RECTIFICATION OF ERROR
In financial accounting, every single event occurring
in monetary terms is recorded. Sometimes, it just so
happens that some events are either not recorded or it
is recorded in the wrong head of account or wrong
figure is recorded in the correct head of account.
Whatever the reason may be, there is always a chance
of error in the books of accounts. These errors in
accounting require rectification. The procedure adopte
d to rectify errors in financial accounting is called
"Rectification of error".
HOW TO RECTIFY THESE ERRORS
One way of rectification is that we
can simply erase or overwrite the in
correct entry and replace it with the
correct one. But this practice is not a
llowed in accounting. We have to
Rectify / correct the mistake by
recording another entry.
TYPES OF ERRORS
1.Error of omission
2.Error of commission
3.Error of principle
4.Compensating errors
Error of Omission
(a) Error of Complete Omission
Goods sold to X on Credit but not
recorded in Sales Book.
(b) Partial Omission
Goods sold to X on Credit recorded in
Sales Book but not posted to the A/c of
X, thus sales A/c is credited but X is
not debited creating short debit. This
error will affect Trial Balance.
Error of Commission
a) Error of Recording in the Book Of
Original Entry
Goods purchased from Ravi for Rs. 450,
recorded as Rs. 540, in the Purchase Book.
(This error will not affect Trial Balance as
same amount will be posted in both the A/cs,
Purchase A/c as well as Ravi.)
(b) Wrong Totalling of Subsidiary Book.
Example : Purchase Book has been under cast
(short totalled) by Rs. 100, Purchase A/c will
be debited short by Rs. 100, decreasing the
debit side of Trial Balance by Rs. 100.
Error of Commission
(c) Error in Totalling or Balancing of
Ledger A/cs
Example : Creditors A/c has been
balanced short by Rs. 500, then Trial
Balance will Rs. 500 short in Credit side.
Error of Commission
(d) Error of Posting
(i) Posting to the wrong side but correct A/c.
Goods sold to X for Rs. 550, entered to the
credit of X's A/c instead of posting to the debit
side of his account.
(ii) Posting with wrong amount.
(iii) Posting twice in an A/c.
(iv) Errors in posting to the wrong A/c but
correct side don't affect Trial Balance.
Error of Commission
(e) Error in carrying forward.
Total of purchase book Rs.2,500
is carried forward as Rs.2050
Creating short debit of Rs.450, in
Purchase A/c and in turn short
debit in Trial Balance.
Errors of Principle
(a) Treating Capital items as Revenue item
Example : Wages paid for the
installation of a new machinery charged
to Wages A/c instead of Machinery A/c.
(b) Treating Revenue Items as Capital Item
Example : Rs.200 paid for the repairs of
an old Machinery but debited to
Machinery A/c instead of Repairs A/c.
Compensating Errors
Two or more errors committed in such a
way that the net effect of these errors of
the debit and credits of A/cs is nil
Example : On July, 1st 2011 a sum of
Rs.2,000 paid to Mohit is posted as Rs.
200 to the Debit of his A/c and on July,
20th 2011 a sum of Rs.200 paid to Sonil
has been posted as Rs.2,000 to the Debit
of his A/c. Net Effect will be zero.
Errors don't Affecting Trial Balance
(1) Errors of complete omission.
(2) Wrong recording in the books
of original entry.
(3) Complete omission from
posting to the A/cs.
(4) Errors of posting to the wrong
A/c but on the correct side.
(5) Compensating errors.
(6) Errors of principle.
Errors Affecting Trial Balance
1) Errors in totalling of Subsidiary books
or ledger A/cs i.e. overcast or under cast.
(2) Error in the Balancing of Ledger A/cs.
(3) Error in posting to the correct A/c but
with the wrong amount or to the wrong
side or both.
(4) Errors of Partial omission
(5) Omitting to show an A/c in the Trial
Balance.
Time of Depiction of an Error
1)Errors detected before the
preparation of Trial Balance.
2)Errors detected after preparing
Trial Balance but before preparing
final Accounts.
3)Error detected after preparing
Final Accounts.
N. Bala Murali Krishna

Rectification of Errors by N. Bala Murali Krishna

  • 1.
    RECTIFICATION OF ERROR Infinancial accounting, every single event occurring in monetary terms is recorded. Sometimes, it just so happens that some events are either not recorded or it is recorded in the wrong head of account or wrong figure is recorded in the correct head of account. Whatever the reason may be, there is always a chance of error in the books of accounts. These errors in accounting require rectification. The procedure adopte d to rectify errors in financial accounting is called "Rectification of error".
  • 2.
    HOW TO RECTIFYTHESE ERRORS One way of rectification is that we can simply erase or overwrite the in correct entry and replace it with the correct one. But this practice is not a llowed in accounting. We have to Rectify / correct the mistake by recording another entry.
  • 3.
    TYPES OF ERRORS 1.Errorof omission 2.Error of commission 3.Error of principle 4.Compensating errors
  • 4.
    Error of Omission (a)Error of Complete Omission Goods sold to X on Credit but not recorded in Sales Book. (b) Partial Omission Goods sold to X on Credit recorded in Sales Book but not posted to the A/c of X, thus sales A/c is credited but X is not debited creating short debit. This error will affect Trial Balance.
  • 5.
    Error of Commission a)Error of Recording in the Book Of Original Entry Goods purchased from Ravi for Rs. 450, recorded as Rs. 540, in the Purchase Book. (This error will not affect Trial Balance as same amount will be posted in both the A/cs, Purchase A/c as well as Ravi.) (b) Wrong Totalling of Subsidiary Book. Example : Purchase Book has been under cast (short totalled) by Rs. 100, Purchase A/c will be debited short by Rs. 100, decreasing the debit side of Trial Balance by Rs. 100.
  • 6.
    Error of Commission (c)Error in Totalling or Balancing of Ledger A/cs Example : Creditors A/c has been balanced short by Rs. 500, then Trial Balance will Rs. 500 short in Credit side.
  • 7.
    Error of Commission (d)Error of Posting (i) Posting to the wrong side but correct A/c. Goods sold to X for Rs. 550, entered to the credit of X's A/c instead of posting to the debit side of his account. (ii) Posting with wrong amount. (iii) Posting twice in an A/c. (iv) Errors in posting to the wrong A/c but correct side don't affect Trial Balance.
  • 8.
    Error of Commission (e)Error in carrying forward. Total of purchase book Rs.2,500 is carried forward as Rs.2050 Creating short debit of Rs.450, in Purchase A/c and in turn short debit in Trial Balance.
  • 9.
    Errors of Principle (a)Treating Capital items as Revenue item Example : Wages paid for the installation of a new machinery charged to Wages A/c instead of Machinery A/c. (b) Treating Revenue Items as Capital Item Example : Rs.200 paid for the repairs of an old Machinery but debited to Machinery A/c instead of Repairs A/c.
  • 10.
    Compensating Errors Two ormore errors committed in such a way that the net effect of these errors of the debit and credits of A/cs is nil Example : On July, 1st 2011 a sum of Rs.2,000 paid to Mohit is posted as Rs. 200 to the Debit of his A/c and on July, 20th 2011 a sum of Rs.200 paid to Sonil has been posted as Rs.2,000 to the Debit of his A/c. Net Effect will be zero.
  • 11.
    Errors don't AffectingTrial Balance (1) Errors of complete omission. (2) Wrong recording in the books of original entry. (3) Complete omission from posting to the A/cs. (4) Errors of posting to the wrong A/c but on the correct side. (5) Compensating errors. (6) Errors of principle.
  • 12.
    Errors Affecting TrialBalance 1) Errors in totalling of Subsidiary books or ledger A/cs i.e. overcast or under cast. (2) Error in the Balancing of Ledger A/cs. (3) Error in posting to the correct A/c but with the wrong amount or to the wrong side or both. (4) Errors of Partial omission (5) Omitting to show an A/c in the Trial Balance.
  • 13.
    Time of Depictionof an Error 1)Errors detected before the preparation of Trial Balance. 2)Errors detected after preparing Trial Balance but before preparing final Accounts. 3)Error detected after preparing Final Accounts.
  • 14.