Appropriation Account (Cambridge (CIE) O Level Accounting)

Revision Note

Donna Simpson

Written by: Donna Simpson

Reviewed by: Dan Finlay

Appropriation Account

What is the profit and loss appropriation account?

  • The profit and loss appropriation account is one of the financial statements prepared by businesses that operate as a partnership

    • The partnership prepares the income statement first

    • And then they prepare the profit and loss appropriation account

  • It shows how the profit or loss from the income statement is split between the partners

    • The distribution of the profit for the year is based on the terms of the partnership agreement

  • The appropriation account is part of the double entry system

    • The profit or loss for the year is transferred from the income statement

Account to be debited

Account to be credited

Transferring the profit for the year to the appropriation account

Income statement

Appropriation account

Transferring the loss for the year to the appropriation account

Appropriation account

Income statement

How do I complete the profit and loss appropriation account?

  • STEP 1
    Put the profit for the year in the right column

    • You get this value from the income statement

  • STEP 2
    Add the total interest on drawings

    • List the interest for each partner

    • Put the total in the right column

    • Add it on to the profit

  • STEP 3
    Total the interest on the partners' capital

    • List the interest for each partner

    • Put the total underneath

  • STEP 4
    Total the partner's salaries

    • List the salary for each partner underneath the previous total

      • If there is more than one salary you can create a new column for totalling them up

  • STEP 5
    Subtract the total interest on capital and partners' salaries

    • Subtract from the previous value in this column

    • This gives the residual profit

  • STEP 6
    Share the residual profit in the ratio described in the partnership agreement

    • List the profit for each partner

    • Put the total in the right column

Layout of the profit and loss appropriation account
Layout of the profit and loss appropriation account

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Students can get confused when trying to remember whether to add or subtract interest on drawings. Remember that this statement is from the point of view of the business. Therefore the interest on drawings is added as the business is owed more money from the partners.

Also remember partner's loan interest is charged to the income statement not the appropriation account.

Worked Example

Jetlin & Leander are in partnership, their year end is 31st December 2023. 

The following information was taken from their books: 

$

Profit for the year

30 000

Capital:

Jetlin

50 000

Leander

35 000

Salaries:

Jetlin

5 000

Leander

6 000

Drawings:

Jetlin

7 500

Leander

1 000

The partnership agreement provides for the following:

  • interest on capital of 5% per annum

  • interest on drawings of 10%

  • a salary to Leander of $6 000 per annum

  • residual profits and losses shared 75% to Jetlin and 25% to Leander.

Prepare the appropriation account for Jetlin and Leander for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Answer

Calculate the interest on capital by multiplying each partner's capital by 5%.

  • Jetlin: 5% × $50 000 = $2 500

  • Leander: 5% × $35 000 = $1 750

Calculate the interest on drawings by multiplying each partner's drawings by 10%.

  • Jetlin: 10% × $7 500 = $750

  • Leander: 10% × $1 000 = $100

Calculate the residual profit. This is usually done in the appropriation account.

  • Start with the profit for the year $30 000

  • Add the interest on drawings: + $750 + $100

  • Subtract the interest on capital: - $2 500 - $1 750

  • Subtract the salary: - $6 000

  • Residual profit: $20 600

Calculate the share of profit for each partner by multiplying the residual profit by the given percentages.

  • Jetlin: 75% × $20 600 = $15 450

  • Leander: 25% × $20 600 = $5 150

Complete the appropriation account using the required format.

Jetlin & Leander

Appropriation Account for the year ended 31 December 2023 

 

$

$

Profit for the year

 

30 000 

Add: Interest on drawings 

Jetlin

750 

 

Leander 

100 

850 

30 850 

 Less:

 

 

Interest on capital 

Jetlin

2 500 

 

Leander 

1 750 

 

4 250 

 

 Salary

Leander

6 000 

10 250 

 

20 600 

Profit share

Jetlin

15 450

 

Leander 

5 150 

20 600 

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Donna Simpson

Author: Donna Simpson

Expertise: Accounting Content Creator

Donna is a classroom practitioner with over 25 years experience in teaching accounting and business studies at GCSE A-Levels and undergraduate levels, both in the UK and abroad. She currently works for a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) as a teacher, instructional coach and mentor to other teachers. Donna is also an AQA A Level Accounting examiner as well as the content creator of resources used by all accounting teachers across the Trust. She enjoys designing and creating resources that provides students with deeper understanding of the subject content. Donna has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with major in Accounting and Finance (BSc Hons) and ACCA certified to Level 2.

Dan Finlay

Author: Dan Finlay

Expertise: Maths Lead

Dan graduated from the University of Oxford with a First class degree in mathematics. As well as teaching maths for over 8 years, Dan has marked a range of exams for Edexcel, tutored students and taught A Level Accounting. Dan has a keen interest in statistics and probability and their real-life applications.