Guide
Standard business: services & products
Use these patterns for typical small/mid-size businesses. Each example lists debits (left) and credits (right) so your totals balance.
What is double-entry?
Double-entry keeps every money movement balanced: for every debit there’s a credit, and totals always match. Instead of one running total, you use multiple accounts (cash, revenue, payables, etc.) to show where money came from and where it went.
Why multiple accounts? They give clarity: cash up or down, revenue earned, liabilities owed, equity changing. Balancing debits and credits means you can trust the ledger—errors show up immediately, and you can prove history to teammates and auditors.
For a deeper dive, see Investopedia: Double-Entry Accounting.
Core accounts to set up
- Cash / Bank (asset)
- Accounts Receivable (asset) — if you invoice
- Accounts Payable (liability)
- Revenue (income)
- Operating Expenses (expense)
- Owner’s Equity (equity) — for funding/distributions
- Payroll Liabilities (liability) — taxes/withholdings if needed
Examples
Sale (paid immediately)
Customer pays at purchase time.
- Debit Cash / Bank
- Credit Revenue
Sale (on invoice)
Revenue recognized; cash arrives later.
- Debit Accounts Receivable
- Credit Revenue
When paid: Debit Cash, Credit Accounts Receivable.
Expense (cash/credit card)
Paying a vendor immediately.
- Debit Operating Expenses
- Credit Cash / Bank
Expense (bill to pay later)
You owe a vendor; pay later.
- Debit Operating Expenses
- Credit Accounts Payable
When you pay: Debit Accounts Payable, Credit Cash.
Payroll (simplified)
Ignoring detailed taxes for brevity.
- Debit Payroll Expense
- Credit Cash
For taxes/withholdings, credit Payroll Liabilities instead and pay them down later.
Owner funding
Owner injects cash into the business.
- Debit Cash
- Credit Owner’s Equity
Owner distribution
Paying the owner out.
- Debit Owner’s Equity
- Credit Cash
Refund to customer
Reverse revenue and cash received.
- Debit Refunds (Revenue contra) or Revenue
- Credit Cash
Checklist
- Always have at least one debit and one credit; totals match.
- Use clear descriptions so teammates and auditors understand intent.
- For reversals/adjustments, post a new transaction; history remains intact.