1. a. Common asset accounts: cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, prepaid expenses (rent, insurance, etc.), office supplies, store supplies, equipment, building, and land. b. Common liability accounts: accounts payable, notes payable, and unearned revenue, wages payable, and taxes payable. c. Common equity accounts: common stock and retained earnings and dividends.
2. A note payable is formal promise, usually denoted by signing a promissory note to pay a future amount. A note payable can be short-term or long-term, depending on when it is due, and usually carries an interest charge based on amount and time. An account payable also references an amount owed to an entity. An account payable can be oral or implied, and often arises from the purchase of inventory, supplies, or services. An account payable is usually short-term and not charged interest.
3. There are several steps in processing transactions: (1) Identify and analyze the transaction or event, including the source document(s), (2) apply double-entry accounting, (3) record the transaction or event in a journal, and (4) post the journal entry to the ledger. These steps would be followed by preparation of a trial balance and then with the reporting of financial statements.
4. A general journal can be used to record any business transaction or event.
5. Debited accounts are commonly recorded first. The credited accounts are commonly indented.
6. Expense accounts have debit balances because they are decreases to equity (and equity has a credit balance).
7. A transaction is first recorded in a journal to create a complete record of the transaction in one place. (The journal is often referred to as the book of original entry.) This process reduces the likelihood of errors in ledger accounts.
8. The recordkeeper prepares a trial balance to summarize the contents of the ledger and to verify the