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What is the difference between a general ledger and a general journal?

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Question added by Khaled Mohee Eldeen Abbas Mahmoud , Chartered Accountant # 10465 , Self-employed
Date Posted: 2014/10/13
georgei assi
by georgei assi , مدير حسابات , المجموعة السورية

Journal: are recorded daily operations and restrictions on it. With an explanation of the process and its history and amount. Ledger: are migrating existing processes in the journal and rationalizing the account and the kind you see is the expense of the debtor or creditor.

VENKITARAMAN KRISHNA MOORTHY VRINDAVAN
by VENKITARAMAN KRISHNA MOORTHY VRINDAVAN , Project Execution Manager & Accounts Manager , ALI INTERNATIONAL TRADING EST.

Journals are referred to as books of original entry. Accounting entries are recorded in a journal in order by date. A company might use special journals (sales, purchases, cash disbursements, cash receipts), or its accounting software will generate entries for routine transactions, but there will always be a general journal in which to record non-routine transactions, such as depreciationbad debts, sale of an asset, etc. In the general journal you must enter the account to be debited and the account to be credited and the amounts. Once a transaction is recorded in the general journal, the amounts are then posted to the appropriate accounts.Accounts (such as Cash, Accounts Receivable, Equipment, Accumulated Depreciation, Accounts Payable, Sales, Telephone Expense, etc.) are contained in the general ledger.

To recap...the general ledger houses the company's accounts. The general journal is a place to first record an entry before it gets posted to the appropriate accounts. 

Malik Khalid Mahmood
by Malik Khalid Mahmood , Regional Finance Manager , Leosons International FZ LLC

General Journal is original entry book records all business entries on daily basis for all clients, supplies etc, Where as the General Ledger is a record of all transactions for individual supplier, clint etc

Muhammad Waqas Hussain
by Muhammad Waqas Hussain , Sales Executive (Food Ingredients,Feed ,Agri Fertilizer, Water Treatment Chemicals) , Gulf Hygiene Co.Ltd

General ledger is a place where such accounts are grouped together for which no separate or special ledger is maintained. For example: Capital account.

General journal is a place where such transactions are recorded for the first time for which no separate or special journal is maintained. For example: sale of non current asset.

Divyesh Patel
by Divyesh Patel , Assistant Professional Officer- Treasury , City Of Cape Town

Difference between a general ledger and a general journal:

 

  1. Journal is the books of primary entry whereas the ledger is the secondary books of recording transactions

  2. In journal all the truncations are recorded under one ledger column and no separate entries are made but in case of ledger all the truncations of similar nature are recorded under one head

  3. To prepare a ledger you need to make the journal accounts but in case of journals it is not so

 

 

Khaled Abdelrehim ACCA DipIFR CMA
by Khaled Abdelrehim ACCA DipIFR CMA , Financial Analysis Assistant General Manager , Khalda Petroleum Company

Agree with Divyesh Patel

Shamna Mohammed Ali
by Shamna Mohammed Ali , Accountant , Almoayed Chambers

A general journal is the original book of entry, which means that it is the first place we record transactions.A general ledger is a book or file that we use to record all relevant accounts. Transactions from the general journal post in general ledger accounts, and then balances are calculated and transferred from the general ledger to a trial balance.

salman Ahmed
by salman Ahmed , Accounts officer , Reboot Laptop Caonsultants

General Journal is original entry book records all business transaction on daily basis for all parties/Supplier, Where as the General Ledger is a record of all transactions for individual parties/Supplier where you get the actual balances of parties/Suppliers

Muhammad Hassaun
by Muhammad Hassaun , Shared Services Lead , M&P Express Logistics (Pvt.) Ltd.

General Journal is used to record all financial event in chronological order. 

where as General Ledger is used to record the transaction related to specific Account. 

Abdallah Abu Zeyad CMA
by Abdallah Abu Zeyad CMA , Finance Account Manager , Toyota - Abdul Latif Jameel Motors - KSA

I agreed Mr. Divyesh Patel 

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