Opening balance的意思

"Opening balance" is a financial term that refers to the initial balance at the beginning of a financial period, such as at the start of a month, quarter, or year. It is the balance that has carried forward from the previous period.

In accounting, the opening balance is typically the closing balance from the previous accounting period, which is then carried forward to become the starting point for the current period. This balance is usually recorded in the first entry of the relevant financial statement or accounting record, such as the balance sheet or the general ledger.

For example, if you were looking at the balance sheet for a company at the beginning of the year, the opening balance for each account (e.g., cash, accounts receivable, inventory, etc.) would be the amount that the company started the year with. These opening balances are used as a basis for recording transactions and calculating the closing balances at the end of the period.