Controlling account
Controlling account is the account in the general ledger that summarizes or controls a subsidiary ledger. Example: The Accounts Payable account in the general ledger is the controlling account for the accounts payable subsidiary ledger. After postings are complete, it shows the total amount owed from purchases made on account.
Definitions
According to College Accounting: A Practical Approach by Slater (13th edition),
- Controlling account. The account in the general ledger that summarizes or controls a subsidiary ledger. Example: The Accounts Payable account in the general ledger is the controlling account for the accounts payable subsidiary ledger. After postings are complete, it shows the total amount owed from purchases made on account.
Related concepts
- Accounting (alternatively known as accountancy) is management of financial data, information, and knowledge about financial transactions of legal entities. Accountancy tends to include bookkeeping and, depending on a particilar enterprise, may also include quatitative analysis of financial data in the bookkeeping system and/or business intelligence.
