General Ledger Template: Posting References and Reconciliation

A general ledger groups posted transactions by account. A useful template records the date, journal reference, explanation, debit, credit and running balance, then ties the closing account to independent evidence and the trial balance.

All amounts and operating results below are original fictional teaching examples in USD. They are not customer results, industry averages or forecasts. Use your own dated records and applicable accounting policies.

Use one account identity and one balance convention

The downloadable HTML template is editable and printable. It includes a completed Cash ledger and a blank working record with evidence and reviewer fields. It does not automatically calculate, post journals, create a trial balance or save edits. This limitation is deliberate: users must verify each result rather than assuming a blank manual template is an accounting application.

Set the account name/number, period, currency, opening balance and normal side. For a debit-balance account, running balance equals opening balance + debits − credits. A credit-balance account can instead use opening credit balance + credits − debits. Label the sign convention. Debit does not universally mean money received, and credit does not universally mean a cash payment.

Retain the journal behind the account detail

J03 does not appear in the Cash account because it creates a receivable rather than a cash receipt. It must still appear in the receivable and revenue ledgers. A cash-only record cannot replace a complete general ledger. Keep document references separate from journal references when the two identify different evidence.

Check the completed Cash account

Debits total $6,600 and credits $2,050. The closing Cash debit balance is $4,550. Do not add a later bank-feed match as another $1,600 collection. Trace the existing receipt to J04 and the related customer invoice.

For a nonzero opening balance, retain evidence that it equals the prior period’s reviewed closing account. An unexplained opening balance can make every subsequent row appear orderly while the account remains wrong.

Reconcile the other ledgers and the trial balance

The receivable closes at $2,200 − $1,600 = $600. Revenue less the included expense is $1,950. Assets are $4,550 + $600 + $1,800 = $6,950; equity is $5,000 + $1,950 = $6,950, with no liabilities in this case. Equal trial-balance totals still require evidence and classification review.

Match Cash to a bank reconciliation, the receivable control to customer detail and Equipment to the asset register. A bank statement is not evidence for every GL account. Document and resolve differences rather than making unsupported entries to match a total.

Maintain references and corrections as the ledger grows

Use unique journal references, preserve the original entry and show the approved correcting or reversing entry. Keep dates and account names consistent. A sorted display is not an audit trail if someone can silently replace prior amounts. In a live system, access control, backups and period locks need a separate design.

Use the bookkeeping workflow for the monthly evidence package and the accounting cycle for adjusting and closing. Customer detail and supplier detail support their respective control accounts. This template does not choose the recognition policy for every transaction.

Download the editable worksheet

Download the printable HTML worksheet. It contains the completed case and a separate blank working record. It does not calculate automatically. Edit in your browser, then print or save a completed copy before closing; your edits are not sent to MyBreakeven.

Sources and scope

Primary references below support the stated definitions or framework. The worked case, numbers and decision records are original MyBreakeven material. Reviewed November 7, 2026; no external professional sign-off is claimed.

• OpenStax: journal entries and account posting
• IRS: documents supporting business books