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Board Exam Notes

Retirement & Death of a Partner Notes

Questions

7-9 questions in board exams

Difficulty

Medium-Hard

Importance

Key for Class 12 Accountancy boards

Overview

Retirement and Death of a Partner involve the settlement of accounts when a partner leaves or expires, requiring the calculation of gaining ratios and the adjustment of goodwill. This topic is a cornerstone of partnership accounting in Class 12 and is essential for solving complex long-form numerical problems in board exams. Aspirants must master the systematic distribution of revalued assets and liabilities to ensure the retiring partner receives their accurate capital share.

Gaining Ratio and Goodwill

When a partner retires, the remaining partners acquire a larger share of future profits, necessitating the calculation of the Gaining Ratio. Goodwill must be adjusted by debiting the gaining partners and crediting the retiring partner based on their respective gains.

  • Gaining Ratio = New Profit Sharing Ratio - Old Profit Sharing Ratio
  • Retiring partner's share of goodwill is credited to their Capital Account
  • Adjustment entry: Gaining Partners' Capital A/c Dr. to Retiring/Deceased Partner's Capital A/c
  • Goodwill is valued based on the agreed method at the time of retirement

Revaluation and Capital Adjustments

Upon retirement, assets and liabilities are revalued to reflect current market value, with the resulting profit or loss shared among all partners in their old ratio. Capital accounts are then adjusted to ensure the balance meets the new agreed-upon profit sharing structure.

  • Revaluation Profit/Loss is transferred to all partners' Capital Accounts
  • Unrecorded assets and liabilities must be accounted for in the Revaluation A/c
  • Adjusted capital balances are often maintained in a new proportion
  • Any excess or deficit in capital is settled via Bank or current accounts

Executors Account on Death

In the event of a partner's death, the legal representatives of the deceased are entitled to their capital balance, share of profit up to the date of death, and share of goodwill. A Deceased Partner's Executor's Account is prepared to track the payment of these dues.

  • Profit up to date of death calculated on time or turnover basis
  • Interest on deceased partner's capital is provided up to the date of death
  • Payment is made to the Executor with applicable interest if delayed
  • Formula for profit share: Total Profit * (Deceased Ratio) * (Time elapsed / 12)

Formula Sheet

Gaining Ratio = New Share - Old Share

Deceased Partner Profit = (Last Year Profit or Average Profit) * (Ratio) * (Months / 12)

Interest on Capital = Opening Capital * Rate * (Months / 12)

Exam Tip

Always prepare the Revaluation Account and Partners' Capital Accounts in a single sequential flow to avoid missing balance sheet adjustments.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the sacrificing ratio formula instead of the gaining ratio formula when calculating goodwill adjustments.
  • Forgetting to calculate profit up to the date of death proportionally based on time or turnover.
  • Neglecting to transfer the balance of the General Reserve to the retiring partner's capital account.

More Revision Notes

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