Trial Balance Review Questions
Spot problems before reports go out.
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[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Review my trial balance for anomalies. Trial balance (account names and balances): [TRIAL_BALANCE]. Prior month and prior year comparatives: [COMPARATIVES]. Known events this month: [KNOWN_EVENTS]. Do the following with arithmetic shown: confirm total debits equal total credits; compare each account to the prior month and flag movements above 15 percent or a threshold I set; identify accounts with unusual signs (a negative expense, a credit balance in receivables); look for round-number balances, accounts with no activity that should have it (rent, depreciation, payroll taxes), and suspense or clearing accounts with balances. Return a table: Account | Current | Prior | Change | Flag | Question to answer | Likely cause (hypothesis). Rank the top 10 questions to resolve before issuing reports. Add a list of analytic checks (gross margin consistent with last month, payroll as a share of revenue, interest consistent with loan balances). Do not conclude errors exist; present questions. Recommend accountant review [VERIFY].
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Total debits 412,300; total credits 412,300; balanced. Flag 1: Repairs 6,900 versus prior month 1,100 (+527 percent). Question: was a one-off invoice posted here? Likely cause (hypothesis): a repair that should be capitalized. Flag 2: Rent 0 this month versus 2,400 prior. Question: was June rent paid or accrued? Flag 3: Receivables credit balance of 340. Likely customer overpayment or unapplied credit note. Flag 4: Suspense account 1,250. Needs clearing before reports. Analytic checks: gross margin 41 percent versus 44 last month; payroll 31 percent of revenue versus 29. Top questions to resolve first: suspense balance, missing rent, repairs. These are questions, not conclusions. Accountant review [VERIFY].
Illustrative only, made-up data. Your results will differ and must be reviewed.