When to put parentheses around a number
/In accounting, there are several situations in which it is common practice to put parentheses around numbers. It should be used in the following situations:
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When one number is being subtracted from another number
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When presenting a negative number in a statement or report
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When stating the meaning of a negative amount in a line item description, such as “Net profit (loss)” in the bottom line of an income statement
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When presenting the credit side of a journal entry
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When presenting an unfavorable budget variance, such as when actual sales are less than budgeted sales
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When presenting an account balance that is the reverse of its normal position, such as when an account with a normal debit balance has a credit balance instead