What is the journal entry for bank charges?

Recording Bank Charges in Accounting

Bank charges, such as service fees or transaction charges, represent a reduction in cash and an increase in expenses. To accurately reflect these transactions, a specific journal entry is required.

Journal Entry for Bank Charges

The journal entry for bank charges involves:

• Debiting an expense account: This records the increase in expense due to the bank charge. Common expense accounts used include Bank Service Charges or Other Service Expenses.
• Crediting the cash account: This records the decrease in cash balance resulting from the charge.

Example of Journal Entry

Suppose a company incurs a bank charge of $25. The journal entry to record this transaction would be:

Debit: Bank Service Charges ($25)
Credit: Cash ($25)

Impact of Journal Entry

This journal entry accurately captures the financial impact of the bank charge by:

• Reducing the company’s cash balance, reflecting the payment of the fee.
• Increasing the company’s expenses, reflecting the cost incurred.

By recording bank charges in this manner, businesses can properly track their expenses and maintain accurate financial records. Failure to record bank charges can result in an understatement of expenses and an overstatement of cash balance, which could lead to incorrect financial reporting and decision-making.