Debetzijde

Debetzijde is the left-hand side of a ledger account where debit entries are recorded. In Dutch accounting, debet (debit) and credit (credit) are the two sides of a double-entry system, and the debetzijde corresponds to the left side in a T-account representation.

In double-entry bookkeeping, every transaction has equal totals on the debet and credit sides. Debiting an account increases balances of asset and expense accounts, and decreases balances of liability, equity, and revenue accounts. Conversely, credits increase liability, equity, and revenue accounts, and decrease asset and expense accounts. This dual effect ensures the accounting equation remains in balance.

Common applications include asset purchases (debit the asset account and credit the payment source) and liability payments (debit the liability account to reduce it, and credit the cash or bank account). For example, buying office equipment with cash debits the Equipment (asset) account and credits Cash (asset). Paying an outstanding invoice debits Accounts payable (reducing the liability) and credits Cash.

In Dutch practice, the debetzijde is one side of the general ledger account, often illustrated as the left side of a T-account. It is contrasted with the creditzijde (the right side). Understanding the debetzijde helps in analyzing how transactions affect individual accounts and the overall financial position.