What is Contra Account?
- A contra account is offset the balance of another account.
- Transaction made to contra account presented under the on a
compnay's financial statement under the related account.
- Sometimes balance in the two accounts merged for the
presentaion purposes, so that only a net amount is presented.
- If the related account is asset account, then a contra asset
account is used to offset it with a credit balance.
- If the related account is liability account, then a contra
liability account is used to offset it with debit balance.
- Thus, the natural balance of a contra account is always the
opposite of the account with which it is paired.
How do revenue contra accounts, specifically, differ
from expense accounts?
- In a company's financial records, contra - revenues and
expenses produce same ultimate result : They both reduce net
income.
- The differance is that expenses represnt money that flows out
of a company as it does business, while contra revenues represnt
money that never comes in, or that comes in but turns around and
goes right back where it come from.