Closing Entry (2024)

Journal entries to close off the year

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What is a Closing Entry?

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. By doing so, the company moves these balances into permanent accounts on the balance sheet. These permanent accounts show a company’s long-standing financials.

Closing Entry (1)

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Temporary Accounts

Temporary accounts are accounts in the general ledger that are used to accumulate transactions over a single accounting period. The balances of these accounts areeventually used to construct the income statement at the end of the fiscal year.

The income statement is a financial statement that is used to portray a company’s financial performance and activities over a single fiscal year. It is for this reason that the date line in the annual income statement is written as “Year ended.”

Below is an example ofAmazon’s 2017 annual income statement. You can see that for the date, it is written as “Year ended December 31, YYYY”.

Closing Entry (2)

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As mentioned, temporary accounts in the general ledger consist of income statement accounts suchas sales or expense accounts. When the income statement is published at the end of the year, the balances of these accounts are transferred to the income summary, which is also a temporary account.

The income summary is used to transfer the balances of temporary accounts to retained earnings, which is a permanent account on the balance sheet.

Income Summary

The income summary is a temporary account used to make closing entries.

All temporary accounts must be reset to zero at the end of the accounting period. To do this, their balances are emptied into the income summary account. The income summary account then transfers the net balance of all the temporary accounts to retained earnings, which is a permanent account on the balance sheet.

Permanent Accounts

Permanent accounts are accounts that show the long-standing financial position of a company. Balance sheet accounts are permanent accounts. These accounts carry forward their balances throughout multiple accounting periods.

To understand this better, we can look at an account such as inventory. Below is an excerpt from Amazon’s 2017 annual balance sheet.

Closing Entry (3)

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The balance sheet captures a snapshot of a company at a given point in time. By looking at this balance sheet, we can observe the following:

  1. On December 31, 2016, Amazon reported $11,461 million of inventory.This amount was carried forward into the beginning of 2017.
  2. On December 31, 2017, Amazon posted $16,047 million of inventory.
  3. Amazon increased its inventories by $4,586 million in 2017 to come to the balance it reported on December 31, 2017.

By looking at it this way, we can see how Inventory is a permanent account that carries forward balances through multiple accounting periods.

Example of a Closing Entry

Below are examples of closing entries that zero the temporary accounts in the income statement and transfer the balances to the permanent retained earnings account. This is done using the income summary account.

1. Close Revenue Accounts

Clear the balance of the revenue account by debiting revenue and crediting income summary.

Closing Entry (4)

2. Close Expense Accounts

Clear the balance of the expense accounts by debiting income summary and crediting the corresponding expenses.

Closing Entry (5)

3. Close Income Summary

Close the income summary account by debiting income summary and crediting retained earnings.

Closing Entry (6)

4. Close Dividends

Close the dividends account by debiting retained earnings and crediting dividends.

Closing Entry (7)

Additional Resources

Thanks for reading CFI’s closing entry guide. Corporate Finance Institute has other resources that will help you expand your knowledge and advance your career! Check out the links below:

Closing Entry (2024)

FAQs

How do you pass closing entries? ›

We need to do the closing entries to make them match and zero out the temporary accounts.
  1. Step 1: Close Revenue accounts.
  2. Step 2: Close Expense accounts.
  3. Step 3: Close Income Summary account.
  4. Step 4: Close Dividends (or withdrawals) account.

What are the 4 steps to closing entries? ›

What are the 4 closing entries? There are four closing entries; closing revenues to income summary, closing expenses to income summary, closing income summary to retained earnings, and close dividends to retained earnings.

Do closing entries accomplish? ›

The purpose of the closing entry is to reset the temporary account balances to zero on the general ledger, the record-keeping system for a company's financial data. Temporary accounts are used to record accounting activity during a specific period.

What is a closing entry for dummies? ›

A revenue closing entry is a journal entry made at the end of an accounting period to transfer the balances of temporary accounts (like revenues, expenses, and dividends) to the permanent accounts (like retained earnings). It helps prepare the books for the next accounting period.

What is a closing entry example? ›

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.

What are the 3 closing entries? ›

4 types of closing entries
  • Closing revenue to income summary. Closing revenue accounts is when accountants move credit balances from revenue accounts into the income summary. ...
  • Closing expenses to income summary. ...
  • Closing income summary to retained earnings. ...
  • Closing dividends to retained earnings.
Jan 26, 2023

What are the first closing entries? ›

“R” stands for Revenue, so the first closing entry will be to close the Revenue accounts. The revenue accounts are closed into a temporary account known as Income Summary. Recall that the purpose of the closing entries is to “close” or zero out the balance of the temporary accounts.

What is an example of a closing balance? ›

For example, the positive or negative amount that you have in an account at the end of June 30, say Rs. 10,000 will be the closing balance for that account. Now, this amount will be the same at the start of July 1 for that account and it will become the opening balance on July 1.

What closing entries ultimately will affect? ›

Closing Entries Ultimately Will Affect Retained Earnings Account Or Owner's Equity Or Equity Account Closing Entries ultimately will affect retained earnings account as all the temporary accounts (Revenues & Expenses Accounts) firstly transferred to Income Summary Account and then transferred to income summary account ...

What is the goal of closing entries? ›

The purpose of closing entries is to ensure that the financial statements accurately reflect the company's financial position at the end of the period.

What are the two reasons for doing closing entries? ›

Closing, or clearing the balances, means returning the account to a zero balance. Having a zero balance in these accounts is important so a business can compare performance across periods, particularly with income. It also helps the business keep thorough records of account balances affecting retained earnings.

How many closing entries are required? ›

There are four closing entries, which transfer all temporary account balances to the owner's capital account. Close the income statement accounts with credit balances (normally revenue accounts) to a special temporary account named income summary.

What are the closing entries for P&L? ›

The closing entry/entries is one that consists of clearing off all income and expense accounts, this is commonly known as your Profit and Loss account which holds your current years trading activity. At the end of each trading year the balance on these accounts are transferred out to the balance sheet.

What are post closing entries? ›

Key takeaways: A post-closing trial balance is a list of balance sheet accounts with non-zero balances at the end of the reporting period. The balance verifies that the debit balance equals the credit balance. The aim is to have the two figures equal each other for a net zero balance.

What does the closing entry process consist of? ›

Answer and Explanation:

The closing entry process consists of closing all temporary accounts, which include revenue, expense, and dividend (or withdrawal) accounts.

How do you calculate closing entries in accounting? ›

The basic sequence of closing entries is as follows:
  1. Debit all revenue accounts and credit the income summary account, thereby clearing out the balances in the revenue accounts.
  2. Credit all expense accounts and debit the income summary account, thereby clearing out the balances in all expense accounts.
Nov 13, 2023

What happens when all closing entries are made? ›

When closing entries are made: All ledger accounts are closed to start the new accounting period, All real accounts are closed but nominal accounts are not closed, All balance sheet accounts are closed. All temporary accounts are closed but permanent accounts are not closed.

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