Trial Balance
The Trial Balance Drill Down summarises every ledger account, grouped into financial categories. Its first job is proving that debits equal credits; its second is letting you drill into any account to see exactly which transactions produced its balance.
Where to find it
Go to Financial Statement > Trial Balance.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Selection | A date range, so the trial balance can be viewed over any period. |
| Branch | Restricts to one branch. |
| Department | Restricts to one department. |
| Only Balances | Hides accounts with a zero balance, which usually shortens the report considerably. |
| Group Totals Only | Shows just the total per financial group, for a summary view. |
| Account | The account code. |
| Account Name | Its descriptive name. |
Financial Groups Overview
| Group | Description | Example accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | Resources owned that are expected to provide future benefit. | Cash, accounts receivable, inventory, fixed assets. |
| Liabilities | Obligations expected to be settled in future. | Accounts payable, loans, deferred taxes. |
| Equity | The owner's interest once liabilities are deducted from assets. | Common stock, retained earnings. |
| Income | Revenue from core business activity. | Sales revenue, service income. |
| Cost of Goods Sold | Direct costs of producing what was sold. | Direct materials, direct labour. |
| Expenses | Costs incurred to generate revenue. | Salaries, rent, utilities, depreciation. |
Example Table Overview of Financial Groups
The same six groups appear on the report in that order, each with its accounts listed beneath and a group total, so the structure reads from assets through to expenses in a single pass.
Run the trial balance before closing a period. Finding an imbalance while the entries are recent is a short job; finding it a year later means tracing transactions nobody now remembers making.
Using the drill-down
Click an account to see the transactions behind its balance. This is what turns the trial balance from a check into an investigation tool — the account that looks wrong opens directly into the entries that made it so.
Related pages
- Balance Sheet Drill Down — position
- Profit and Loss Drill Down — performance
- GL Accounts — the chart of accounts
- GL Inquiry — the transactions