7707 Accounting Notes Topic: Control Account
Control Account: are memorandum accounts for debtors and creditors.
Introduction: If the trial balance fails to balance and the error cannot be readily located, it is
necessary to check all the accounting records. This can take a considerable amount of time. The
checking process can be speeded up if a control account for the sales ledger and purchase ledger
has been prepared. These accounts act as a check on the individual accounts within these
ledgers.
They are prepared as:
Sales Ledger Control Account – for debtors (or accounts receivable)
Purchases Ledger Control Account – for creditors (or accounts payable)
Accounting Concept Applied:
Prudence Concept
Matching Concept
Benefits of maintaining control accounts.
Check on the arithmetical accuracy of the ledgers
Provide information for financial statements
Financial statements can be prepared quickly
Helps to detect and prevent fraud
Helps to detect errors
Calculate the total value of trade receivables (debtors) / trade payables (creditors)
Limitations of control account:
Control Accounts can only check the arithmetical accuracy, It doesn’t identify errors of
commission/omission/compensating/original entry
Control accounts do not guarantee the accuracy of individual ledger accounts, which
may contain compensating errors.
Contra Entry / Set Off: The concept of set off refers to clearing off the due amounts with the
creditors who are business debtors also: To set off, businesses reduce the creditors, and
debtors both against each other, the excess amount is then paid by the party, who had larger
due amount.
Journal Entry
Set Off: Purchase Ledger (Dr)
Set Off: Sales Ledger (Cr)
Why trade receivables might have credit balance.
Advance payment from customers (Payment in advance)
Over/duplicated payments by customers (Overpayment)
Return of goods(Credit note issued) after full payment (Deposit received)
7707 Accounting Notes Topic: Control Account
INFORMATION: To prepare control account is obtained from the books of prime entry.
Sales Ledger Control Account
Sales Ledger Control Account Source of Information
(Items included)
Opening balances Total of balances in debtors accounts under sales
ledger
Credit sales Total of sales day book
Return Inwards Total of sales return day book
Bad Debts / Bad Debt Recovered General Journal
Bank and Cash received from Cash Book (Receipt side)
debtors
Discount Allowed Cash Book (Receipt Side)
Interest Received on over due General Journal
payments from debtors
Set off / Contra General Journal
Closing Balance Total of balances in debtors accounts under sales
ledger
Purchases Ledger Control Account
Purchases Ledger Control Account Source of Information
(Items included)
Opening balances Total of balances in creditors accounts under
purchases ledger
Credit Purchases Total of purchases day book
Return Outwards or Purchase Return Total of purchases return day book
Bank and Cash paid to creditors Cash Book (Payment side)
Discount Received Cash Book (Payment Side)
Interest charged by creditors General Journal
Closing Balance Total of balances in creditors accounts under
purchases ledger
Reason for keeping Control Account
To prepare for the losses likely to arise in the future (Prudence Concept)
To avoid overstatement of profits
As future bad debts relate to current year sales so they are offset against current year income
(Matching Concept) to avoid overvaluation of trade receivables in balance sheet.