What Is a Suspense Account?

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There have been times throughout the year when Michelle has used a suspense account because she was unsure of the correct accounting treatment. She also thinks there may be other errors which occurred that did not involve a suspense account. Suspense accounts and error correction are popular topics for examiners because they test candidates’ understanding of bookkeeping principles so well. A suspense account is a temporary holding account for a bookkeeping entry that will end up somewhere else once the final and correct account is determined. If it’s an asset in question, the suspense account is a current asset because it holds payments related to accounts receivable. A suspense account could also be a liability if it holds accounts payables that you don’t know how to classify.

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If you are purchasing an asset that you will not receive until you have paid in full, payment instalments can be placed in a suspense account and moved to an asset account when completed. If the cash came from the sale of an asset and couldn’t determine precisely which one it was, the entry would be in the asset suspense account. what is a suspense account “We would recommend keeping track of suspense items within a control account in your accounting software,” says Alice Pearce, Senior Client Advisor at Wilson Partners accountancy firm. The difference in trial balance is temporarily transferred to suspense a/c. A suspense account is used to record doubtful receipts and payments.

In accounting for small business, most suspense accounts are cleared out on a regular basis. Move suspense account entries into their designated accounts to make the suspense balance zero. A suspense account is an account where you record unclassified transactions.

Why is a suspense account important?

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When you find out the invoice, close the suspense account and move the amount to the correct account. List the suspense account under “Other Assets” on your trial balance sheet. After you make corrections, close the suspense account so that it’s no longer part of the trial balance.

Use a Suspense Account for Questionable Transactions

Despite its mysterious connotations, “suspense” in this case simply refers to the fact that a transaction or its designation in a company’s books has been suspended temporarily, pending some further action. Let us make in-depth study of the meaning, utility and preparation of suspense account. Discover the five must-haves that merchants are using to compare Payment Service Providers and how you can use them to become viewed as mission critical by your customers. If, for example, the cash was a down payment, either an advance for work to be done or a deposit to secure a product.

• Another type of liability suspense account, if the company or employees have previously spent money and you are unsure where to attribute the cash, it would reside here.
• This closes out the suspense account and posts the transaction to the correct account.
• F&A teams have embraced their expanding roles, but unprecedented demand for their time coupled with traditional manual processes make it difficult for F&A to execute effectively.
• It is worth mentioning that thereafter, as and when the errors get detected, the amount is transferred from Suspense Account to the respective account.
• BlackLine is an SAP platinum partner and a part of your SAP financial mission control center.
• Today, online accounting and invoicing software like Debitoor gives you the tools to easily manage your income and expenses, from anywhere.

When it comes to your transactions, automatic bank reconciliation can help you match your payments in an instant. Alternatively, the transaction can be left in the daybook while you consult your accountant or bookkeeper and the correct account can be determined at a later date. Patriot’s online accounting software is easy to use and made for the non-accountant. In this process, after detection of every error, the balance of Suspense Account reduces gradually and when all errors are rectified, there will be nil balance in the Suspense Account. In other words, we can say that Suspense Account stands automatically closed when all one sided errors are rectified.