Out With the Old and In With the New: Reversing Entries in Accounting

Accounting is essential for any well-run and organized business or entity. ☝️

Even if you don’t work in accounting in your business, it’s still important to have a general understanding of certain key concepts… and one of those key concepts is reversing entries.

But what is it? How to use it? Is it beneficial? 🤔

Let's dig into it! 👇

The Basis of Reversing Entries

What is a Reversing Entry in Accounting?

What Account should be Reversed?

Accounts that typically should be reversed are those involving:

• Accrued expenses, or expenses that have been incurred but not paid yet (salaries payable, or interest payable, for instance) ;
• Accrued revenues, or the revenues that have been earned but not yet received (interest receivable, or interest payable, for instance) ;
• Prepaid expenses, as reversing entries might be occasionally used for certain prepaid expenses if they were initially recorded as an asset and need to be adjusted ;
• Unearned revenues, if the revenue was received in advance and recorded as a liability, a reversing entry might be made when the revenue is actually earned.

Reversing these accounts helps in ensuring that the financial transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period, simplifying the process of recording the actual payment or receipt in the new period.

An Example of a Reversing Entry

In order to make the notion of reversing entry clear, let’s look at a couple of examples.

👉 Let’s say, you ordered raw materials from a supplier to make some product that you want to sell. You receive the raw materials, but you still haven’t gotten the invoice by the end of an accounting period.

That would be recorded in a balance like so:

Although the bill hasn't been paid yet, adjusting clearly marks this invoice as a liability before the accounting period ends. 

But we’re not finished yet! ☝️

When the invoice arrives later you have to make another entry reversing the previous one we just did. That should appear like this:

This offsets the expense from the last entry, effectively closing it.

How to Use Reversed Entries?

Reversing entries are a crucial tool in accrual accounting, used to correct and simplify the accounting records from one period to the next!

They are particularly valuable for clearing out leftover balances from the previous period that could otherwise distort the financial statements and lead to erroneous decision-making.

Identify the Adjusting Entries to Reverse

At the end of an accounting period, adjusting entries are made to recognize expenses and revenues that have been incurred or earned but not yet recorded.

👉 Common examples include:

• accrued salaries,
• accrued interest,
• and other accrued expenses or revenues.

These entries ensure that the financial statements accurately reflect the company’s financial position.

Create the Reversing Entries at the Beginning of the New Period

On the first day of the new accounting period, create reversing entries that mirror the adjusting entries made at the end of the previous period, but with opposite values.

👉 For instance, if an adjusting entry involved debiting salaries expense and crediting salaries payable, the reversing entry would credit those by the same amount.

Ensure Accuracy in Recording Transactions

Reversing entries serve to reset the balances of the accounts affected by adjusting entries to zero, thus ensuring that when the actual transaction occurs (such as paying salaries), it is recorded accurately without doubling the expense.

👉 This maintains the integrity of the financial records by preventing the double-counting of expenses and revenues.

The Benefits of Reversing Entries

Prevents Miscalculations

Proceed cautiously, as outstanding balances from the previous period, if not reversed, can lead to miscalculations in the new period. ⚠️

And this is particularly important for accounts like accrued expenses and revenues. By reversing these entries, the risk of overstating or understating financial figures is minimized. 

Simplifies Record-Keeping

Reversing entries make it easier to manage the accounting records by eliminating the need to remember the specifics of each adjusting entry.

This simplification is particularly beneficial for businesses with numerous transactions, ensuring that the accounting process remains straightforward and transparent. 

Improves Financial Decision-Making

Accurate financial records are essential for making informed business decisions. If leftover balances from the previous period distort the financial statements, it can lead to decisions based on faulty data.

Thus, reversing entries help maintain accurate records, providing a true picture of the company’s financial situation.

Enhances Financial Reporting

Consistent use of reversing entries contributes to more reliable and clear financial reporting.

The financial statements reflect the true financial position of the company without the confusion of leftover balances from previous periods, which is best to build trust with stakeholders, including:

• management,
• investors,
• and auditors.

Reversing Entries: In Summary