When labeling accounts, the 500s are used for which type of accounts?

• A. Expense accounts
• B. Revenue accounts
• C. Asset accounts
• D. Liability accounts

Answer: (A)

When labeling accounts, numbers in the chart of accounts are grouped by account type so that financial data are easy to sort and report. The 500s are reserved for expense accounts, which record the costs a business incurs in its operations. Expenses increase with a debit and reduce net income, so placing them in the 500s helps keep track of costs like rent, utilities, and wages separately from other account types. For example, Rent expense, Utilities expense, and Salaries expense would all fall in this range. In contrast, assets, liabilities, and revenues use other number ranges, so they wouldn’t occupy the 500s.