What is GL and SL?

Asked by: Kevin Herzog  |  Last update: August 19, 2026
Score: 5/5 (57 votes)

GL (General Ledger) is the master record of all a company's financial transactions, providing a high-level summary of assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses for financial statements. SL (Sub-ledger or Subsidiary Ledger) provides detailed breakdowns of specific, high-volume accounts—such as accounts receivable, payable, or inventory—feeding summarized totals into the GL.

What do GL and SL mean?

Understanding the interplay between the general ledger (GL) and subsidiary ledgers (SL) is crucial for accurate financial management. They work together to provide a complete and balanced view of your company's finances.

What is GL and SL in accounting?

A general ledger is your master chart of accounts that shows a list of transactions, you cannot run a business without it. A sub-ledger explains transactions and feeds into the general ledger. You do not have to have a sub-ledger. However, we find that many small businesses do better when using sub-ledgers.

What is GL and SL reconciliation?

General ledger (GL) reconciliation involves comparing the sub-ledgers and resolving discrepancies. SL reconciliation may involve comparing individual sub-ledger entries with supporting documents.

What does SL mean in accounting?

In FAMIS, Subsidiary Ledger (SL) accounts are six-digit numbers used to track revenues, expenses, budgets and encumbrances for a single department and purpose.

GENERAL LEDGER: Visual Guide to Posting Journals

24 related questions found

What does SL mean in finance?

A Stop Loss is an instruction to close a trade at a specific rate or amount. If the market reaches your requested rate and you have lost the predetermined amount, the Stop Loss will trigger and automatically close your position. SL is mandatory on every position with the exception of non-leveraged BUY positions.

What is an example of a subledger vs general ledger?

For example, an accounts receivable subledger contains individual customer transactions, providing a granular view of outstanding balances. In contrast, the general ledger maintains summarized data for various financial categories, offering a broader but less detailed perspective.

What is GL and SL in SAP?

Both general ledger and subledger accounts are used to record financial transactions. The primary difference between the two is that the general ledger is a set of master accounts, whereas the subledger is a set of accounts that is a subset of the general ledger.

What are the 5 types of general ledger?

Typically, the accounts of the general ledger are sorted into five categories within a chart of accounts. These five categories are assets, liabilities, owner's equity, revenue, and expenses.

What are the 5 GL accounts?

The GL can be mainly categorized into five Types of General Ledger Accounts:

  • Asset: It includes cash, accounts receivable, land and building, etc.
  • Liabilities: It includes debt, accounts payable, loan, accrued expenses, etc.
  • Stock: ...
  • Operating revenues: ...
  • Operating expenses:

What is a GL entry?

An accounting journal entry is a mechanism for recording an accounting transaction in a company's accounting records, such as accounts receivable, cash, investments, equipment, inventory, land, and so on.

What are the two-two kinds of ledgers?

There are two types of ledgers: general ledgers (containing information on all accounts) and subsidiary ledgers (specific to certain general ledger accounts). The chart of accounts serves as a business blueprint and includes five categories: Asset accounts (what a company owns) Liability accounts (what a company owes)

How do you reconcile general ledger and subledger?

The general ledger to subledger reconciliation process generally consists of the following steps:

  1. Compare general ledger balance to the subledger balance.
  2. Investigate reasons for the difference.
  3. Adjust general and/or subledger.
  4. Compare adjusted balances.

What are the three golden rules of journal entry?

The three golden rules of accounting are (1) debit all expenses and losses, credit all incomes and gains, (2) debit the receiver, credit the giver, and (3) debit what comes in, credit what goes out.

What is an example of a GL account?

Examples of General Ledger Accounts

asset accounts such as Cash, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Investments, Land, and Equipment. liability accounts including Notes Payable, Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses Payable, and Customer Deposits.

What are the 4 types of accounts in accounting?

Typically, businesses use many types of accounts to keep track of their financial information and current value. These can include asset, expense, income, liability and equity accounts.

What is the difference between GL and SL accounting?

Here's the difference: General Ledger (GL): • The master record of all financial transactions. Provides a summary of accounts (Assets, Liabilities, Income, Expenses, Equity). Used to prepare financial statements. Sub-Ledger (SL): • A detailed record that supports specific GL accounts.

What is GL used for?

A general ledger or GL code is a unique identification code that allows businesses to classify and track their financial activity. It helps organizations record information on purchases, sales, and other transactions to create more accurate accounting records.

What are the 4 steps of reconciliation?

There are four primary actions in the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, all of which contribute in some way to the healing that takes place: confession of sin; expression of contrition or sorrow for sin; doing penance ("satisfaction"), which expresses a desire to avoid sin; and absolution from sin.

What are the 5 steps to reconcile your account?

Here are 8 steps that will help you understand how to do bank reconciliation:

  1. Acquire bank statements. ...
  2. Aggregate business records. ...
  3. Match deposits and withdrawals to the balance sheet. ...
  4. Check income and expenses. ...
  5. Identify errors with check deposits. ...
  6. Check for other transactions. ...
  7. Adjust balances. ...
  8. Final check.

What skills are needed for reconciliation?

Ability to:

  • Analyze discrepancies, identify, and resolve issues.
  • Maintaining accurate records.
  • Contribute to process improvements and develop or refine standard operating procedures and support cross-functional initiatives.
  • Demonstrate leadership potential.
  • Take ownership of assigned areas.

Is accounts payable a subledger?

The accounts payable subsidiary ledger is a breakdown of the total amount of payables listed on the general ledger. In other words, the subsidiary ledger contains the individual payables owed to each of the suppliers and vendors, as well as the amounts owed.

What is another name for general ledger?

Sometimes, the general ledger is also known as the book of final entry.

What is the difference between GL account and reconciliation account?

The GL is the central record for all financial activity. AR to GL reconciliation specifically identifies and investigates differences between the AR subledger (which tracks all customer invoices, payments, and related adjustments) and the GL (which feeds into official financial statements).