Now forget what you’ve learned about debits or credits. In bookkeeping, their meanings aren’t so simple.
The only definite thing when it comes to debits and credits in the bookkeeping world is that a debit is on the left side of a transaction and a credit is on the right side of a transaction. Double- entry bookkeeping example: Purchasing an item with cash. Here’s an example of the practice in action. Suppose you purchase a new desk that costs $1,5. This transaction actually has two parts: You spend an asset — cash — to buy another asset — furniture. So, you must adjust two accounts in your company’s books: the Cash account and the Furniture account.
Here’s what the transaction looks like in a bookkeeping entry: Double- Entry Bookkeeping: Purchasing an Item with Cash. Account. Debit. Credit. Furniture$1,5. 00. Cash$1,5. 00. In this transaction, you record the accounts impacted by the transaction. The debit increases the value of the Furniture account, and the credit decreases the value of the Cash account. For this transaction, both accounts impacted are asset accounts, so, looking at how the balance sheet is affected, you can see that the only changes are to the asset side of the balance sheet equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
Furniture increase = No change to this side of the equation. Cash decrease. In this case, the books stay in balance because the exact dollar amount that increases the value of your Furniture account decreases the value of your Cash account. At the bottom of any journal entry, you should include a brief description that explains the purpose for the entry. Double- entry accounting example: Purchasing items on credit.
To show you how you record a transaction if it impacts both sides of the balance sheet equation, here’s an example that shows how to record the purchase of inventory. Suppose that you purchase $5,0. These new widgets add value to your Inventory Asset account and they also add to your Accounts Payable account. Balancing your entries may look simple here, but sometimes bookkeeping entries can get very complex when more than two accounts are impacted by the transaction.