Quite simply there are 5 account types and each one can go up or down as follows.
D E A D C L I C This acronym stands for Debit Expenses, Assets and Drawings, and Credit Liabilities, Income and Capital.
Account Group
Account Value Increase
Account Value Decrease
Balance
Assets
A/R
Cash
DR
CR
DR
Contra Asset
CR
DR
CR
Liabilities
Deposits
Taxes Due
Prepaid Sales
CR
DR
CR
Contra Liabilities
DR
CR
DR
Owner (Stockholders') Equity
CR
DR
CR
Owner's Drawing or Dividends Account
DR
CR
DR
Revenue (Income)
Sales
Gains
CR
DR
CR
Contra Revenue
Sales Returns
Sales Allowances
Sales Discounts
DR
CR
DR
Expenses
Discounts
Losses
DR
CR
DR
You apply this DEAD CLIC rule if an account goes up in value. If an account goes down in value, you apply the opposite. In other words, if an expense increases in value, then you debit the account (because the DEAD CLIC rule says to Debit Expenses). If an expense decreases in value, then you credit the account.
Remember also that every financial transaction affects two accounts, one is a debit, the other a credit. This is why we call it double entry (not single entry) bookkeeping. Refer to the T-account examples below, and on each Business Transaction page.
Most recent releases of VetView: Version 4.2.5 Hotfix (Released 10/31/2024)
Definitions
Refer to the 'Inventory and Accounting Definitions' wiki page for the definition of inventory and accounting terms, and for details about fields and controls.