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Errors Not Affecting the Trial Balance
With these types of errors, the debit and credit columns of the Trial Balance will still be the same total.
These errors are corrected by means of JOURNAL ENTRIES.
Types of errors:
- Errors of Commission – correct amount but wrong persons’ account eg entered the amount into Davies’ account instead of Davids’ account.
Journal entry – cancel out of the wrong persons’ account and put it into the correct persons’ account
- Errors of Principle – the transaction was entered into the wrong type of account eg entered the amount into the asset Vehicles instead of the expense Motor Expenses
Journal Entry – cancel out of the wrong account and put it into the correct account
- Errors of Original Entry – the wrong amount was entered into the ledger accounts. Eg 100 instead of 1000
Journal entry – entry for the difference between the correct and incorrect amounts
- Errors of Omission – a transaction which was not entered in the books at all. Eg an entry which should have been put in the sales day book
Journal entry – the entry will be the same as you would post from the day book concerned
- Compensating errors – errors which cancel each other out eg when balancing the ledger account, the purchases account was added up by 100 too much as was the Sales account.
Journal entry – cancel the error by putting the amount on the opposite sides of each account
- Complete Reversal - the amount is entered on the wrong sides of both accounts Make sure the amount is DOUBLED -
The double-entry for correction of errors not affecting the Trial Balance
1- Errors of Commission: D Short paid us by cheque $500 on 18th^ May 20X8. It is correctly entered in the cash book, but it is entered by mistake in the account for D. Small. We find the error on May 3 l 20X8. Journal Date Details Dr Cr
20X8 $ $
May 31 D Short 500
D Small 500
Narrative Correction of error of commission.
Dr D Small Account Cr $ $ May 18 Bank 500 May 31 D. Short 500
Dr D Short Account Cr $ $ May 31 D Small 500
3- Errors of Original Entry: Sales of $1500 on May 13 20X8 to T. Biggins have been entered as both a debit and credit entry of $1300 to the correct accounts. We find the error on May 31 20X8. Journal Date Details Dr Cr
20X8 $ $
May 31 T. Biggins 200
Sales 200
Narrative Correction of error of original entry.
Dr Sales Account Cr $ $ May 13 T. Biggins 1, May 31 T. Biggins 200
Dr T. Biggins Account Cr $ $ May 13 Sales 1, May 31 Sales 200
4- Errors of Omission: A firm purchased goods from T Slope on May 13 20X for $2500 but forgot to enter them into the accounts. We find the error on May 31 20X8. Journal Date Details Dr Cr
20X8 $ $
May 31 Purchases 2, 500
T Slope 2, 500
Narrative Correction of error of ommission.
Purchases Ledger
Dr T Slope Account Cr $ $ May 31 Purchases 2,
General Ledger
Dr Purchases Account Cr $ $ May 31 T Slope 2,
6- Complete Reversal of Entries: We receive a cheque from D Charles on 28 May 20X8. However the $2,000 is entered as a credit entry in the cash book (Bank) and a Debit entry in the D Charles account. We find the error on May 31 20X8. Journal Date Details Dr Cr
20X8 $ $
May 31 Bank 4,0 00
Charles 4,0 00
Narrative Correction of reversal entry
General Ledger
Dr Bank (Cash Book) Account Cr $ $ May 31 D Charles (Double to cancel out and correct error)
4,000 May 28 D. Charles 2,
Purchases Ledger
Dr D Charles Account Cr $ $ May 28 Bank (Cash Book)
2,000 May 31 Bank (Double to cancel out error and put on correct side)
