What is the journal entry for reserves?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 01, 2026
In accounting, reserves are recorded by debiting the retained earnings account then crediting the same amounting to the reserve account. When the activity which caused the reserve to be created has been completed, the entry should be reversed, shifting the balance back to the retained earnings account.
How do I create a reserve account?
Creation and Accounting for Reserves After deciding the amount you wish to set aside, you create the reserve account by debiting retained earnings and crediting the general or specific reserve account. Retained earnings are your undistributed profits. You also can use this entry to increase an existing reserve account.
What type of account is a reserves account?
Reserves are like savings accounts – an accumulation of funds for a future purpose. The source of funding for a reserve might be surpluses from operations, or scheduled transfers that have been planned and budgeted.
What is reserve ledger?
More Definitions of Reserve Ledger Reserve Ledger means the ledger that shall be maintained by the Issuer Cash Manager pursuant to the Issuer Cash Management Agreement to record the balance from time to time of the Reserve Fund.
What are reserves on balance sheet?
Balance sheet reserves are liabilities that appear on the balance sheet. The reserves are funds set aside to pay future obligations. Insurance companies will often set up balance sheet reserves that equal the value of claims filed but not yet paid.
How do you account for reserves on a balance sheet?
Reserve accounting is quite simple – just debit the retained earnings account for the amount to be segregated in a reserve account, and credit the reserve account for the same amount.
What is free reserves in a balance sheet?
Free reserves are those reserves upon which the company can freely draw. Free reserves can be used by the company to declare dividends, to issue bonus shares, to write off accumulated losses and to write off share issue expenses. Specific reserves are those created for specific purposes.
How do you calculate reserves on a balance sheet?
Total Reserves = Cash in vault + Deposits at Fed.
- Required Reserves = RR x Liabilities.
- Excess Reserves = Total Reserves – Required Reserves.
- Change in Money Supply = initial Excess Reserves x Money Multiplier.
- Money Multiplier = 1 / RR.
What are other reserves on a balance sheet?