Retained Earnings Account

JO-ANNE_7327707
JO-ANNE_7327707 Member Posts: 260 ✭✭✭
in Accounts Hosted

Our Accountant has come back and said there is an amount that has been entered into the Retained Earnings Account. I've had a look at it and it is a system generated entry - closing entry. Is there a way I can find out what this entry is made up of

Comments

  • Bruce
    Bruce Member Posts: 441 Professional Partner Professional Partner

    You are correct - by and large, Retained Earnings is system generated.

    By definition it is the accumulated profits from previous financial years. Normally the only transactions posted directly to this account relate to payment of dividends (Cr Bank, Dr Retained Earnings), assuming that dividends haven't previously been reported on the P&L statement.

    It is probably worthwhile running a transaction report on the retained earnings account just to double check that no other transactions have been posted directly into it.

    I must admit to being a bit surprised that an accountant has what are "retained earnings"?

  • JO-ANNE_7327707
    JO-ANNE_7327707 Member Posts: 260 ✭✭✭

    no he hasn't asked what retained earnings are.

    He has noticed a difference in the account from June 20, an amount has appeared in the account but I can't work out what it is.

    The other closing entry transactions are the profit for the year.

  • Bruce
    Bruce Member Posts: 441 Professional Partner Professional Partner
    edited June 2021

    Is it the treatment of the 2019-20 profit?

    By way of an example

    at 30 June 2020, RAH might show

    • retained earnings 1000
    • net income (being the 2019-20 profit) of 100

    assuming no other transactions on 1 July 2020 RAH would then show

    • retained earnings 1100
    • net income (being the 2020-21 profit) of nil


    If this is not the solution, then definitely run the transaction report

  • JO-ANNE_7327707
    JO-ANNE_7327707 Member Posts: 260 ✭✭✭

    yes most of it is the profit, but there is an entry in the retained earnings account that shows as a closing entry, but I cannot go into it to see where it has come from

  • Bruce
    Bruce Member Posts: 441 Professional Partner Professional Partner

    Not sure what would give rise to this. Only suggestion I have if you can't drill down is to reproduce the report for the previous financial year and see if anything shows up there. Good luck

  • Acctd4
    Acctd4 Accredited Partner Posts: 3,401 Reckon Accounts Hosted Expert Reckon Accounts Hosted Expert
    edited June 2021

    If you make further entries dated within the FY, the program will auto-enter additional Closing Entries accordingly in order to balance it (as it posts the net profit which obviously then changes) ☺️

    Shaz Hughes Dip(Fin) ACQ NSW, MICB

    *** Reckon Accredited Partner (AP) Bookkeeper - specialising EXCLUSIVELY in Reckon Accounts / Hosted ! ***

    * Regd BAS Agent (No: 92314 015)* ICB-Certified Bookkeeper* Snr Seasonal Tax Consultant since 2003 *

    Accounted 4 Bookkeeping Services

    Ballajura, WA

    shaz@accounted4.com.au

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    (NB: Please give my post a Like or mark as Accepted Answer if I have been able to resolve your query as this helps others when seeking solutions!)

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