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Multiple Choice
To which of the following accounts should the balance in the Income Summary account be closed at the end of the accounting period?
A
Common Stock
B
Dividends
C
Retained Earnings
D
Cash
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the purpose of the Income Summary account: It is a temporary account used during the closing process to summarize revenues and expenses for the period.
Recognize that at the end of the accounting period, the balance in the Income Summary account represents the net income or net loss for the period.
Determine where the net income or net loss should be transferred: It is closed to the Retained Earnings account, which reflects the accumulated earnings of the company after dividends are paid.
Note that Common Stock, Dividends, and Cash are not accounts where the Income Summary balance is closed. Common Stock is an equity account related to ownership, Dividends represent distributions to shareholders, and Cash is an asset account.
Conclude that the correct account to close the Income Summary balance to is Retained Earnings, as it aligns with the purpose of summarizing and transferring the period's net income or net loss.