What is subsidiary ledger
Christopher Lucas
Published Feb 28, 2026
A subsidiary ledger is a group of similar accounts whose combined balances equal the balance in a specific general ledger account. … For example, an accounts receivable subsidiary ledger (customers’ subsidiary ledger) includes a separate account for each customer who makes credit purchases.
Which accounts have subsidiary ledgers?
- Accounts payable ledger.
- Accounts receivable ledger.
- Fixed assets ledger.
- Inventory ledger.
- Purchases ledger.
What is difference between general ledger and subsidiary ledger?
General ledger is the master ledger account which consolidates all subsidiary ledger accounts and which is posted to the trial balance. Subsidiary ledger is a categorization of general ledger to which journal entries are first posted.
What is a subsidiary account?
A subsidiary account is an account that is kept within a subsidiary ledger, which in turn summarizes into a control account in the general ledger. A subsidiary account is used to track information at a very detailed level for certain types of transactions, such as accounts receivable and accounts payable.How do you record a subsidiary ledger?
Record all transactions using the sales journal, purchases journal, cash receipts journal, cash disbursements journal, and the general journal and post to the accounts receivable and accounts payable subsidiary ledgers. Then prepare a schedule of accounts receivable and a schedule of accounts payable.
What are subsidiary ledgers and reconciliation accounts?
An accounts receivable subsidiary ledger is an accounting ledger that shows the transaction and payment history of each customer to whom the business extends credit. The balance in each customer account is periodically reconciled with the accounts receivable balance in the general ledger to ensure accuracy.
What is a subsidiary ledger What are the advantages of using subsidiary ledgers?
The advantages of using subsidiary ledgers are that they: Permit transactions affecting a single customer or single creditor to be shown in a single account, thus providing necessary up-to-date information on specific account balances.
What is a subsidiary ledger for specific inventory?
An inventory subsidiary ledger records transactions that effect inventory. … The inventory subsidiary ledger breaks down sales and inventory data that assist in analysis of sales and costs. A running balance of each inventory item is carried into each new accounting period, usually at the beginning of each month.How many subsidiary ledgers are there?
Two common subsidiary ledgers: Accounts receivable subsidiary ledger where data relating to individual buyers are kept. Accounts payable subsidiary ledger is due where data relating to individual creditors are kept.
Which document serve as a subsidiary ledger for the general ledger balance of work in process inventory?The job cost sheets make up the subsidiary ledger for the Work in Process Inventory account.
Article first time published onWhat are the two common kinds of subsidiary ledgers?
- Accounts Payable Subsidiary Ledger – This type of ledger records all the transaction data concerning individual suppliers, vendors, and creditors of an organization. …
- Accounts Receivable Subsidiary Ledger – Accounts receivable. …
- Fixed Asset Subsidiary Ledger – Fixed asset.
What are the reasons for using subsidiary ledgers and special journals in accounting?
Special journals are suitable for recording transactions that occur frequently. The computed balances from the special journals are transferred to the subsidiary ledgers and lastly to the general ledger. Recording these transactions directly into the general ledger is cumbersome and unnecessary.
What's the purpose of subsidiary?
A company may organize subsidiaries to keep its brand identities separate. This allows each brand to maintain its established goodwill with customers and vendor relationships. Subsidiaries are often used in acquisitions where the acquiring company intends to keep the target company’s name and culture.
Why is it important to have subsidiary journals and ledgers?
In summary, subsidiary ledgers help track individual balances for each individual customer, for each individual supplier, for each individual inventory account. We have subsidiary accounts for any account for which we want to track more detail.
Which of the following accounts would most likely use a subsidiary ledger?
Which of the following accounts would most likely use a subsidiary ledger? cash receipts and cash disbursements.
What is the types of subsidiary account?
We can divide the subsidiary books into the following types: Purchases return or return outwards book. Sales return or return inwards book. Bills receivable book. Bills payable book.
Is General A subsidiary ledger?
A general ledger is your master chart of accounts that shows a list of transactions, you cannot run a business without it. A sub-ledger explains transactions and feeds into the general ledger.
What information should be contained in a subsidiary ledger for work in process inventory in a job order costing system?
The subsidiary ledger consists of the job cost sheet (remember the video from the previous page?) showing all the direct materials, direct labor, and overhead costs applied to a job. The total of all jobs still in process will equal the balance of Work in Process Inventory.
What is the difference between accounts receivable subsidiary ledger and accounts payable subsidiary ledger?
The amounts of debts owed by customers recorded in this subsidiary ledger is compared with the accounts receivable balance in the general ledger. An accounts receivable subsidiary ledger is the opposite of accounts payable subsidiary ledger.
Is subsidiary ledger a special journal?
Subsidiary Ledgers In addition to the four special journals, there are two special ledgers, the accounts receivable subsidiary ledger and the accounts payable subsidiary ledger. The accounts receivable subsidiary ledger gives details about each person who owes the company money, as shown in Figure 7.13.
What is the difference between a journal and a ledger?
The journal consists of raw accounting entries that record business transactions, in sequential order by date. The general ledger is more formalized and tracks five key accounting items: assets, liabilities, owner’s capital, revenues, and expenses.
Why do companies open subsidiaries?
A subsidiary operates as a separate and distinct corporation. Corporations are allowed to enter into contracts, sue and be sued, own assets, remit federal and state taxes, and borrow money from financial institutions. … This benefits the company for the purposes of taxation, regulation, and liability.
How do subsidiaries work?
A subsidiary is a smaller business that belongs to a parent or holding company. The parent retains majority control over the subsidiary, owning over half of its stock. … A subsidiary creates its own financial reports separate from its company’s statements. A parent or holding company could own one or many subsidiaries.
Why do companies form subsidiaries?
Business owners usually consider setting up a holding company and one or more subsidiaries to help structure their business as it grows. Indeed, this is because the holding company can provide greater safeguards against risks and streamline operations for a business that is still growing and diversifying.