Reversing entries are made on the first day of an accounting period
in order to remove certain adjusting entries made in the previous
accounting period.Reversing entries are used in order to avoid the
double counting of revenues or expenses and to allow for the efficient
processing of documents.Reversing entries are most often used with
accrual-type adjusting entries.
To illustrate reversing entries,let’s assume that a retailer uses a
temporary help service from December 15 – 31.The temp agency will bill
the retailer on January 10 and the retailer agrees to pay the invoice by
January 15.If the retailer’s accounting year ends on December 31,the
retailer will make an accrual-type adjusting entry for the estimated
amount.If the estimated amount is $18,000 the retailer will debit Temp
Service Expense for $18,000 and will credit Accrued Expenses Payable for
$18,000.This adjusting entry assures that the retailer’s income
statement and balance sheet as of December 31 will include the temp
service expense and obligation.
On January 1,the retailer enters the following reversing entry:
debit Accrued Expenses Payable for $18,000 and credit Temp Service
Expense for $18,000.When the actual invoice arrives from the temp
agency on January 11,the retailer can simply debit the invoice amount
to Temp Service Expense.If the invoice is $18,000 the Temp Service
Expense will show $0.(The credit from the reversing entry and the debit
from the invoice entry.) Thanks to the reversing entry,the retailer
did not have to stop and consider whether the invoice amount pertains to
December or January.
If the invoice amount is $18,180 the entire amount is debited to Temp
Service Expense and $180 will appear as a January expense.This
insignificant amount is acceptable since the adjusting entry amount was
an estimate.
另一种情况,用例子来说,如果你2000年计入了一笔房租deposit - 押金（性质与平prepayment一样）,
Dr.Deposit
Cr.Cash
今年你停止了租用并且发现押金拿不回来了,你
Dr.Expense
Cr.Deposit
有时候也说这是对与deposit的reversal