Receivables control account

The receivables control account summarises trade receivable movements in the general ledger and is reconciled to customer ledger balances. The control account normally begins with a debit balance. Credit sales increase it; customer receipts, returns and write-offs reduce it. Add individual customer balances and reconcile them with the control balance, investigating omissions, posting errors and other differences. The control total is not proof that every individual account is accurate or complete.