Fiducia TogetherTrial balance
A list of every account balance, checked to see the books add up.
Please note: This page explains what a term means. It is general information, not legal, financial, tax or investment advice, and it does not know anything about your business. Before you sign, file or commit to anything, check it with an accountant, a solicitor, or the official guidance we link to.
What it means
A trial balance lists the closing balance of every account in the ledger, with debits in one column and credits in the other. The two totals should match.
Why it matters
It is the check before accounts are prepared. If the columns do not agree, something has been posted only once or posted twice, and it has to be found before anything built on it means anything.
What it looks like in practice
Produced automatically by any bookkeeping software at any moment. The interesting version is the one at year end, which your accountant works from.
What to watch out for
A balanced trial balance does not mean the books are right. A transaction posted to the wrong account, or the correct amount posted twice in opposite directions, balances perfectly and is still wrong.
Where to get proper advice
Your accountant. This is exactly the kind of question they answer in ten minutes and most owners never ask.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains what a term means. It is general information, not legal, financial, tax or investment advice, and it does not know anything about your business. Before you sign, file or commit to anything, check it with an accountant, a solicitor, or the official guidance we link to.