Retained Earnings: debit or credit?
Retained Earnings increases on the credit side and decreases on the debit side: its normal balance is a credit.
Equity is the owners’ claim on the business: capital, reserves and retained profit. It increases with a credit.
Name in each convention
Account names and codes follow each convention; an account that does not exist in a convention is not offered there.
| Convention | Account |
|---|---|
| United States (US textbooks) | Retained Earnings |
| Spain (PGC 2007) | 120 Remanente |
| France (PCG 2025) | 110 Report à nouveau - solde créditeur |
| Germany (generic accounts) | Gewinnvortrag |