When a business purchases supplies for cash it needs to record these as supplies on hand. As the supplies on hand are normally consumable within one year they are recorded as a current asset in the balance sheet of the business.
Paid Cash for Supplies Journal Entry Example
For example, suppose a business purchases supplies such as paper towels, cleaning products and other consumables for a total amount of 50, and pays for the items with cash.
The purchase of supplies for cash is recorded in the accounting records with the following bookkeeping journal entry:
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Supplies on hand | 50 | |
| Cash | 50 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 |
Bookkeeping Explained
Debit
The business has received consumable supplies (paper towels, cleaning products, etc.) and holds these as a current asset as supplies on hand.
Credit
The credit entry represents the cash leaving the business to pay the supplier.
Paid Cash for Supplies Accounting Equation
The accounting equation, Assets = Liabilities + Owners Equity means that the total assets of the business are always equal to the total liabilities plus the total equity of the business This is true at any time and applies to each transaction. For this transaction the accounting equation is shown in the following table.
In this case one asset (supplies on hand) increases representing the consumables held by the business for immediate use, and another asset (cash) is reduced to show the cash leaving the business when the supplier is paid.
Popular Double Entry Bookkeeping Examples
This paid cash for supplies journal entry is one of many examples used in double entry bookkeeping, discover another at the links below.
About the Author
Chartered accountant Michael Brown is the founder and CEO of Double Entry Bookkeeping. He has worked as an accountant and consultant for more than 25 years and has built financial models for all types of industries. He has been the CFO or controller of both small and medium sized companies and has run small businesses of his own. He has been a manager and an auditor with Deloitte, a big 4 accountancy firm, and holds a degree from Loughborough University.