The Income Summary account can be defined as which of the following?

• A. An asset account used to summarize cash inflows and outflows.
• B. A permanent account that tracks all income earned by a business.
• C. A liability account that records outstanding expenses.
• D. A temporary account used to close revenue and expense accounts at the end of an accounting period.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of the Income Summary account: It is a temporary account used during the closing process in accounting to summarize revenues and expenses for a specific accounting period.
2. Recognize that the Income Summary account is not an asset, liability, or permanent account. It is specifically designed to facilitate the closing of revenue and expense accounts.
3. Learn the purpose of closing entries: At the end of an accounting period, revenue and expense accounts are closed to the Income Summary account to reset their balances to zero for the next period.
4. Understand the flow: After transferring the balances of revenue and expense accounts to the Income Summary account, the net balance (profit or loss) is then transferred to the Retained Earnings account.
5. Remember that the Income Summary account itself is temporary and does not appear on the financial statements. It exists solely for the closing process and is eliminated after the period ends.