In the form illustrated, columns are provided on the debit side for cash, purchase ledger (subdivided for discount and amount), bank deposits, and sundries; on the credit side, cash, sales ledger (subdivided for discount and amount), cash sales, bank withdrawals, and sundries. At first glance it might appear that this form is a departure from the regular form of cash book, but it should be remembered that the cash columns are the only ones having anything to do with the cash account. A cash receipt is entered in the cash debit column, but the amount is credited to its source through the proper credit column; thus a payment received on account is debited to cash and credited through the sales ledger column. A deposit is credited to cash and debited to bank deposits; the payment of a purchase ledger account by check is credited to bank withdrawals, and debited to purchase ledger account.
The discount columns are memorandum columns only, the net cash being entered in the amount columns under purchase and sales ledger. These columns are included that the total payment may be posted to personal accounts in purchase or sales ledger. The totals of these columns are to be posted to discount and interest columns at the end of the month.
The total amount to be posted to the debit of the purchase ledger account and to the credit of sales ledger account is made up of the totals of the discount and amount columns.
The sundries columns are provided for all entries for which there are no special columns and are used principally for transactions affecting general ledger accounts. These columns are sometimes used for ordinary journal entries not involving an exchange of cash, but their use for this purpose is strongly advised against. The cash book should be used exclusively for recording cash transactions. When columnar purchase, sales, and cash books are used, the journal is only needed for adjusting and closing entries, and for this purpose it is best to provide an ordinary two-column journal.
SUBDIVISION OF EXPENSE ACCOUNT
12. In every business there are several classes of expense and it is very useful to know the exact amount of each class. When all expenses are charged under one head, it is impossible to determine without considerable checking, whether or not any particular class of expense is more than it should be. It is customary, therefore, to subdivide expense and to open accounts in the ledger for different classes of expense. Some subdivisions in common use are rent (paid), insurance, taxes, interest and discount, in freight, out freight, salaries, labor, fuel, office supplies, telegraph and telephone, postage, general expense, etc. The exact subdivisions used must of necessity be governed by the nature of the business. For instance, the item of telegraph and telephone charges may be of importance in one business, while in another, the number of such charges would be so small that a separate account is not warranted.
PETTY CASH VOUCHER
13. A form of envelope voucher for petty cash is illustrated. A strong manilla envelope in what is known as size #10 takes the place of the petty cash book. It is ruled for a record of payments, and a receipt for each payment is placed in the envelope. At the bottom is a space for a distribution of the amounts to the proper accounts. When the petty cash fund is depleted—or at stated intervals—a check is drawn for the amount expended and it is charged through the cash book, leaving petty cash intact. The amount of the petty cash fund is considered as cash on hand, and the voucher envelope accounts for any part of the fund not actually in the cash drawer. Petty cash should be used sparingly, as it is intended only for small expense items when it is inconvenient to give a check. When the books are closed, the petty cash expenditures may be charged through the cash book as cash payments, instead of drawing a check.
Petty Cash Voucher