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How do you record accrued interest on notes payable?

Author

Daniel Santos

Updated on December 31, 2025

Interest that has occurred, but has not been paid as of a balance sheet date, is referred to as accrued interest. Under the accrual basis of accounting, the amount that has occurred but is unpaid should be recorded with a debit to Interest Expense and a credit to the current liability Interest Payable.

How do you Journalize notes payable with interest?

Recording the purchase of office equipment through notes payable requires that the notes payable is placed as a credit and the office equipment as a debit. This is because assets increase with debits and debits equal credits. Related interest expense is recorded as a debit and interest payable as a credit.

What is the journal entry for a note payable?

For the first journal entry, you would debit your cash account in the amount of the loan: $50,000, since your cash increases once the loan has been received. You will also credit notes payable to record the loan. There is always interest on notes payable, which needs to be recorded separately.

When a company records accrued interest on a note payable?

When a business records accrued interest, it adjusts two account balances in its general ledger. It first debits its interest expense account by the amount of the accrued interest. In accounting, a debit increases an expense account.

Are notes payable an expense?

Liability accounts include interest owed on loans from creditors—known as “interest payable,” as well as any tax obligations accumulated by a company, which are known as “taxes payable.” For this reason, mortgage obligations fall under “notes payable,” which is classified as a separate expenditure category.

Is notes payable an asset?

While Notes Payable is a liability, Notes Receivable is an asset. Notes Receivable record the value of promissory notes that a business owns, and for that reason, they are recorded as an asset.

Is notes payable a debit or credit?

Notes Payable is a liability (debt) account that normally has a credit balance. When money is borrowed from the bank, the accountant will debit the Cash account to reflect the increase in the amount of cash and credit the Notes Payable account to show the corresponding debt.

How does accrued interest affect the balance sheet?

Accrued interest is reported on the income statement as a revenue or expense, depending on whether the company is lending or borrowing. In addition, the portion of revenue or expense yet to be paid or collected is reported on the balance sheet as an asset or liability.