Accounting Cycle : Trial Balance — Important Questions

Opening Stock, Direct Wages, Carriage on Purchases

Step 1: Understand the formula: Cost of Goods Sold = Opening Stock + Purchases + Direct Expenses (Wages, Carriage on Purchases) – Closing Stock. Step 2: When Cost of Goods Sold is calculated and appears in the trial balance, it means all its components have already been merged into it. Step 3: Therefore, Opening Stock and Direct Expenses related to goods (like Direct Wages, Carriage on Purchases) will NOT appear separately in the trial balance – they are already absorbed. Step 4: However, Closing Stock WILL appear in the trial balance as a debit balance (asset) because it is the ending invento

Transposition of figures, e.g., ₹54,000 written as ₹45,000

Step 1: The difference is ₹8,75,000 – ₹8,66,000 = ₹9,000. Step 2: Check if ₹9,000 is divisible by 9 → ₹9,000 ÷ 9 = 1,000. Yes, it is divisible by 9. Step 3: A key rule in error detection states: when the difference in the trial balance is exactly divisible by 9, the error is likely due to transposition of figures (writing digits in the wrong order). Step 4: Example – if ₹54,000 is written as ₹45,000, the difference is ₹9,000 which is divisible by 9. This is a classic transposition error. Step 5: Option B (double posting) would create a difference equal to the full amount. Option C (wrong side)

Opening Stock appears inside the trial balance as debit; Closing Stock appears as an adjustment outside the trial balance

Step 1: Opening Stock is a ledger account balance that exists at the beginning of the year, so it is always included inside the trial balance as a debit balance. Step 2: Closing Stock is counted and valued only at year-end, after the trial balance is prepared. It does not normally have a ledger account balance during the year. Step 3: Therefore, Closing Stock is shown as an adjustment BELOW or OUTSIDE the trial balance. Step 4: Even if both figures are given in the question together, the rule remains: Opening Stock goes inside (debit), Closing Stock goes outside as an adjustment entry. Step 5:

On the Assets side of the Balance Sheet

Step 1: A Suspense Account is created to make the trial balance tally when the accountant cannot immediately locate errors. Step 2: If the debit side of the trial balance is short, the difference is placed on the debit side of the Suspense Account. Step 3: A debit balance indicates an asset-type balance in accounting. Step 4: If the Suspense Account is not fully resolved by the time final accounts are prepared, it is carried to the Balance Sheet – a debit balance goes to the Assets side. Step 5: A credit balance in Suspense Account would go on the Liabilities side. It does not go to Profit and