8 4: Define the Purpose and Use of a Petty Cash Fund, and Prepare Petty Cash Journal Entries Business LibreTexts

Angelo Vertti, 14 de dezembro de 2022

establishing a petty cash fund

Consider keeping your petty cash locked in a drawer, safe, or filing cabinet. A designated employee, the petty cash custodian, accounts for your business’s use of petty cash. When an employee takes money from the petty cash fund, the petty cash custodian must record who took the money, importing a board from trello the amount taken, what the money is for, and the date. In a simple system, all petty cash expenditures are documented as they happen. The total of these costs is added to the petty cash account monthly, and the monthly amount is entered into the General Ledger as an expense.

  1. The reconciliation process helps maintain accurate records of petty cash transactions and allows for easier tracking of expenses.
  2. Thus, using a petty cash fund avoids the need for making many entries for small amounts.
  3. Petty cash is a convenient alternative to writing checks for smaller transactions.
  4. The remaining $185 on hand is what’s left of the $500 petty cash fund after reimbursements.

In the event that all of the cash in the account is used before the end of the established time period, it can be replenished in the same way at any time more cash is needed. If the petty cash account often needs to be replenished before the end of the accounting period, management may decide to increase the cash balance https://www.quick-bookkeeping.net/traditional-ira-definition/ in the account. To permit these cash disbursements and still maintain adequate control over cash, companies frequently establish a petty cash fund of a round figure such as $100 or $500. The petty cash account is a current asset and will have a normal debit balance (debit to increase and credit to decrease).

Petty cash reconciliation

A typical petty cash transaction involves small, incidental expenses that arise in the daily operations of a business. These can include items such as office supplies, postage, coffee, or employee reimbursements for small purchases. The amounts usually do not exceed a predetermined limit set by the company. Occasionally, errors may occur that affect the balance of thepetty cash account. This may be the result of an employee notgetting a receipt or getting back incorrect change from the storewhere the purchase was made.

establishing a petty cash fund

If the management at a later date decides to decrease thebalance in the petty cash account, the previous entry would bereversed, with cash being debited and petty cash beingcredited. If the management at a later date decides to decrease the balance in the petty cash account, the previous entry would be reversed, with cash being debited and petty cash being credited. Then, get the total of the Amount column to determine total petty cash expenses.

For example, if there are un-reimbursed expenditures from petty cash at the end of the year, expenses are understated and cash overstated. Before going to the cashier, she should first complete the bottom of the petty cash log. Management should be concerned about controlling the proper use of petty cash. Whatever steps are deemed necessary (such as surprise counts) should be performed to assure that controls are adequate.

Step 1: Establish Petty Cash Policies & Procedures

In this case, the cash needed to get back to $100 ($100 fund – $7.40 petty cash on hand) of $92.60 equals the total of the petty cash vouchers. The second step is to deposit cash into the petty cash account, probably by writing a check to the account from the corporate checking account. A typical petty cash account balance is $300; such a payment would result in a debit for $300 to the petty cash account.

A petty cash fund is a small fund whose purpose is to make small disbursements of cash. One example is MYNDSpendX, a user-friendly digital solution that addresses the challenges of traditional petty cash management. This tool streamlines the entire process while ensuring comprehensive tracking of spends.

By combining the journal entries, Petty Cash isn’t adjusted and the expenses are recorded coming directly from the checking account. To illustrate, we will close the $100 original petty cash fund by returning the cash to the checking account with a debit to cash and a credit to petty cash. To create journal entries that show petty fund purchases, you must debit the corresponding accounts (e.g., Office Supplies account if you purchase supplies) and credit your Petty Cash account. Lastly, you should choose a maximum amount that employees can request for petty cash transactions.

What is petty cash?

You have to craft a clear petty cash policy as it sets out the purpose and use of the petty cash fund. After the check is cashed, the petty cash custodian normally places the money in a small box that can be locked. We will not use the petty cash in a journal entry again unless we are changing this original amount. You must document each expense if you want to deduct it from your business taxes. If you don’t document your petty cash purchases, you will not be able to deduct the expenses when you pay business taxes. You might debit multiple accounts, depending on how often you update your books for petty cash accounting.

Notice that the appropriate expense accounts are debited and that cash is credited. There is no need to make an entry to the petty cash account because it still shows a balance of $100. Another popular option is QuickBooks, which provides features for managing petty cash accounts with ease. With its advanced reporting capabilities, QuickBooks makes it simpler to monitor and reconcile petty cash expenses across the organization. By exercising vigilance and implementing robust internal controls, businesses can effectively manage petty cash funds and minimize the likelihood of theft, shortages, and errors.

Petty cash is a convenient alternative to writing checks for smaller transactions. The logical first step is to document the reimbursement, for example by writing out a receipt. The next step is to enter both an expense and an asset account on your books under “petty cash”.

In this case, an expense is createdthat creates a cash overage orshortage. The final step is for the petty cash custodian to periodically replenish the petty cash fund. This is done by charging all receipts in the petty cash box to expense and receiving cash into the fund in the same amount. This step results in the periodic recognition of all expenditures from petty cash as expenses, while also keeping the amount of cash in the fund topped up. When your petty cash cashier puts money into the petty cash fund, they must create a journal entry in your books.