A trial balance primarily verifies that debits equal credits and can reveal which of the following?

• A. It verifies that debits equal credits and can reveal math errors.
• B. It verifies that debits equal credits but cannot detect all posting errors or omissions.
• C. It lists only cash balances.
• D. It serves as a substitute for the general ledger.

Answer: (B)

The trial balance checks that total debits equal total credits in the ledger, and that equality serves as a quick check on arithmetic accuracy as balances are carried forward. It can reveal math mistakes made when posting or totaling balances, because a miscalculation will cause the two sides not to match. However, it cannot catch all posting errors or omissions. For example, a transaction could be recorded in the wrong accounts or omitted entirely and still leave the debits and credits in balance, so the trial balance wouldn’t reveal those issues.