Debit

Debit Meaning

Debit is defined as an entry in the books of accounts of the company due to which either there is an increase in the assets of the company or there is any decrease in the liabilities of the company and according to the fundamental concept of the double-entry system in the accounting, total of the debits should always be equal to the total of the credits for the company.

Example of Debit Entry in Accounting

There is a company A ltd. which deals in selling readymade garments in the market. It decided to purchases the asset worth $ 100,000 by paying through the bank account and pay off the expense of $ 5,000 in cash for the electricity bill. How to record the transaction in the books of accounts, and what are the accounts that will be debited?

In the present case, the company entered into two different transactions, one for purchasing the assets and others for paying the expense. Below will be the accounting treatment for the transactions:

1. Purchasing the asset worth $ 100,000 by paying through the bank account

Whenever there is an increase in any asset accountAsset AccountAsset Accounts are one of the categories in the General Ledger Accounts holding all the credit & debit details of a Company’s assets. The examples include Short-Term Investments, Prepaid Expenses, Supplies, Land, equipment, furniture & fixtures etc. read more, then it will be debited, and in case there is a decrease in the asset account, then it will be credited. In this case, there will be a debit in the asset account as there is an increase in the assets with $ 100,000, and the bank account will be credited as there is a decrease in the bank account due to the purchase.

2. Pay off the expense of $ 5,000 in cash for the electricity bill.

Whenever there is an increase in any expense accountExpense AccountExpense accounting is the accounting of business costs incurred to generate revenue. Accounting is done against the vouchers created at the time the expenses are incurred.read more, then it will be debited, and in case there is a decrease in the expense account, then it will be credited. In the present case, there will be debit in the expense account as the cost of the company increased with $ 5,000, and the cash account will be credited as there is a decrease in the balance of the cash account, which is used to pay off the liability of the company.

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For eg:
Source: Debit (wallstreetmojo.com)

Advantages

1. It helps in identifying the mistake in case if committed while recording the transaction because, According to the double-entry systemDouble-entry SystemDouble Entry Accounting System is an accounting approach which states that each & every business transaction is recorded in at least 2 accounts, i.e., a Debit & a Credit. Furthermore, the number of transactions entered as the debits must be equivalent to that of the credits. read more of the accounting, every transaction which takes place in the business is recorded in the books of accounts in at least two different accounts. Out of that one account will be debited by entering the transaction in the left side of the particular account and the other account will be credited by entering the transaction in the right side of the specific account.
2. According to the fundamental concept of the double-entry system in the accountingSystem In The AccountingAccounting systems are used by organizations to record financial information such as income, expenses, and other accounting activities. They serve as a key tool for monitoring and tracking the company's performance and ensuring the smooth operation of the firm.read more, a total of debit should be equal to the total of credit, so in case of a mismatch between the total of debit and total of the credit side then one can know that some transactions have been posted by the company wrongly. Then measures can be taken to correct the same.
3. Rules help the person recording the transaction in identifying that which account is to be debited and which account is to be credited in the books of accounts.

Limitations

1. In case the person recording the transaction in the books of accounts of the company does not know the basic rule regarding which account is to be debited and which of the account in any transaction is to be credited. It would lead to the wrong recording of the transaction in the books.
2. According to the fundamental concept of the double-entry system in accounting, a total of the debits should always be equal to the total of the credits for the company, so in case there is a mismatch between the totals. One can know that some transactions have been posted by the company wrongly, but if the wrong amount is posted on both of the debit and credit side, then in that case also both debit and credit will be equal, and the mistake cannot be identified.

Important Points

• According to the double-entry system of accounting, every transaction which takes place in the business is recorded in the books of accounts in at least two different accounts. Out of that one account will be debited by entering the transaction in the left side of the particular account and the other account will be credited by entering the transaction in the right side of the specific account.
• In case any asset is debited, then it shows that there is an increase in the asset, and in case liability is debited. It indicates that there is a reduction in the liability of the company. Likewise, in case any income head is debited, then it means there is a reduction in the income of the company, whereas if any expense head is debited, then it shows that there is an increase in the cost of the company.

Conclusion

Thus, in case there is Debit in any of the accounts in the books of the company. It could be because of different reasons, which include an increase in the asset of the company, a decrease in the liability of the company, an increase in the cost or expense of the company, or a decrease in the revenue of the company.

As per the rule of the double-entry system in accounting, a total of the debit side in the books of accounts of the company should always be equal to the total of the credit side, so debits are balanced with the credits.

Recommended Articles

This article has been a guide to what is Debit, its meaning & its definition. Here we discuss an example of the debit entry in the books of accounts along with advantages and disadvantages. You can learn more about accounting & bookkeeping from the following articles –

• Accounts Payable – Is it Credit or Debit?
• Accounts Receivable – Is it Debit or Credit?
• Debit vs Credit in Accounting
• Debit Note