Line of Credit | Nonprofit Accounting Basics (2024)

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Accounting and Bookkeeping

Originally Posted: April 30, 2023

Similar to a personal credit card, a line of credit (LOC) is a pre-set credit limit approved by a bank or another financial institution. An organization can draw on a line of credit as needed and repay the loan over time or as defined by the LOC terms. A line of credit, does not appear on the books of the organization until money is borrowed. When money is borrowed, the amount is recorded as a loan in the liability section of the Statement of Financial Position along with the interest owed on the outstanding balance. The interest payable amount is driven by the borrowing rate on the line of credit.

Below are examples of journal entries showing activity associated with a line of credit.

Line of Credit | Nonprofit Accounting Basics (9)

Line of Credit | Nonprofit Accounting Basics (2024)

FAQs

Line of Credit | Nonprofit Accounting Basics? ›

A line of credit, does not appear on the books of the organization until money is borrowed. When money is borrowed, the amount is recorded as a loan in the liability section of the Statement of Financial Position along with the interest owed on the outstanding balance.

What is the accounting treatment for lines of credit? ›

Lines of credit appear under liabilities on the balance sheet. They are considered current liabilities because they must be paid within the current 12-month operating cycle.

What is the journal entry for a line of credit? ›

There are a few ways you can record the LOC in your books but the easiest may be with a journal entry. Go to Company, Make General Journal Entries. Enter the date the LOC was deposited into your bank account. Debit your bank account and Credit the LOC account for the total amount.

What is the line of credit in accounting? ›

A line of credit (LOC) is an account that lets you borrow money when you need it, up to a preset borrowing limit, by writing checks or using a bank card to make purchases or cash withdrawals.

How do I account for a credit line? ›

When using a line of credit, a line of credit account should exist in your chart. This account should be reflected as a liability. In the example, $5,000 is receipted into the bank account and is also setup as a liability. Now that you have drawn money from the line, the liability must be present on your Balance Sheet.

How do you record a line of credit in accounting? ›

A line of credit, does not appear on the books of the organization until money is borrowed. When money is borrowed, the amount is recorded as a loan in the liability section of the Statement of Financial Position along with the interest owed on the outstanding balance.

Do you amortize a line of credit? ›

If the loan is a revolving line of credit or similar arrangement with no scheduled payments, loan costs generally should be amortized using the straight-line method over the period the line is active.

How should a line of credit be entered in QuickBooks? ›

To do this, I've outlined the steps below:
  1. Go to the Lists menu then Chart of Accounts.
  2. Right-click anywhere then press New.
  3. Choose Loan then Continue. If you don't see this option, pick Other Account Types then Other Current Liability.
  4. Press Continue to proceed.
  5. Enter the details of your LOC then click Save and Close.
Feb 4, 2022

Is a line of credit income or expense? ›

Using a line of credit to purchase equipment or inventory, for example, would all fall into the category of an ordinary and necessary business expense.

Is a line of credit an asset or debt? ›

A business line of credit is a liability that requires careful management. Businesses must balance the benefits of immediate access to capital against the responsibilities of future repayments and interest obligations.

What is the formula line of credit? ›

The formula to calculate interest on a revolving loan is the balance multiplied by the interest rate, multiplied by the number of days in a given month, divided by 365. In a month with 31 days, you'll multiply by 31 before dividing by 365. In a month with 30 days, you'll multiply by 30 before dividing by 365.

What type of asset is a line of credit? ›

Most lenders will only provide a line of credit if the underlying asset securing the line is accounts receivable or inventory. The lender will offer a term loan if the company is financing other assets such as machinery or real estate. However, this is not a hard rule, and some lenders make exceptions.

What is the basic line of credit? ›

A personal line of credit gives you instant access to your available credit, as you need it. It doesn't require a specific purchase purpose and carries a variable interest that only accrues on the money you borrow. A variable interest is an interest rate that might change, according to the terms of your contract.

What is a LOC in accounting? ›

A line of credit (LOC) or credit line is a special type of bank account that comes with a pre-determined borrowing limit. You can borrow as much money as you need, when you need it, up to that limit. Borrowers are only charged interest on the money taken, with credit replenished as borrowed funds are repaid.

What is a LOC in auditing? ›

A Letter of Credit (LOC) is correspondence issued by a bank guaranteeing payment for goods and services purchased by the one requesting the letter. An Irrevocable Letter of Credit, or ILOC, cannot be canceled or modified in any way without explicit consent by the affected parties involved.

What type of account is a credit line? ›

However, if you don't know exactly how much money you may need, you may want to consider a line of credit. A line of credit is a revolving loan that allows you to access money as you need it up to a certain limit. You can borrow up to that limit again as the money is repaid.

How is line of credit treated? ›

A line of credit works like a revolving account. Once approved, you can borrow up to your credit limit, repay the borrowed amount, and then borrow again, similar to a credit card. Interest is only charged on the amount that you have borrowed, not the entire credit limit.

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