Revision:A Level Accounts Module 1 - Suspense accounts and the correction of errors

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Suspense accounts and the correction of errors

Many errors that are made will affect the trial balance agreement. These errors will normally consist of:

1. Entering different amounts in both entries of the transaction.
2. Making two debit entries (or two credit entries) for a transaction.
3. Only entering one entry for a transaction.

If any of these errors are made (one or more) then the trial balance totals will not agree. In this case, the errors should be located. However, this may take time - days, weeks or even months - the more errors that have been made, the longer their location will take. If the trial balance does not agree, then we would not be able draw up the profit and loss account and balance sheet correctly.

As a part solution to this (finding the errors should always be a priority), a firm can, in effect, make the trial balance agree by entering the amount needed to make the two columns agree again. The difference between the two columns of the trial balance is filled with the creation of a new entry - this is entered in the suspense account.

Example

On 31 December 2007, the trial balance is drawn up for J Mickley. This is a summary of the trial balance:

To allow us to construct the final account, we enter the amount, in this case, in the credit column, and the trial balance will now appear as follows:

The entry in the trial balance has to be represented by an account. Therefore, we will now open up a suspense account with a credit balance of £600.

Normally, we would be now forced to make a debit entry in another accounts somewhere else in the ledgers. However, in this case we make no entry as there need for the credit entry in the suspense account must be the result of excess debit entries made, or shortages on the credit side elsewhere in the accounts - i.e. the mistakes that we are trying to locate.

This balance will remain in the accounts until the errors have been located and corrected. If we assume that the error that had been made was that the capital account had been undercast by £600 then this would explain why we appeared to have shortage on the credit column. However, it is possible that the error was that a debit entry (e.g. purchases) had been overcast by £600.

Let us assume that the error in our example, was due to Motor vehicles being overcast by £600, then the procedure to correct this would be as follows:

1. Enter up the correction in the journal
2. Enter the amendment to correct the error
3. Enter the other half of the transaction in the suspense account.

If the error affects the trial balance then one entry in the transaction needed to correct the error must be in the suspense account.

The error is found on Jan 15, 2008 - the motor vehicles had been overcast by £600. A credit entry in this account will correct the errors. Therefore, a debit entry will be made in the suspense account.

Notice that once the errors have been corrected, the balance on the suspense account disappears. While a balance remains, we know that there must be at least one error remaining undetected which affect the agreement of the trial balance.

Example

Your bookkeeper extracted a trial balance on 31 December 2004 which failed to agree by £180, a shortage on the debit side of the trial balance. A suspense account was opened for the difference. In February 2005, the following errors, made the previous year, were found:

1. Goods purchased on credit from E Lewis of £230 was entered correctly in the purchases account but was entered in the personal account as £320.
2. Advertising paid for £115 by cheque had been completely omitted from the books
3. Discounts received of £80 cash was entered on the debit side of both accounts.
4. Purchases daybook had been undercast by £250.

Errors affecting profits

Once the errors have been corrected, the firm will need to reconsider if the net profit needs calculating again. There are no general rules we can infer from the type of error and whether profit is or is not affected.

Let us use the previous example and take each error in turn:

1. This error does not affect profits as it is only in a personal account which is a balance sheet item.
2. We have missed out an expense of £115, therefore profits will be lower as a result.
3. Discounts received has been undercast by £160 and this will need adding on to the profits.
4. Purchases have been undercast which is an expense, therefore profit will be lower as result.

Example

Using the example, the net profit for 2005 was £1,780. This will need recalculating based on the errors mentioned above:

Also See

• Double entry bookkeeping
• Daybooks and ledgers
• Cashbooks and petty cashbooks
• The sales daybook
• Purchases daybook
• Returns daybooks
• The Journal
• Trading and profit and loss accounts
• Balance sheets
• Features of the VAT system
• VAT and the double entry system
• The trial balance
• Bank reconciliation statements
• Control accounts
• Suspense accounts and the correction of errors
• Computers in accounting

Comments

These notes are aimed at people studying for AQA A Level Accounting Unit 1, but will also be suitable for other courses and exam boards.

Originally submitted by duke_stix on TSR Forums.