Chapter 2, Problem 3A

What Would You Do?

A new bookkeeper can’t find the errors that are causing the company’s month-end trial balance to be out of balance. The bookkeeper is too shy to ask for help at the office, so she takes the financial records home and asks her uncle, a retired bookkeeper, to help her locate the errors. Even with the help of her uncle, the trial balance is still out of balance, and now she is too embarrassed to return to the office and ask for help. The bookkeeper decides to show the trial balance is in balance and hope no one notices. Explain if there is anything wrong with this practice.