Assets, expenses, losses, and the owner’s drawing account will normally have debit balances. Their balances will increase with a debit entry, and will decrease with a credit entry.

Liabilities, revenues and sales, gains, and owner equity and stockholders’ equity accounts normally have credit balances. These accounts will see their balances increase when the account is credited. Their balances will decrease when they debited.

For example, if a company borrows cash from its local bank, the company will debit its asset account Cash since the company’s cash balance is increasing. The same entry will include a credit to its liability account Notes Payable since that account balance is also increasing.

Learn more about Debits & Credits.

About the Author: Harold Averkamp (CPA) has worked as an accountant, consultant, and university accounting instructor for more than 25 years.

He is the creator of the AccountingCoach Pro which has been praised for its ability to simplify accounting in a way that anybody can understand.

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