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Making waves underground: India's first undersea rail tunnel takes shape · 16 hours ago IRDAI launches comic book series to simplify life insurance for consumers · 16 hours ago Fans 1, Productivity 0: How FIFA World Cup 2026 could trigger $17bn loss worldwide · 17 hours ago India's power sector set for strong FY27 growth on rising demand, capacity additions: Report · 18 hours ago ITR filing: Sold shares, property or crypto this year? Here's what you must know before filing your income tax return · 21 hours ago Punjab National Bank Q1FY27 net profit up 213% to Rs 5253 crore · 21 hours ago IDBI Bank Q1FY27 net profit rises 3.3% to Rs 2007 crore · 21 hours ago Nobody wants to wait on hold anymore. But can AI replace customer care? · 22 hours ago Pakistan to revise fuel prices daily; current account slips into $139 million FY26 deficit · 21 hours ago New money? India's currency might soon get a plastic makeover · 23 hours ago Textile sector to sew loose ends as FTAs kick in · 1 day ago NITI index: Gujarat, Maharashtra lead in wooing investors · 1 day ago Making waves underground: India's first undersea rail tunnel takes shape · 16 hours ago IRDAI launches comic book series to simplify life insurance for consumers · 16 hours ago Fans 1, Productivity 0: How FIFA World Cup 2026 could trigger $17bn loss worldwide · 17 hours ago India's power sector set for strong FY27 growth on rising demand, capacity additions: Report · 18 hours ago ITR filing: Sold shares, property or crypto this year? Here's what you must know before filing your income tax return · 21 hours ago Punjab National Bank Q1FY27 net profit up 213% to Rs 5253 crore · 21 hours ago IDBI Bank Q1FY27 net profit rises 3.3% to Rs 2007 crore · 21 hours ago Nobody wants to wait on hold anymore. But can AI replace customer care? · 22 hours ago Pakistan to revise fuel prices daily; current account slips into $139 million FY26 deficit · 21 hours ago New money? India's currency might soon get a plastic makeover · 23 hours ago Textile sector to sew loose ends as FTAs kick in · 1 day ago NITI index: Gujarat, Maharashtra lead in wooing investors · 1 day ago
Sunday, 19 Jul 2026 · IST
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Accounts

Is an "account receivable" and "goodwill" real accounts in accounting?

Real accounts, i.e. Balance Sheet accounts are ongoing perpetual records and represent "real" items; cash, receivables, inventories, accounts payable, invested capital, etc., etc. Accounts receivable and goodwill therefore are both real accounts as they have value in and of themselves.

Nominal accounts represent items of income and expense. Nominal accounts have no balances at the beginning of an accounting period and change as various debits and credits are applied because of activity of income and expense throughout the accounting period. At the end of the accounting cycle, the nominal accounts are returned to zero by debiting them by an amount equal to their credit balance if such exists, or crediting an account if it has a debit balance. The offsetting entry of each of these is to a Profit or Loss Account. If after all accounts are zero, the P&L account has a debit balance then operations were profitable (income exceeded expenses), and conversely with a credit balance a loss was incurred. The P&L is then "closed" by either debited or crediting to bring it to zero, whichever is appropriate, with the offsetting entry going to "Retained Earnings", a real account, and bringing the Balance Sheet into balance and leaving all nominal accounts at zero.

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