bokföringspost

A bokföringspost, or accounting entry, is a fundamental record within a bookkeeping system. It represents a financial transaction that has occurred and must be documented according to accounting principles. Each bokföringspost typically consists of a date, a description of the transaction, and at least two accounts affected by the entry.

The core principle behind accounting entries is double-entry bookkeeping. This means that for every transaction, there must be a corresponding debit and credit. One account is debited, increasing its balance (or decreasing a liability/equity), and another account is credited, increasing its balance (or decreasing an asset). The total debits must always equal the total credits for each entry.

Common components of a bokföringspost include the date the transaction took place, a unique reference number, a brief explanation of what the transaction is (e.g., "Purchase of office supplies," "Sale of goods"), the account numbers that are affected, and the amounts debited and credited.

These entries are systematically organized in a journal, which serves as a chronological record of all transactions. From the journal, the information is then posted to the general ledger, where accounts are summarized and balances are maintained. The bokföringspost is the building block for all financial statements, such as the balance sheet and income statement, providing the detailed data necessary for financial reporting and analysis.