A journal entry is a dated record that posts one or more debits and credits to the general ledger. Every entry must balance: total debits must equal total credits. The entry should also explain the business event, identify the affected entity and period, and retain enough support for a preparer, reviewer, or auditor to reconstruct why it was posted.
Journal entries translate business activity into the chart of accounts. Some are created automatically by subledgers when invoices, payments, payroll, or assets are processed. Others are prepared directly in the general ledger for accruals, allocations, reclassifications, corrections, consolidations, and reconciliation adjustments.
How debits and credits work
Debit means the left side of an entry and credit means the right side. Neither word means increase or decrease on its own; the effect depends on the account class.
| Account class | Typical increase | Typical decrease | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset | Debit | Credit | Cash, receivables, inventory, equipment |
| Liability | Credit | Debit | Payables, accrued expenses, debt |
| Equity | Credit | Debit | Share capital, retained earnings |
| Revenue | Credit | Debit | Service revenue, sales revenue |
| Expense | Debit | Credit | Payroll, rent, professional fees |
This is the conventional double-entry pattern, but the correct accounts and timing depend on the transaction, accounting framework, entity policy, and chart of accounts. The examples below illustrate mechanics rather than prescribe accounting treatment for every situation.
What a complete journal entry contains
| Field or evidence | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Entry ID and date | Provides a unique reference and identifies the accounting period |
| Entity, ledger, and currency | Prevents an otherwise balanced entry from being posted to the wrong books |
| Accounts and debit/credit amounts | Records the financial effect and proves the entry balances |
| Description and line references | Explains the event and links lines to the underlying calculation |
| Source support | Substantiates the amount through an invoice, contract, schedule, system report, or reconciliation |
| Preparer and reviewer record | Shows ownership, segregation of duties, approval, and timing |
| Reversal instructions | Specifies whether and when a temporary entry should reverse |
| Posting result | Confirms acceptance by the ledger and preserves the final document number |
Common types of journal entries
| Type | Operational purpose | Typical support |
|---|---|---|
| Standard transaction entry | Records a business event not posted through a subledger | Invoice, agreement, bank record, or approved request |
| Accrual | Records an expense or revenue in the appropriate period before the normal source document is processed | Calculation, contract, service period, estimate basis, and reversal date |
| Reversing entry | Reverses a temporary accrual or estimate in a later period | Original entry ID and approved reversal rule |
| Reclassification | Moves a recorded amount between accounts, entities, departments, or projects without changing the total | Original posting and explanation of the correct classification |
| Allocation | Distributes a shared cost or revenue using an approved basis | Source total, allocation driver, recipients, and calculation |
| Intercompany entry | Records activity between entities in the same group | Counterparty detail, both entity records, currency, and agreement |
| Reconciliation adjustment | Corrects a supported difference discovered during account reconciliation | Reconciliation item, root cause, supporting record, and approval |
| Consolidation or elimination | Removes or adjusts group-level activity during consolidation | Entity balances, consolidation rule, and counterparty mapping |
Journal entry examples
Example 1: Record a supplier invoice
An illustrative 5,000 invoice for professional services is recognized before payment. The entry debits professional-services expense for 5,000 and credits accounts payable for 5,000. The invoice and evidence of approval support the posting. When the invoice is paid, the AP process records a separate debit to accounts payable and credit to cash.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Professional-services expense | 5,000 | — |
| Accounts payable | — | 5,000 |
| Total | 5,000 | 5,000 |
Example 2: Record and reverse a month-end accrual
Services worth an illustrative 12,000 were received before month-end, but the invoice has not yet arrived. Based on approved support, the period-end entry debits the appropriate expense and credits accrued liabilities. If policy requires automatic reversal, the next-period entry debits accrued liabilities and credits the expense for the same amount. The eventual invoice follows the normal AP process. The team should compare the estimate with the invoice and investigate a material difference rather than assuming the reversal completes the control.
| Period-end entry | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant operating expense | 12,000 | — |
| Accrued liabilities | — | 12,000 |
| Total | 12,000 | 12,000 |
Example 3: Reclassify a miscoded expense
A supported 8,400 software charge was posted to a miscellaneous-expense account. A reclassification debits the correct software-expense account and credits the original miscellaneous-expense account. The entry changes classification but not total expense. Its support should identify the original posting and explain why the destination account is correct.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Software expense | 8,400 | — |
| Miscellaneous expense | — | 8,400 |
| Total | 8,400 | 8,400 |
Journal entry lifecycle: prepare, review, post, and reconcile
- Identify the event. Establish what happened, the affected period and entity, and whether a subledger should create the entry instead.
- Gather support. Obtain the report, contract, schedule, invoice, calculation, or reconciliation item that substantiates the entry.
- Prepare the lines. Select approved accounts, calculate the amount, add dimensions and descriptions, and define any reversal.
- Validate the package. Confirm debits equal credits, the period is open, required fields are present, and the entry is not a duplicate.
- Review and approve. An authorized reviewer evaluates the accounting rationale, calculation, support, and classification before posting.
- Post and verify. Confirm the ledger accepted the entry and retain the final document number and posting response.
- Reconcile the affected account. Verify that the entry appears in the intended account and that any related reconciling item is cleared rather than duplicated.
Common journal-entry failures
| Failure | Why balancing alone does not catch it | Control response |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong account or entity | The debit and credit can balance while both lines are misclassified | Validate chart-of-accounts and entity mappings against source support |
| Wrong period | A balanced entry can still distort cutoff | Check service, delivery, or transaction dates and posting-period policy |
| Duplicate entry | Both copies balance individually | Compare source references, amount, date, entity, and recurring-entry history |
| Unsupported estimate | Equal debits and credits do not prove the amount | Retain calculation basis, assumptions, source completeness, and reviewer challenge |
| Missing or incorrect reversal | The original entry may be valid but remain in the ledger too long | Record reversal rules and reconcile the related account in the next period |
| Self-approval | Technical validation cannot replace segregation of duties | Separate preparation, approval, posting rights, and policy administration |
How journal entries connect to account reconciliation
Reconciliation can identify a missing accrual, stale balance, duplicate posting, or classification error, but the reconciliation itself does not alter the ledger. A journal entry records the approved correction. The workpaper and journal should link to each other so the reviewer can trace the original difference, investigation, decision, posting, and final cleared balance.
For broader close controls, see balance sheet reconciliation and ledger reconciliation services. Teams evaluating controlled preparation workflows can use the separate guide to journal entry automation; it covers automation suitability, approvals, and audit evidence rather than the accounting foundations explained here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a journal and a ledger?
A journal records entries in transaction order. The general ledger organizes the posted lines by account so the resulting balances can be reported and reconciled. Modern accounting systems often create both views from the same posting data.
Does every journal entry need supporting documentation?
Every entry should have evidence appropriate to its nature and risk. That may be an invoice, contract, system report, approved calculation, allocation schedule, or reconciliation item. The support should allow an independent reviewer to understand the source, amount, accounts, period, and approval.
Can a journal entry balance and still be wrong?
Yes. It can use the wrong accounts, entity, currency, amount, or period; duplicate an earlier entry; or lack valid support. Balance is a necessary mechanical check, not proof that the accounting is correct.
What is a journal posting in accounting?
Posting is the step that records an approved journal entry in the general ledger. A controlled process confirms that the ledger accepted the entry, assigns a final document number, and verifies the lines appear in the intended accounts and period.