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Published on:

September 29, 2025

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Small businesses

Nominal Account Rules with Examples & Importance Explained

Have you ever wondered how the business gets to know whether they are making a profit or losing money during the year? The answer lies in the Nominal Account, which records all the expenses, income, losses, and gains during the financial year. In this article, the nominal account rule is explained with an example, highlighting its importance and also how nominal accounts work in the digital age, which makes it easier to manage transactions accurately and efficiently.

What is a Nominal Account?

A nominal account is a component of the general ledger that keeps a record of the expenses, losses, income, and gains for a financial year. These accounts are also known as temporary accounts or income statement accounts since they are closed at the end of the financial year. At the financial year end, the balances from the nominal account are carried forward to permanent accounts, and following this posting, the nominal account begins with a balance of zero in the new financial year. Although nominal accounts do not exist in physical form but every entry in them involves money. The final result of all nominal accounts is either profit or loss, which goes to the permanent account

Suggested Read on Ledger Balance

Types of Nominal Account with Examples

Nominal Accounts comprise various accounts which are used in recording financial transactions for the business, with major examples.

Expense Account: This account covers daily business spending. Examples include salaries, rent, electricity, advertising, depreciation, and interest expenses. ‍
Revenue Account: This account covers all the income a company or an individual earns. High revenue indicates good financial performance. Examples include sales revenue, service revenue, interest income, dividend income, and rental income.‍
Gain Account: It covers extra income that does not come from the main business operations. Examples include profit from selling an asset, investments, or foreign currency exchange.‍
Loss Account: It covers losses that occur outside of normal business operations. Examples include loss from selling an asset, writing off bad debts, or other unusual losses.

Rules of Nominal Account

Certain rules of the Nominal account need to be followed to accurately record the financial transaction, which are listed below;

Debit all expenses and losses & Credit all incomes and gains

Example 1: The company paid Rs 20,000 commission in cash.

Commission Account (Expense) = Debited Rs 20,000 - Nominal Account

Cash Account = Credited Rs 20,000 - Real Account

Example 2: The company sold goods for Rs 30,000 to Ram on credit

Ram’s Account = Debited ₹30,000 -Personal Account

Sales Account (Income) = Credited ₹30,000-Nominal Account

So, according to this rule, the commission, which is a nominal account and is an expense for the business, will be debited, whereas the selling of goods is income and will be credited.‍

Debit increases expenses and losses, while credit increases income and gains

This means whenever money is spent, the debit side goes up; on the other hand, whenever money is earned, the credit side goes up

To understand this rule, below are certain examples;

Example 1: If a company pays a salary of 10,000 Rs as cash

Salary Account (Expense) = Debited ₹10,000 - Nominal Account

Cash Account = Credited ₹10,000 - Real Account

Example 2: If a company receives Rs 5000 as commission in cash

Cash Account = Debited ₹5,000 - Real Account

Commission Account (Income) = Credited ₹5,000 -Nominal Account

At the end of the year, the nominal account is closed, and the balance is transferred to the summary account known as the income statement or profit and loss account, and this account starts at zero for the next year. Below this, there is a section explaining the process of the following transaction under this rule.

Process of transactions flow in the Nominal Account

To understand how transactions flow in nominal accounts to other accounts, let's understand this process with one example, i.e company sells goods worth Rs 50,000 in cash

All the entries are first recorded in the journal with proper dates and details, then posted into the ledger. A nominal account is a type of ledger account that records expenses and income during the year. When the company sell goods worth Rs 50,000 in cash, the sales account is included in the transaction, which is a nominal account and at the end of the year, with other transactions, the balance of this account is transferred to the Income statement account

Similarly, all expenses like salaries, rent, or electricity are first recorded in an Expense Account, which is a nominal account and at year-end, they are moved to the Income Statement Account.

Finally, the difference between revenue and expense (profit or loss) is calculated and transferred to a permanent account, i.e. the balance sheet, such as the Capital Account or Retained Earnings.

Importance of Nominal Account

Assist in financial analysis: They assist businesses and individuals to understand their financial performance. This account reflects short-term profit or losses and allows the stakeholders to view the company’s profitability, liquidity, and overall financial health. Through monitoring income and expenses, this account reflects whether spending exceeds earnings, which is useful for planning.‍
Assist in tax payment : An Accurate nominal account makes tax calculation easier. They assist both registered and non-registered businesses in claim tax allowances by recording taxes properly, such as small transactions like business expenses or domain renewals, which can lower taxable income. ‍
Assist with personal finance: They assist in tracking income and spending, identifying areas to save and making informed spending choices. ‍
Assist in budgeting and planning: Nominal accounts offer essential information for budgeting and planning. They help forecast future performance and decide how to use resources effectively‍
Assist in decision-making: They provide information about income and expenses, which enables businesses to make better decisions by presenting facts such as the amount of money spent each month, the salaries paid last quarter, and the income earned from non-business activities.

Nominal Account in the Digital Age

Earlier, nominal ledger accounts were recorded in a paper book or an Excel sheet, where every sale, purchase, revenue, and payment had to be recorded manually. This was slow and often made a lot of errors . Now there is modern accounting software, which has made the entire process automatic. It connects with bank accounts and billing systems, so transactions go straight into the nominal ledger in real time. Each entry gets a unique code, which makes it easier to sort, match with bank records, and still follow all the rules. This accounting software keeps automatic running totals, matches transactions and reduces errors. The system became digital, but the accountant still provides oversight to make sure everything is accurate

A Guide on Swipe’s Accounting Software for Beginners

Conclusion

Nominal accounts are the backbone of tracking business income, expenses, gains, and losses. The rule of nominal account helps businesses and individuals understand how to accurately record transactions. These accounts help show profit or loss, assist in making financial statements, and guide smart decisions about budgeting, taxes, and spending. Whether using old ledger or modern accounting software, the rule remains the same and understanding nominal accounts gives better control over the money and helps plan a secure financial future.

Suggested read on Mastering the Profit & Loss Account

FAQs

1. What is the difference between a real and a nominal account?

Nominal account tracks income , expenses, gains and losses for a specific period appearing in the income statement, while a real account tracks the business’s financial position at a certain point in time, and a nominal account starts at each new year with a zero balance, while a real account keeps the ending balance from the previous year.

2. Is goodwill a nominal account?

No goodwill is not a nominal account; it is an intangible real account because it is an asset owned by the business

3. Where are the balances of the nominal accounts transferred?

The balance of the nominal account is transferred to the income statement account or profit and loss account

4. What is Debit and Credit in a Nominal Account?

In a nominal account, debit is used to record all expenses and losses, while credit is used to record income & gains

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