Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardBalancing Ledger Accounts and Extracting Trial Balance

The following ledger account balances were extracted from the books of Binta Traders at 31 December 2025:

- Purchases: ₦240,000
- Sales: ₦410,000
- Motor Vehicles (Cost): ₦180,000
- Provision for Depreciation on Motor Vehicles: ₦36,000
- Trade Debtors: ₦75,000
- Trade Creditors: ₦52,000
- Cash at Bank: ₦34,000
- Capital: ₦150,000
- Returns Inwards: ₦14,000
- Returns Outwards: ₦9,000
- Rent and Rates: ₦22,000
- Discount Received: ₦6,000
- Provision for Doubtful Debts: ₦4,000
- Opening Inventory: ₦45,000
- Drawings: ₦18,000

When preparing the trial balance, the bookkeeper inserted a Suspense Account balance to make the total of the debit column equal the total of the credit column. What is the value of the balance (in ��) required in the Suspense Account?

Answer: 39000 ₦

Answer

The balance required in the Suspense Account to make the Trial Balance agree is ₦39,000.
The total of all credit balances (Sales ₦410,000 + Provision for Depreciation ₦36,000 + Trade Creditors ₦52,000 + Capital ₦150,000 + Returns Outwards ₦9,000 + Discount Received ₦6,000 + Provision for Doubtful Debts ₦4,000) is ₦667,000. The total of all debit balances (Purchases ₦240,000 + Motor Vehicles ₦180,000 + Trade Debtors ₦75,000 + Cash at Bank ₦34,000 + Returns Inwards ₦14,000 + Rent and Rates ₦22,000 + Opening Inventory ₦45,000 + Drawings ₦18,000) is ₦628,000. The shortfall on the debit side is ₦667,000 - ₦628,000 = ₦39,000, which is the required Suspense Account balance.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Classify each ledger account balance into debit or credit columns according to double-entry rules.
Debit Balances: Purchases (₦240,000), Motor Vehicles (₦180,000), Trade Debtors (₦75,000), Cash at Bank (₦34,000), Returns Inwards (₦14,000), Rent and Rates (₦22,000), Opening Inventory (₦45,000), Drawings (₦18,000). Credit Balances: Sales (₦410,000), Provision for Depreciation (₦36,000), Trade Creditors (₦52,000), Capital (₦150,000), Returns Outwards (₦9,000), Discount Received (₦6,000), Provision for Doubtful Debts (₦4,000).
Assets, expenses, drawings, and sales returns carry debit balances, whereas liabilities, capital, revenues, contra-asset provisions, purchase returns, and gains carry credit balances.
2
Sum up the debit balances and credit balances separately.
Total Debits = ₦628,000; Total Credits = ₦667,000.
Comparing both column totals determines the discrepancy in the Trial Balance.
3
Compute the missing Suspense Account balance.
Suspense Account Balance = ₦667,000 - ₦628,000 = ₦39,000.
A debit entry of ₦39,000 is required in the Suspense Account to equalize the debit side with the credit total of ₦667,000.

Key Concept

Balancing Ledger Accounts and Extracting Trial Balance
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Balancing Ledger Accounts and Extracting Trial Balance

More questions from this topic