Single Entry Partnership Ledger
Single Entry Partnership Ledger
CHANGING CORPORATION BOOKS TO DOUBLE ENTRY
13. Corporation books are seldom kept by single entry, but such cases are not impossible to find. In Chicago, there is a manufacturing corporation which has been in business for more than twenty years and is doing a business of a quarter million dollars a year, whose books have been kept by single entry. Not until January 1909 was an accountant called in to change their books to a modern double entry system.
In the case cited a capital stock account was kept, and dividends were paid in cash. The routine followed by the accountant was to first take an inventory of machinery, material, supplies, goods in process, and manufactured goods. Then the land and buildings were appraised at their present value. Accounts had been kept with real estate and machinery, but repairs to buildings had been charged to real estate, thus showing a fictitious increase in value, and no depreciation had been charged against machinery. There was also a merchandise account which had been charged with all purchases and credited with all sales, so that it furnished no information of value.
For these reasons only personal accounts, capital stock, bank account, and cash were taken from the books in making up a statement of assets and liabilities. In making this statement capital stock was included as a liability and the excess of assets over liabilities represented surplus.
The statement was entered in the journal and accounts representing each item were opened in a new ledger. The balance was credited to surplus account and the books were in balance. Subsequently, the different expense accounts were opened as the transactions requiring their use arose.
Had the directors insisted, the accountant would have been obliged to enter real estate and machinery at the values shown in the old accounts, but an inventory of merchandise would have been necessary in any event.
A safe rule in changing the books of a corporation to double entry is to make a statement of assets and liabilities, including capital stock in liabilities. Then open the necessary accounts and credit the difference in the statement to surplus account.