In the US, when a business buys its own stock in the open market it is referred to as treasury stock.
The treasury stock cost method journal entries below act as a quick reference, and set out the most commonly encountered situations when dealing with the double entry posting of treasury stock using the cost method.
In each case the treasury stock cost method journal entries show the debit and credit account together with a brief narrative. For a fuller explanation of journal entries, view our examples section.
Typical Treasury Stock Cost Method Journal Entries
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Treasury stock | XXX | |
| Cash | XXX |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | XXX | |
| Treasury stock | XXX | |
| APIC* – treasury stock (profit) | XXX |
* APIC stands for Additional Paid in Capital
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | XXX | |
| APIC – treasury stock (loss) | XXX | |
| Treasury stock | XXX |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | XXX | |
| APIC – treasury stock (loss) | XXX | |
| Retained earnings (loss excess) | XXX | |
| Treasury stock | XXX |
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Common stock | XXX | |
| APIC – Common stock | XXX | |
| Retained earnings (loss excess) | XXX | |
| Treasury stock | XXX |
Contra Equity Account
As the purchase of treasury stock is a debit to an equity account it is referred to as a contra equity account.
Note on terminology for treasury stocks journal entries
In the UK Treasury stocks refers to government issued bonds or gilts.
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 in 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 BSc from Loughborough University.