# Trial balance

> A list of every account balance at a date, with total debits equal to total credits. It is the starting point for consolidating a company's figures.

Source: https://finconsol.com/blog/glossary/trial-balance/ (updated 28 October 2026)

## Why does it matter in a group?

Every consolidation starts with one trial balance per company. The accounts in it are matched to the [group chart of accounts](/blog/glossary/group-chart-of-accounts/), then translated and added with the others. For a company on a system with no direct connection, a trial balance exported to Excel or CSV is all that is needed. The first check is that debits equal credits. If they do not, something is missing from the export. A trial balance that nets to zero can still be wrong, because balances can sit in the wrong accounts, so the group also compares opening balances with last month's closing.

## A small example

A small trial balance has debits of cash 500,000, receivables 300,000 and expenses 400,000, which is 1,200,000. Its credits are payables 200,000, share capital 400,000 and revenue 600,000, which is also 1,200,000.