pääkirjaa

Pääkirja, in accounting often referred to as the general ledger, is the central book or electronic record where a company’s financial accounts are organized by individual accounts. It collects all financial transactions and shows how each transaction affects specific accounts, providing a complete historical record for the company.

The general ledger functions as the primary repository for posting entries that originate in the journal. After a transaction is recorded chronologically in a journal (päiväkirja), its amounts are posted to the relevant accounts in the pääkirja. Each account records its opening balance, a running record of debits and credits, and the resulting closing balance. Typical account groups include assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, and expenses. The ledger uses double-entry bookkeeping, so every entry affects at least two accounts with corresponding debits and credits.

From the pääkirja, a trial balance is prepared to verify that total debits equal total credits, and to provide a basis for preparing financial statements such as the income statement (tuloslaskelma) and the balance sheet (tase). The ledger also supports error detection and audit trails, as discrepancies can often be traced by examining individual ledger entries.

In modern practice, the general ledger is usually maintained within computerized accounting systems. These systems may include subledgers for accounts receivable, accounts payable, and inventory, all feeding into the main pääkirja. Despite digital formats, the fundamental purpose remains: to present a clear, complete, and auditable record of the company’s financial position and performance.