Which accounts do and do not require adjusting journal entries?

Asked by: Kasey Haag  |  Last update: September 26, 2026
Score: 5/5 (74 votes)

Adjusting journal entries are required at period-end for accrual-basis accounts where revenue/expense recognition differs from cash flow, specifically accrued revenues/expenses, prepaid expenses, unearned revenues, and depreciation. Conversely, Cash accounts generally do not require adjusting entries, as they are recorded when exchanged, ensuring accuracy.

What account does not require an adjusting entry?

The answer is cash accounts. Cash accounts are considered real accounts, and their balances are directly affected by cash transactions. Cash inflows and outflows are recorded at the time of the transaction, which means that adjusting entries are not necessary for cash accounts.

Are there any accounts that would never have an adjusting entry?

Cash. That's right—cash accounts generally don't require any adjusting entries. Cash is always recorded for every transaction that takes place.

What type of accounts require adjusting entries?

The five types of adjusting entries

  • Accrued revenues. When you generate revenue in one accounting period, but don't recognize it until a later period, you need to make an accrued revenue adjustment. ...
  • Accrued expenses. ...
  • Deferred revenues. ...
  • Prepaid expenses. ...
  • Depreciation expenses.

Which account is never affected by adjusting entries?

Cash is never affected by an adjusting journal entry. This is because an adjusting entry is being made at the financial closing period rather than when cash is exchanged.

A Complete Guide to Adjusting Entries

37 related questions found

Does a cash account require an adjusting entry?

Balance sheet accounts are assets, liabilities, and stockholders' equity accounts, since they appear on a balance sheet. The second rule tells us that cash can never be in an adjusting entry. This is true because paying or receiving cash triggers a journal entry.

Which of the following are usually not directly affected by adjusting entries?

Explanation: As a result of adjusting entries both income statement and balance sheet are affected. In the income statement, the expenses and revenues are impacted and in the balance sheet, the assets and liabilities are impacted. However, the captial stock accounts are not impacted as a result of adjusting entries.

What are the 4 types of adjusting journal entries?

There are four main types of adjusting entries: accruals, deferrals, estimates, and depreciation, each serving a different purpose. Adjusting entries are made after the trial balance is prepared to align financial records with accounting principles.

What accounts need to be adjusted?

There are four types of accounts that will need to be adjusted. They are accrued revenues, accrued expenses, deferred revenues and deferred expenses. Accrued revenues are money earned in one accounting period but not received until another.

Which of the following accounts will never require an adjusting entry?

Cash. Adjusting entries are needed to ensure that the account balances are up to date and accurate, especially for accounts like Salaries Expense, Fees Earned, and Salaries Payable. However, Cash is a real account that is not affected by timing differences and therefore does not require adjusting entries.

Do bookkeepers make adjusting entries?

Who uses adjusting entries? Business accountants and bookkeepers may use adjusting entries, especially if they practice accrual accounting. Conversely, businesses that use the cash basis method of accounting likely don't require accounting for adjusting journal entries.

Which of the following is not an adjustment entry?

Cash income is not an adjusting entry, as it is recorded when the cash is received, impacting the cash and revenue accounts directly. Other than cash income, all of the above options require the recognition of adjusting journal entries at the end of the accounting year.

What are the 7 types of journals in accounting?

7 Essential Accounting Journal Entries That Transform Financial Record-Keeping

  • Sales and Revenue Journal Entries. ...
  • Purchase and Expense Journal Entries. ...
  • Cash Receipts Journal Entries. ...
  • Cash Payments Journal Entries. ...
  • Adjusting Journal Entries. ...
  • Depreciation and Amortisation Entries. ...
  • Closing and Reversing Entries.

Which of the following accounts could not be credited in an adjusting entry: a interest receivable b office supplies c prepaid rent d service revenues?

For question 7, adjusting entries typically involve recognizing revenues earned and expenses incurred. Interest Receivable, Office Supplies, and Prepaid Rent can be credited in adjusting entries. Service Revenues are usually credited when revenue is earned, not in an adjusting entry. Therefore, the correct answer is d.

Does a building account require an adjusting entry?

Adjusting entries are the journal entries made after an accounting period to incorporate any adjustments to ledger accounts during the period. The building is never affected in the adjustment process. Yes, it does not require any adjusting entry.

Which of the following accounts would most likely not need to be adjusted at the end of the year?

The correct answer is A.

Cash is a current asset that does not require adjustment. It is credited when recording the adjusting entry for depreciation. It is adjusted when the rent expires for the period. It is adjusted at the end of each accounting period.

What is the difference between journal entry and adjusting journal entry?

✅ Adjusting Journal Entries – Made at the end of an accounting period to reflect the true financial position (e.g., accrued expenses, depreciation, unearned revenue adjustments). Key Takeaways from the Comparison: Impact – Regular entries affect accounts immediately; adjusting entries ensure accuracy at period-end.

What accounts require an adjusting entry?

Adjusting entries are commonly used to account for accrued expenses, prepaid expenses, depreciation, and unearned revenue. By making these adjustments, organizations comply with the accrual basis of accounting, which recognizes transactions when they occur rather than when cash changes hands.

What are the 5 main adjusting entries?

In the traditional sense, however, adjusting entries are those made at the end of the period to take up accruals, deferrals, prepayments, depreciation and allowances.

What are adjusting and non-adjusting events in accounting?

Adjusting events are events occurring after the reporting date that provide evidence of conditions that existed at the end of the reporting period. Non-adjusting events are events occurring after the reporting date that do NOT provide evidence of conditions that existed at the end of the reporting period.

What are the three rules of adjusting entries?

THREE ADJUSTING ENTRY RULES

  • Adjusting entries will never include cash. ...
  • Usually the adjusting entry will only have one debit and one credit.
  • The adjusting entry will ALWAYS have one balance sheet account (asset, liability, or equity) and one income statement account (revenue or expense) in the journal entry.

What should an adjusting entry never include?

The adjusting entries for a given accounting period are entered in the general journal and posted to the appropriate ledger accounts (note: these are the same ledger accounts used to post your other journal entries). Adjusting entries will never include cash.

Which account is never used is an adjusting entry.?

The Cash account is never used while preparing adjusting journal entries. Am I adjusting a revenue or an expense? What the revenue or expense paid in the past or will it be paid in the future.

Which asset account will an adjusting entry never impact?

Every adjusting entry will have at least one income statement account and one balance sheet account. Cash will never be in an adjusting entry.