In accounting, what must always equal for the accounts to be balanced?

In accounting, the principle of double-entry bookkeeping dictates that for the accounts to be balanced, total debits must equal total credits. This foundational concept ensures that every financial transaction is accurately recorded in a way that maintains the accounting equation, which states that assets equal liabilities plus equity.

When a transaction occurs, it typically affects at least two accounts: one account is debited, and another account is credited. The total amounts of these debits and credits must always be equal to ensure that the financial statements reflect an accurate view of the financial position of the business. If the debits do not equal the credits, it indicates that there is an error in the recording process.

While other choices involve important components of financial statements, they do not relate directly to the fundamental balancing requirement inherent to the double-entry system. Total expenses and total revenue, and total assets and liabilities can be critical for analysis but do not address the basic balancing mechanism within the accounting framework itself.