Debits vs Credits [Bookkeeping 101] | Lendio (2024)

The foundation of good accounting is accurate and detailed bookkeeping. Much like you use a map when traveling, you should use your financial records to direct your business forward.

Bookkeeping starts with tracking debits and credits. Understanding the differences between these two types of accounting entries can help you manage your business successfully.

Additionally, accurate books can ensure that your business reports accurate numbers to the IRS and never experiences an account overdraft. Keep reading to better understand debits and credits and how to record them when bookkeeping.

What are debits vs. credits?

If you’ve ever played golf (or at least seen a scorecard), then you understand the concept of debits and credits. After every hole, you input your strokes and add or subtract that score against par for the course. If you get a birdie, you subtract one stroke from your score. And if you get a bogey, you add one. The act of adding or subtracting from your score is similar to debiting or crediting.

Businesses can have hundreds or thousands of debits and credits every month, depending on how many transactions they make.

What is a debit?

In accounting, a debit represents an increase in assets or a decrease in liabilities or equity. Importantly, a debit does not necessarily indicate a business has more available money to work with.

What is a credit?

Conversely, a credit is an entry in accounting records that represent a decrease in assets or an increase in liabilities or equity. A good way to think about credits and debits is that they are equal, but opposite, entries within your financial books.

How are debits and credits used in double-entry bookkeeping?

Newton’s Third Law of Motion says that with every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Double-entry bookkeeping follows a similar principle—every transaction has an equal and opposite transaction (i.e., counter-transaction).

Because most businesses use double-entry bookkeeping, we’ll dive a bit further into debits and credits using this method. This form of accounting records every business transaction twice: both as a credit and a debit.

For example, if you decide to open a restaurant, you may have $10,000 in cash saved up to start investing in your business. With this capital, you might buy a professional commercial stove and griddle for $3000. With double-entry bookkeeping, you would credit the cash account $3,000 (decreasing cash) and debit the equipment account that same $3,000 (increasing your equipment asset account).

DebitCredit
Equipment$3,000
Cash$3,000

How accounts reflect debits and credits.

What’s interesting about debits and credits is that they have different effects, depending on the type of account (see table below). For example, the transaction of paying your utility bill will create a credit for your accounts payable account and a debit for your utility expense account.

As a result, debits (dr) record money coming into an account, while credits (cr) report money leaving an account (to create value elsewhere). For effective bookkeeping, this flow of money is tracked as a journal entry and will indicate an increase or decrease to an account. On your accounting journal, debits will go on the left-hand side and credits the right.

To illustrate debits and credits, we’ll use 2 accounts: Cash and Materials. Let’s say you want to spend $500 on materials for your business. You would take $500 from your Cash account (credit) and put that $500 into your Materials account (debit). The act of crediting and debiting your accounts simply records how money flows within different areas of your business.

The table below demonstrates how the account changes based on whether you are making a debit or credit.

IncreasesDecreases
ExpensesDebit (dr)Credit (cr)
AssetsDebit (dr)Credit (cr)
LiabilitiesCredit (cr)Debit (dr)
RevenueCredit (cr)Debit (dr)
EquityCredit (cr)Debit (dr)

As you can see above, if you increase an asset account, it will require a debit, but if you increase a liability account, it will require a credit. These nuances can be complicated at first. However, as you begin working with your books and consulting others as needed, you’ll gain more confidence and understanding of how to track the flow of money best for your business.

Debits and credit examples.

Here are some examples of common transactions that involve debits and credits:

  1. Purchase of inventory When a business purchases inventory, it is recorded as a debit to the inventory account and a credit to the accounts payable account, assuming the business is paying on credit.
  1. Sale of goods or services – When a business makes a sale on credit, it is recorded as a debit to the accounts receivable account. A credit is also recorded to the sales or revenue account. This means that the business has increased its assets and its revenue.
  1. Payment of expenses When a business pays for expenses, such as rent or utilities, it is recorded as a debit to the expense account and a credit to the cash account. This means that the business has decreased its assets and its expenses.
  1. Loan repayment When a business makes a loan payment, it is recorded as a debit to the loan account and a credit to the cash account. This means that the business has decreased its liabilities (the amount owed on the loan) and its assets (cash).

These examples illustrate how debits and credits are used to record the financial transactions of a business. Understanding how to correctly record these transactions helps business leaders make informed decisions about their operations. It is important to note the basic principles of debits and credits are universal, but there can be many variations and nuances in how a business records these transactions.

Information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be business, legal, tax, or accounting advice. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Lendio. While Lendio strives to keep its content up-to-date, it is only accurate as of the date posted. Offers or trends may expire, or may no longer be relevant.
Debits vs Credits [Bookkeeping 101] | Lendio (2024)

FAQs

Debits vs Credits [Bookkeeping 101] | Lendio? ›

Sale of goods or services – When a business makes a sale on credit, it is recorded as a debit to the accounts receivable account. A credit is also recorded to the sales or revenue account. This means that the business has increased its assets and its revenue.

What is the difference between a debit and a credit in bookkeeping? ›

The individual entries on a balance sheet are referred to as debits and credits. Debits (often represented as DR) record incoming money, while credits (CR) record outgoing money.

What is the rule of debits and credits in accounting? ›

The following are the rules of debit and credit which guide the system of accounts, they are known as the Golden Rules of accountancy: First: Debit what comes in, Credit what goes out. Second: Debit all expenses and losses, Credit all incomes and gains. Third: Debit the receiver, Credit the giver.

How do you remember which accounts are debits and credits? ›

The accounting equation must always be in balance, the left side (assets) must always be equal to the right side (liabilities and equity). An increase to the left side of the equation is a debit (debit means left), and an increase in the right side of the equation is a credit (credit means right).

What is the basic rule of bookkeeping debit the receiver and credit? ›

The golden rule for personal accounts is: debit the receiver and credit the giver. In this example, the receiver is an employee and the giver will be the business. Hence, in the journal entry, the Employee's Salary account will be debited and the Cash / Bank account will be credited.

What are debits and credits in accounting for dummies? ›

Debits are recorded on the left side of an accounting journal entry. A credit increases the balance of a liability, equity, gain or revenue account and decreases the balance of an asset, loss or expense account. Credits are recorded on the right side of a journal entry. Increase asset, expense and loss accounts.

What is the golden rule of accounting debit and credit? ›

The three golden rules of accounting are (1) debit all expenses and losses, credit all incomes and gains, (2) debit the receiver, credit the giver, and (3) debit what comes in, credit what goes out.

Is salaries expense a debit or credit? ›

Debit all expenses and losses and credit all incomes and gains. So the normal balance of any expense that a company makes is a debit balance. Hence it can be said that the normal balance of the salaries and wages expenses is a debit balance.

Is rent expense a debit or credit? ›

For example, when a company makes a sale, it credits the Sales Revenue account. Expenses, including rent expense, cost of goods sold (COGS), and other operational costs, increase with debits. When a company pays rent, it debits the Rent Expense account, reflecting an increase in expenses.

Is retained earnings a debit or credit? ›

Q: Is Retained Earnings a debit or credit? A: Retained Earnings is a credit balance account. It increases with a credit entry when the company earns profits and decreases with a debit entry when the company distributes dividends or incurs losses.

Is equipment a debit or credit? ›

The purchase of property, plant, or equipment results in a debit to the asset section of the balance sheet. The credit is based on what form of payment you use as the customer. If you use cash, then you would credit cash.

Is revenue a debit or credit? ›

Debits are the opposite of credits in an accounting system. Assets and expenses have natural debit balances, while liabilities and revenues have natural credit balances.

What is the dead rule in accounting? ›

DEAD Rule. The DEAD rule is a simple mnemonic that helps us easily remember that we should always Debit Expenses, Assets, and Dividend accounts, respectively. The normal balance in such cases would be a debit, and debits would increase the accounts, while credits would decrease them.

What is the acronym for debits vs credits? ›

The mnemonic acronym DEALER can help remember these rules: Debit: Dividends, Expenses, and Assets. Credit: Liabilities, Equity, and Revenue.

How do you know if its debit or credit in accounting? ›

Debits are always on the left side of the entry, while credits are always on the right side, and your debits and credits should always equal each other in order for your accounts to remain in balance. In this journal entry, cash is increased (debited) and accounts receivable credited (decreased).

What is an example of a debit and a credit? ›

Say you purchase $1,000 in inventory from a vendor with cash. To record the transaction, debit your Inventory account and credit your Cash account. Because they are both asset accounts, your Inventory account increases with the debit while your Cash account decreases with a credit.

What is the difference between a debit and a credit in Quickbooks? ›

Debits increase asset and expense accounts while decreasing liability, revenue, and equity accounts. On the other hand, credits decrease asset and expense accounts while increasing liability, revenue, and equity accounts. In addition, debits are on the left side of a journal entry, and credits are on the right.

Is debit money in or out? ›

A debit to your bank account occurs when you use funds from the account to buy something or pay someone. When your bank account is debited, money is taken out of the account. The opposite of a debit is a credit, in which case money is added to your account.

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