What is opening entry
Opening entry is referred to as the first entry that is recorded or which is brought forward from a previous accounting period to the new accounting period.
In an ongoing business, the closing balance of the previous accounting period serves as an opening balance for the current accounting period.
The opening entry will vary based on the business and the opening entry can be either on the debit or credit side.
Passing Opening entry
In a business concern, at the start of an accounting period, the accountant passes a journal entry that contains the opening balance of all assets and liabilities, including the capital.
Assets have a debit balance and therefore, assets are debited in the opening entry, while liabilities have a credit balance and are therefore credited in the opening entry.
One sample journal entry can be represented as :
Assets A/c Dr.
Liabilities A/c
Capital A/c
If the assets exceed all the liabilities, the excess value will be regarded as a value of capital and will be shown as a credit in the opening entry, while if the liabilities exceed the value of the assets, it will be debited in the opening entry.
Example of Opening Entry
The opening entry of a business can be depicted as follows:
This concludes the topic of Opening Entry, which is an important concept of Accountancy for Commerce students. For more such interesting topics, stay tuned to BYJU’S.
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FAQs
Opening entry is referred to as the first entry that is recorded or which is brought forward from a previous accounting period to the new accounting period. In an ongoing business, the closing balance of the previous accounting period serves as an opening balance for the current accounting period.
What is opening entry vs closing entry? ›
All opening entries should be recorded in the general ledger journal of the business and will represent the opening balance of accounts for the new period. Essentially, all opening entries of a new fiscal year are the exact entries and figures of the previous period's closing entries.
What is the opening entry in the journal proper? ›
Opening Entries: Entries passed to open a new set of books by an entity which is either starting a new business or continuing business to open a new set of books at the beginning of an accounting period. Transfer Entries: For transfer of any amount from one account to another.
What is the opening balance entry? ›
The opening balance is the amount of funds in a company's account at the beginning of a new financial period. It's the first entry in the accounts, either when a company is first starting up its accounts or after a year-end.
What is the opening entry for a new business? ›
An opening entry is the initial transaction recorded when a new accounting period begins or a new business is established. It sets the starting point for accurate financial record-keeping.
What is the rule of opening entry? ›
Opening entry is referred to as the first entry that is recorded or which is brought forward from a previous accounting period to the new accounting period. In an ongoing business, the closing balance of the previous accounting period serves as an opening balance for the current accounting period.
What is the difference between journal entry and opening entry? ›
The journal entry is recorded at the beginning of an accounting period for opening the books of accounts. It supports bringing forth the balances in the ledger accounts and is called the opening entry. The opening entry for the ledger account is based on the opening balance sheet.
Does opening balance mean you owe money? ›
An opening balance is the amount in an account at the start of an accounting period. You might hear it referred to as the amount 'brought forward' (BF) from the previous period. It can apply to bank accounts or your financial records. Unfortunately, opening balances can be debit amounts, as well as credits.
Why are opening entries passed? ›
Opening entries are passed at the beginning of financial year to bring the assets and liabilities into the books of account.
What is opening and closing balance? ›
The opening balance is the amount of money a business starts with at the beginning of the reporting period. The reporting period is typically either for a month, quarter or a year., usually the first day of the month: opening balance = closing balance of the previous period.
What are the Golden Rules of Accounting? 1) Debit what comes in - credit what goes out. 2) Credit the giver and Debit the Receiver. 3) Credit all income and debit all expenses.
How to post an opening journal entry? ›
How to Pass an Opening Entry? When the next financial year begins, the accountant passes one journal entry at the beginning of every financial year in which he shows all the opening balance of assets and all the liabilities include capital. After that, the journal entry is called an opening journal entry.
Is opening balance a debit or credit? ›
An opening balance can either be a debit or credit. If it's an asset then opening balance is debit. If it's a liability then opening balance is credit.
What is a closing entry in simple words? ›
A closing entry is a journal entry made at the end of an accounting period. It involves shifting data from temporary accounts on the income statement to permanent accounts on the balance sheet.
What is the difference between opening and closing capital? ›
When closing capital is greater than opening capital it denotes profit if there is no introduction of new capital in the business. Opening capital is the capital at the beginning of the year and closing capital is the capital at the end of the year.
What is the difference between opening and closing balance sheet? ›
An opening balance is the balance of an account at the start of an accounting period. It's brought forward from the closing balance of the previous accounting period. When you start a new business your opening balances are zero, unless you spent money before setting it up.
What does closing entry mean in bank? ›
A closing entry is a journal entry that is made at the end of an accounting period to transfer balances from a temporary account to a permanent account. Companies use closing entries to reset the balances of temporary accounts − accounts that show balances over a single accounting period − to zero.