Why Close Accounts?
At the end of the financial period, the revenue, expense and inventory accounts (nominal accounts) must be closed by transferring their balances to the Trading and Profit & Loss Account. After closing, nominal accounts have a nil balance and start afresh in the next period. Only asset, liability and capital accounts (real accounts) have balances carried forward.
Key idea
Revenue accounts have credit balances → close by Debit revenue, Credit Trading/Profit & Loss.
Expense accounts have debit balances → close by Debit Profit & Loss, Credit expense.
Closing Entries for Inventory
- Opening inventory: Debit Trading account, Credit Inventory account.
- Closing inventory: Debit Inventory account, Credit Trading account. This balance is carried forward as the opening inventory of the new period.
Example
On 31 December, the general journal closes the accounts:
| Details | Debit (RM) | Credit (RM) |
| Sales Trading account | 78,000 | 78,000 |
| Profit & Loss Rent | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Inventory account (closing) Trading account | 6,000 | 6,000 |
After net profit is found, it is closed by Debit Profit & Loss, Credit Capital.
Nominal versus Real Accounts
Nominal accounts (revenue and expenses) measure performance for one period only, so they must be emptied so that the next period starts from zero. Real accounts (assets and liabilities) and the capital account represent continuing values, so their balances are carried forward as balance b/d (balance brought down). Closing off correctly ensures that profit is measured for the right period and that no income or expense from a past period is mixed into the new one. After the closing entries are recorded in the general journal, they are posted to the ledger so that each nominal account is neatly closed before an adjusted trial balance is drawn up.
Remember
Nominal accounts are closed each period; real accounts are carried forward as balance b/d.