Create a credit (negative) column in Excel?

[AvonSue]

I am creating a spreadsheet with debit and credit columns. How do I format
the Credit column so all entries automatically post as a credit?

 

[Gord Dibben]

Credits are generally positive values.

Don't enter numbers with a negative value in the credit column.

Enter those in your debit column.

Or am I missing some detail?

If you wanted negative values to show as positive, in a helper column enter

=ABS(cellref)


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[AvonSue]

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for your speedy response! You have answered my question.
FYI - in accounting, Assets and Expenses are Debit Accounts and Liabilities
and Equity are Credit Accounts. This is necessary in order for your Trial
Balance to zero-out so you can do financial statements and income statements.

 

[Stan Brown]

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:17:39 -0700 from <Gord Dibben

Credits are generally positive values.

Don't enter numbers with a negative value in the credit column.

Enter those in your debit column.

Or am I missing some detail?

Credits *and* debits are generally positive. In proper accounting
books (using the double-entry method, which it sounds like the OP
does), total credits must equal total debits.

The OP should have positive credits and positive debits, and strike a
balance by sum(debits) - sum(credits) for an asset or expense
account, sum(credits) - sum(debits) for a liability or equity or
revenue account.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Shows how little I know about bookkeeping<g>

My rudimentary style is a column of "ins" and a column of "outs" with the
difference being what I still have in my pocket or owe to my creditors.


Gord

 

[Jen Moskaluk]

I need to convert my spreadsheet credit column. The numbers now show as red and I need them to show as a negative number instead.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Assuming the numbers are red because they are negative..........

You don't need to convert the numbers.

Simply re-format with minus sign rather than red.

Format>Cells>Number>Number........you choose from the selection.

2007 would be Format>Format Cells>Number>Number


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP