CHAPTER 17

Control accounts

Contents

Internal check Control accounts Control account reconciliations

Internal check

Also known as internal controls, ensure that transactions to be recorded and processed have been authorised, that they are all included and that they are correctly recorded and accurately processed.

A trial balance Bank

reconciliations Control account

reconciliations Segregation of

duties Authorisation

What is it? Types of internal check

Control accounts

A control account is an account in the nominal ledger in which a record is kept of the total value of a number of similar but individual items.

Control accounts are used chiefly for receivables and payables

Question

A payables control account contains the following entries.

Bank 79,500

Credit purchases 83,200

Discounts received 3,750

Contra with receivables control account 4,000

Balance c/f at 31 December 20X8 12,920

There are no other entries in the account. What was the opening balance brought forward at 1 January 20X8?

Answer: 16,970

Reasons for having control accounts Check accuracy of entries made in the

personal accounts Assist in the location of errors Internal check where there is separation

of bookkeeping duties A balance can be extracted quickly for

producing a trial balance or statement of financial position

Control account reconciliationsThe balance on the receivables control is $15,091. List of

receivables ledger balances totals $15,320. The following errors are discovered.

(a) A receivable paid $10 in cash. This has been correctly recorded in the receivables ledger, but no entries in the control account.

(b) One of the receivables had a credit balance of $60. However this has been included as a debit balance

(c) Returns inwards of $35 have been recorded in the receivables ledger, but not in the receivables control account.

(d) One page of the sales day book has been undercast by $100.

(e) When a sales invoice for $95 was entered in the receivables ledger, the figures were transposed and shown as $59.

(f) An error has been made in totalling the list of receivables ledger balances, which has been overcast by $90.

Solution

Question

The total of the balances in a company's receivables ledger is $800 more than the debit balance on its receivables control account. Which one of the following errors could by itself account for the discrepancy?

A The sales day book has been undercast by $800B Settlement discounts totalling $800 have been

omitted from the nominal ledgerC One receivables ledger account with a credit

balance of $800 has been treated as a debit balanceD The cash receipts book has been undercast by $800Answer: A

Quiz

1 What is a control account?2 What does the balance on the payables control

account represent?3 A dishonoured cheque is a credit entry in the

receivables control account. True or false?4 How might a credit balance arise in the receivables

control account?5 Why might the balance on the receivables control

account not agree with the total of the individual customers' balances?

6 When may a control account act as an internal check?

Answer

1 A record is kept of the total value of a number of similar but individual items.

2 The total amount owed by the business to its suppliers.

3 False4 A customer may return goods or overpay his balance.5 (i) A transposition error

(ii) The day book could be miscast.(iii) A transaction may be omitted from the control account or the memorandum account.(iv) The total may be incorrectly extracted.

6 Where there is separation of bookkeeping duties

QB 34

You are given the following information:Trade receivables at 1 January 20X3Trade receivables at 31 December 20X3Total receipts during 20X3 (including cash sales of

$5,000)Sales on credit during 20X3 amount to:A $81,000B $86,000C $79,000D $84,000Answer: C

QB 36

The receivables ledger control account at 1 May had balances of $32,750 debit and $1,275 credit. During May, sales of $125,000 were made on credit. Revenues from trade receivables amounted to $122,500 and cash discounts of $550 were allowed. Refunds of $1,300 were made to customers.

The closing balances at 31 May could beA $35,175 debit and $3,000 creditB $35,675 debit and $2,500 creditC $36,725 debit and $2,000 creditD $36,725 debit and $1,000 creditAnswer: C

QB 37

The debit side of a trial balance totals $50 more than the credit side. This could be due to

A A purchase of goods for $50 being omitted from the supplier's account

B A sale of goods for $50 being omitted from the customer's account

C An invoice of $25 for electricity being credited to the electricity account

D A receipt for $50 from a receivable being omitted from the cash book

Answer: A

QB 38

The receivables ledger control account had a closing balance of $8,500. It contained a contra to the payables ledger of $400, but that had been entered on the wrong side of the control account.

The correct balance on the control account should beA $7,700 debitB $8,100 debitC $8,400 debitD $8,900 debitAnswer: A

QB 39

Your payables ledger control account has a balance at 1 October 20X8 of $34,500 credit. During October, credit purchases were $78,400, cash purchases were $2,400 and payments made to suppliers, excluding cash purchases, and after deducting cash discounts of $1,200, were $68,900. Purchase returns were $4,700.

The closing balance was:A $38,100B $40,500C $47,500D $49,900Answer: A