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Before we dive into the trial balance, let's first understand the concepts of debit and
credit balances in ledger accounts.
**Debit Balance:**
A debit balance in a ledger account indicates that the total debits recorded in that account
exceed the total credits. It usually occurs in accounts like assets and expenses. For instance, if
a business spends more on expenses than it earns, the expense account will have a debit
balance.
**Credit Balance:**
On the other hand, a credit balance signifies that the total credits in the account exceed the total
debits. Accounts like liabilities, equity, and revenues often have credit balances. For example, if
a business secures a loan, the liability account will have a credit balance due to the increase in
the owed amount.
1. **Identify Accounts:** Start by listing all ledger accounts along with their balances (debit or
credit) in two columns.
2. **Separate Debits and Credits:** Arrange accounts with debit balances in the debit column
and accounts with credit balances in the credit column.
3. **Total the Columns:** Sum up the debit column and the credit column separately.
4. **Verify Equality:** The total of the debit column should equal the total of the credit column.
This confirms that the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) is in balance.
```
| Account Title | Debit Balance | Credit Balance |
|--------------------|---------------|----------------|
| Cash | $10,000 | |
| Accounts Receivable| $5,000 | |
| Inventory | $8,000 | |
| Equipment | $15,000 | |
| Accounts Payable | | $7,000 |
| Bank Loan | | $12,000 |
| Sales Revenue | | $20,000 |
| Utilities Expense | $2,500 | |
| Salaries Expense | $4,000 | |
|------------------- |---------------|----------------|
| TOTAL | $45,500 | $39,000 |
```
This summarizes the process of preparing a trial balance based on the debit and credit
balances of ledger accounts, providing a snapshot of a company's financial position at a specific
point in time.