jump to content of this page Bized logo linked to homepage
Bookmark and Share

Pepe's Pizza Parlour

Why Is It Called a "Double Entry" Bookkeeping System?

You have already seen examples of the types of accounts held in each of the ledgers. You now have to think of the business as nothing else but a collection of accounts. Some of these accounts owe the business money and some of them are owed money by the business. All of the accounts must balance. At any one time the total value of the accounts in credit must equal the total value of the accounts in debt. When the business makes any transaction at all money is moved from one account to another. If for example Pepe makes a payment of £200.00 for some flour which he purchased from Alberto's wholesalers then Alberto's account is debited by £200.00. Alberto is the receiver of money and the transaction is therefore entered on the debit side. (Remember the principle; Debit the receiver, credit the giver.)

Alberto's Account
DR CR
Debit Side Credit Side
Date Details Folio Amount Date Details Folio Amount
Balance b/d 500.00
May 10 Purchase of flour XYZ 200.00

Alberto is one of Pepe's creditors. He supplies Pepe with flour on a regular basis. You can see that at the beginning of the accounting period Pepe owed Alberto £500.00. After the payment was made this figure will be reduced to £300.00. Alberto has received money and his account must be debited. In order that the accounts balance another account must be credited. In this case it is the bank account.

Bank Account - Pepe's Pizza Parlour
DR CR
Debit Side Credit Side
Date Details Folio Amount Date Details Folio Amount
Balance b/d 1,640.00
May 10 Payment for flour XYZ 200.00
May 23 Payment for oven liner C950 160.00
May 31 Balance c/d 2,000.00
2,000.00 2,000.00
Balance b/d 2,000.00

In this case the bank account is already Pepe's creditor by the fact that Pepe has an overdraft. Before the payment was made to Alberto, Pepe owed the bank £1,640. With a £200.00 payment to Alberto and one other payment this figure has risen to £2,000.00. Let's see another example of double entries.

Continue..