Because every journal entry balances, the whole ledger must balance too: the sum of all debit balances should equal the sum of all credit balances. The trial balance is the report that performs this check, conventionally run before preparing financial statements.
A balanced trial balance rules out one-sided and unequal entries. It cannot catch a transaction posted to the wrong account, a missing transaction, or the same entry recorded twice — those balance perfectly while still being wrong.
Why It Matters
It is the cheapest health check the books offer. Out of balance means a concrete mechanical error exists and must be found; in balance means the arithmetic layer is sound and attention can move to the judgment layer — reconciliation, review, and whether entries landed in sensible accounts.
Example
Month-end: the trial balance shows debits of $84,210 and credits of $84,110 — off by $100. The bookkeeper searches for a $100 one-sided entry and finds an invoice payment recorded to cash with no matching credit to receivables. Fixed, balanced, move on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a trial balance the same as a balance sheet?
No. The trial balance is an internal check listing every account, including revenue and expenses. The balance sheet is a financial statement summarising assets, liabilities and equity at a date — built after the trial balance proves the ledger’s arithmetic.