Which account should not appear on a post-closing trial balance?

A post-closing trial balance includes only the balance sheet accounts, which are permanent accounts that retain their balances over time. These accounts consist of assets, liabilities, and equity.

Sales, however, is a temporary account that is closed at the end of the accounting period. Temporary accounts, which also include expenses and revenues, are zeroed out through the closing process to prepare for the next period's transactions. Since sales represents revenue earned in the current period, it does not carry forward to the next period, and thus it will not appear on the post-closing trial balance.

In contrast, accounts like Retained Earnings, Accumulated Depreciation, and Discount on Bonds Payable are permanent accounts. Retained Earnings accumulates the net income and losses along with other equity transactions over time. Accumulated Depreciation records the total depreciation expense for long-term assets, providing a continuous view of those assets' values. Discount on Bonds Payable reflects the amount by which bonds are issued below their face value, and it is a liability account that affects the overall equity and liability structure of the company. Each of these accounts, therefore, remains on the books and is included in the post-closing trial balance because they carry over their balances into