balance is the starting point for preparing an adjusted trial balance. This preliminary report lists every general ledger account and its balance at the end of an accounting period, before accrual adjustments. Its main function is to verify the mathematical equality of total debits and total credits, indicating balanced initial transaction recording.

In double-entry accounting, every financial transaction affects at least two accounts, with at least one debit and one credit. Debits increase asset and expense accounts, while credits increase liability, equity, and revenue accounts. Conversely, credits decrease asset and expense accounts, and debits decrease liability, equity, and revenue accounts. The unadjusted trial balance confirms this fundamental debit/credit equality.

While the unadjusted trial balance confirms mathematical balance, it does not mean financial records are complete or accurate. This document often omits revenues earned or expenses incurred without cash exchange or formal invoicing. It serves as a foundational step, highlighting basic errors before complex accounting considerations.

Identifying and Recording Adjusting Entries

Adjusting entries are fundamental to accrual basis accounting, recognizing revenues when earned and expenses when incurred, regardless of cash flow. This approach, guided by the matching principle, ensures financial statements accurately reflect performance and position. Entries are typically made at the end of an accounting period, before financial statements, to update account balances not fully recorded daily.

Deferred expenses, or prepaid expenses, are costs paid in advance for goods or services consumed over time (e.g., prepaid rent, insurance, supplies). Initially recorded as an asset, a portion becomes an expense as consumed. The adjustment debits an expense account (e.g., Rent Expense) and credits the corresponding asset account. For instance, $1,000 would be expensed monthly from a $12,000 annual insurance payment, reducing the prepaid insurance asset.

Deferred revenues, or unearned revenues, occur when a business receives cash for undelivered services or goods. This cash is initially recorded as a liability. As service is performed or goods delivered, the liability reduces, and revenue is recognized. The adjusting entry debits the liability account (e.g., Unearned Revenue) and credits a revenue account (e.g., Service Revenue) for the earned portion. For example, $100 would be recognized monthly from a $600 advance payment for six months of service.

Accrued expenses are costs incurred but not yet paid or recorded, where the company received a benefit without disbursing cash or receiving a bill. Examples include unpaid salaries, interest owed, or unbilled utilities. The adjustment debits an expense account (e.g., Salaries Expense) and credits a liability account (e.g., Salaries Payable) to record the obligation. This ensures all incurred expenses are reflected, regardless of payment status.

Accrued revenues are earned but not yet received in cash or formally billed. This arises when a company provides goods or services but has not collected payment, such as unbilled services or unreceived investment interest. The adjusting entry debits an asset account (e.g., Accounts Receivable) and credits a revenue account (e.g., Service Revenue) to recognize the income. This ensures all revenues generated are accounted for.

Depreciation allocates the cost of a tangible long-term asset (e.g., equipment, buildings) over its estimated useful life. Assets lose value over time due to wear, obsolescence, or usage. Depreciation is a non-cash expense reflecting this consumption. The adjusting entry debits Depreciation Expense and credits Accumulated Depreciation, a contra-asset account reducing the asset’s book value. This allocation matches the asset’s cost with revenues it helps generate.

Constructing the Adjusted Trial Balance

Constructing the adjusted trial balance integrates adjusting entries with unadjusted trial balance figures. This ensures all accounts reflect updated values after considering earned revenues and incurred expenses, regardless of cash flow. The process involves applying corresponding adjustments to each account’s unadjusted balance.

For each affected account, the adjustment’s debit or credit amount is added to or subtracted from its unadjusted balance. For example, a credit to an asset account reduces its unadjusted debit balance. Conversely, a debit to an expense account increases its unadjusted debit balance. New accounts from adjusting entries, like Depreciation Expense or Salaries Payable, are added with their balances.

The adjusted trial balance maintains the unadjusted version’s two-column format, listing account names and their debit or credit balances. Accounts are typically listed logically: assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, then expenses. After all adjustments, total debits must equal total credits. If totals don’t match, an error occurred during adjustment or initial recording, requiring review and correction.

Verifying and Utilizing the Adjusted Trial Balance

After construction, re-sum the debit and credit columns for final verification. Their totals must be equal, confirming mathematical accuracy of all entries and adjustments. If totals don’t balance, it signals an error requiring investigation and correction. This balancing act ensures the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) remains in equilibrium.

The adjusted trial balance directly sources a company’s primary financial statements. Revenue and expense accounts from it construct the Income Statement, reporting financial performance. Asset, liability, and equity accounts, including retained earnings, then prepare the Balance Sheet, presenting financial position at a specific point.

By incorporating all necessary accruals and deferrals, the adjusted trial balance ensures financial statements present a complete and accurate picture of economic activities. This accuracy is essential for internal decision-making, allowing management to assess performance and financial health. It also provides reliable information for external stakeholders, like investors and creditors, who rely on these statements for informed decisions.