Special Journals - BC Bookkeeping Tutorials|dwmbeancounter.com

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Special Journals

Special Journals Records
Our Special Journals Revisited

Special Journals were briefly discussed in the Introduction to this tutorial. In this Lesson, we're going learn more about what they are and how they're used.

Special journals are nothing more than journals designed and used for recording a single type of transaction such as receiving cash or writing checks. What makes them special ? Simply that they only record certain types of transactions.

How do I know which special journal to use ? It's easy. The definition of the special journal tells you exactly what type of transaction should be recorded in what journal.

Let's use an easy illustration that we are all familiar with, a kitchen drawer, to make my point clear. In the drawer is one of those fancy plastic dividers that is used to store your eating utensils. Your rules and definitions for storing your eating utensils are:

  • Bin 1 Knives
  • Bin 2 Forks
  • Bin 3 Spoons

After washing and drying your eating utensils you pick up a spoon. Based on your rules and definitions what bin are you going to put it in ? I know I'm insulting your intelligence. Of course it goes in Bin 3.

It's not any different than how you determine what Special Journal to use when you record a transaction. The definition and rules of the special journal tell you in what journal the transaction should be recorded in.

If you recall, the steps for analyzing and recording a transaction are:
1. Recognize that a transaction (event) has occurred and what source documents such as sales invoices (tickets), invoices from suppliers, contracts, checks written or checks received , provide documentation (proof) that a transaction has occurred.
2. Understand how the transaction (event) affects the business-the type of transaction and whether it needs to be recorded in the formal bookkeeping records.
3. Determine what accounts are affected and whether the transaction increases or decreases the account balance.
4. Use the business's Chart of Accounts when necessary to determine the account numbers that represent these accounts.
5. Use the debit and credit rules to determine if the accounts are debited or credited.
6. Determine what Journal should be used to record the transaction.
7. Do It-Record the transaction.

Let's look at Step 6
Determine what Journal should be used to record the transaction.

How do we do this ? All we have to do, based on our definitions, is determine what bin (Special Journal) to put our forks, knives, and spoons (type of transaction) in.

First let's review the Definitions for the Special Journals.

The Cash Receipts Journal is a special journal that is used to record all receipts of cash.

The Sales Journal is a special journal where sales of services and merchandise made on account (business's customer is allowed to charge purchases) are recorded.

The Cash Disbursements Journal is a special journal that is used to record all cash that is paid out by a business except for payroll.

The Purchases Journal is a special journal that is used to record all purchases and various expenses and other charges from suppliers that a business has an open account with (supplier allows the business to charge purchases).

The Sales Return & Allowances Journal is a special journal that is used to record the returns and allowances of merchandise sold on account.

The Purchase Returns & Allowances Journal is a special journal that is used to record the returns and allowances of merchandise purchased on account.

The Payroll Journal is a special journal that is used to record and summarize salaries and wages paid to employees and the deductions for taxes and other authorized employee withholding amounts (not discussed in this tutorial).

The General Journal is the record used to record unusual or infrequent types of transactions. Type of entries normally made in the general journal are depreciation entries, correcting entries, and adjusting and closing entries.

Let's make a simple chart for six of the major Special Journals that tells us what type of transactions are recorded in these special journals.

  • Cash Receipts Journal
Types of Transactions Recorded:
Cash product sales / fees
Cash collected on customer accounts
Any other receipt (source) of cash

  • Sales/Revenue Journal
Type of Transaction Recorded:
Product Sales/Fees billed to customers who we have granted credit (charge sales)

  • Cash Payments Journal
Types of Transactions Recorded:
Cash paid for expenses
Cash payments to our suppliers on account or cash purchases
Cash purchase of supplies
Any other cash payment

  • Purchases Journal
Type of Transactions Recorded:
Purchase of Inventory on account
Purchase of any expense on account
Purchase of supplies on account
Purchase of equipment on account
Purchase of any other asset on account

  • Payroll Journal
Type of Transaction Recorded:
Cash payments to employees for salary & wages

  • General Journal
Types of Transactions Recorded:
Adjustments and Closing Entries

See, it's really quite easy to determine what journal to use to record business transactions. A little common sense goes a long way.

Remember it's your business and you could if you had a special need design your own special journal. If you wanted to know how much cash you received from customers in different states without doing a special analysis you could set up special cash receipts journals for all 50 states. But in this day and age a computer with good bookkeeping software would provide you with this and many more types of customer analyses.


What's Next ?

Supporting Records
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