Which of the following statements is true?
A. If a debit entry is made to an account in the general journal, the same account will receive a credit entry when the amount is posted to the general ledger.
B. If all transactions are correctly posted to the general ledger, the sum of the accounts with debit balances should be equal to the sum of the accounts with credit balances.
C. Posting occurs when numbers in the general ledger accounts are transferred to the general journal.
D. If the sum of the debit balances equals the sum of the credit balances, this proves that there were no mistakes made in the posting process.
The correct answer and explanation is :
Correct Answer: B. If all transactions are correctly posted to the general ledger, the sum of the accounts with debit balances should be equal to the sum of the accounts with credit balances.
Explanation:
The double-entry accounting system forms the foundation of modern bookkeeping. Under this system, every transaction affects at least two accounts: one account is debited, and another is credited for the same amount. This ensures that the accounting equation—Assets = Liabilities + Equity—always remains in balance.
Statement B is true because, when all transactions are recorded and posted correctly, the total of all debit balances should equal the total of all credit balances in the general ledger. This equality is tested through a trial balance, which helps verify the mathematical accuracy of the ledger entries.
Let’s evaluate the other options:
- Option A is false. A debit entry made to an account in the general journal will also be a debit in the general ledger for that same account—not a credit. The purpose of posting is to move each journal entry to the appropriate account in the ledger, preserving the entry’s nature (debit or credit).
- Option C is false. Posting is the process of transferring data from the general journal to the general ledger, not the other way around.
- Option D is misleading and therefore false. While equal debits and credits suggest arithmetic accuracy, it does not guarantee error-free posting. Errors like posting to the wrong account or incorrect amounts on both sides can still result in balanced books.
In summary, Statement B accurately reflects the principle of double-entry bookkeeping, where the balance between debits and credits confirms the integrity of the ledger’s arithmetic structure—though not necessarily the complete correctness of every individual entry.