Contra liability account definition
/What is a Contra Liability Account?
A contra liability account is paired with another liability account, and is used to reduce the balance in that account. In essence, the paired liability account contains a credit balance that signifies the presence of an obligation, while the contra account reduces the amount of that liability with a debit balance. A contra account may also have a zero balance, if no offset against a related liability account is currently needed.
In practice, contra liability accounts are rarely used. Contra accounts are more commonly paired with asset accounts, such as accounts receivable or inventory, to reduce the carrying values of those assets.
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Examples of Contra Liability Accounts
The following are examples of contra liability accounts:
Bond Discount Account
The bond discount account offsets the bonds payable account. When netted together, the two accounts yield the carrying value of a bond.
Gain on Debt Reduction
The gain on debt reduction account offsets the remaining balance in a loan payable account in the amount of any negotiated reduction in debt, which may occur when a borrower is having trouble meeting its loan payment obligations. This presentation is rarely used, in favor of directly reducing the balance in the loan payable account and reporting the reduction as a gain on the income statement.
Presentation of Contra Liability Accounts
If the amount in a contra liability account is immaterial, it could reasonably be combined into a single balance sheet line item with the liability that it is intended to offset. Or, if the contra liability account balance is immaterial, the accounting staff could elect not to keep a balance in the account at all. When the amount is material, the line item is typically presented separately on the balance sheet, below the liability account with which it is paired.
Terms Similar to Contra Liability Account
A contra account is also known as a valuation allowance, because it adjusts the carrying value of the account with which it is paired.