What is the purpose of a trial balance?

Preparing a trail balance for a company serves to detect any mathematical errors that have occurred in the double-entry accounting system. If the total debits equal the total credits, the trial balance is considered to be balanced, and there should be no mathematical errors in the ledgers. The trail balance is a working document used by accountants as the basis to prepare financial statements. The purpose is to ensure that for every debit listed there is a corresponding credit recorded, shares Accounting-Simplified. If the totals do not balance, an investigation may be made.