Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner for Class 12: The Complete CBSE Guide (2026-27)
When a partner retires from a firm or passes away, the partnership does not dissolve — instead it reconstitutes. Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12 teaches you the precise accounting treatment under the Partnership Act and NCERT guidelines: how to calculate what the firm owes the outgoing partner (or their legal heirs), which continuing partners gain from the vacancy, and how to rebalance capital accounts so the new profit-sharing ratio reflects economic reality. This chapter builds on your knowledge of admission of a partner but reverses the flow — instead of bringing in capital, the firm pays out settlements. Every CBSE board paper since 2015 has carried at least one 6-mark numerical on retirement or death, often combined with revaluation and goodwill adjustments.
Key takeaways
- ✓Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12 carries 12–16 marks in the CBSE board exam, making it critical for scoring above 90% in Accountancy.
- ✓Gaining ratio (not old ratio) governs how continuing partners compensate the retiring or deceased partner for goodwill and absorb the outgoing partner's profit share.
- ✓The amount due to a retiring partner includes capital balance after revaluation, share of reserves and goodwill, less any drawings — paid in cash or transferred to a loan account.
- ✓Executor's account is opened in the books for a deceased partner; it functions like the retiring partner's capital account and is settled per the partnership deed or legal heirs' agreement.
- ✓Adjustment of capital among continuing partners uses the gaining ratio when the deed specifies a new capital structure post-retirement or death.
- ✓Hidden goodwill (when firm goodwill is not recorded separately) is calculated by capitalising super-profits or using the agreed lump-sum method from NCERT.
- ✓CBSE expects clear journal entries, ledger postings and final balance-sheet extracts; partial marks are lost if narrations or dates are missing.
What Is Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner in Class 12 Accountancy?
- Retirement: partner exits voluntarily; requires mutual consent or deed clause.
- Death: automatic reconstitution; legal heirs become entitled to the deceased partner's share.
- Firm continues to operate; remaining partners absorb the outgoing partner's profit share in their gaining ratio.
- All adjustments (revaluation, goodwill, reserves) must be recorded before computing the final amount due.
Gaining Ratio: The Foundation of Reconstitution Accounting
- Gaining Ratio = (New profit share of continuing partner) − (Old profit share of continuing partner).
- Used to distribute the cost of goodwill paid to the outgoing partner.
- Also used for adjusting capital accounts when the deed mandates proportional capital.
- Common mistake: using old ratio instead of gaining ratio for goodwill adjustment — costs 2 marks in CBSE.
Amount Payable to a Retiring Partner: Components and Calculation
- Credit retiring partner's capital for share of goodwill, revaluation gain, reserves.
- Debit the same account for revaluation loss, drawings, interest on drawings.
- If settled in cash: debit Retiring Partner's Capital, credit Bank.
- If settled over time: debit Retiring Partner's Capital, credit Retiring Partner's Loan.
- Interest on loan (if applicable) is charged as per deed and debited to Profit & Loss Appropriation.
Death of a Partner: Opening the Executor's Account
- Close Deceased Partner's Capital A/c; open Executor's A/c on the credit side.
- Credit executor for share of goodwill, revaluation profit, reserves, salary and interest on capital (pro-rata).
- Debit executor for drawings, interest on drawings, any loans taken.
- Time-apportionment formula: (Profit for the year × months until death) / 12.
- Settlement: Dr Executor's A/c, Cr Bank / Executor's Loan A/c.
Adjustment of Capital Among Continuing Partners
- New Capital = Total Capital × New Profit Ratio (method 1).
- Or base one partner's capital and adjust others (method 2).
- Surplus: Dr Partner's Capital, Cr Bank (withdrawal).
- Deficit: Dr Bank, Cr Partner's Capital (bring in cash).
- If capitals are to remain proportionate in gaining ratio, use gaining ratio for adjustment.
Goodwill Adjustment in Retirement and Death Scenarios
- Retiring partner's goodwill share = Total Goodwill × Retiring Partner's Old Ratio.
- Debit continuing partners in their gaining ratio, credit retiring partner.
- Hidden goodwill: raise Goodwill A/c, then immediately write it off in new ratio if deed says so.
- Private arrangement goodwill: adjust personal capital outside books; record only if cash changes hands through firm.
Revaluation Account and Its Impact on Reconstitution
- Debit Revaluation A/c for asset write-downs (e.g. machinery depreciation, bad debts).
- Credit Revaluation A/c for asset appreciation (e.g. land, building revaluation upward) or liability reduction (e.g. provision no longer needed).
- Balance transferred to all partners' capital in old ratio.
- Common items: stock revaluation, provision for doubtful debts, unrecorded assets/liabilities.
Treatment of Reserves and Accumulated Profits
- Dr Reserve A/c / P&L A/c (Cr balance); Cr All Partners' Capital in old ratio.
- Dr All Partners' Capital in old ratio; Cr P&L A/c (Dr balance) for accumulated losses.
- Includes general reserve, reserve fund, workmen compensation fund (if no longer needed), investment fluctuation reserve.
- Do this before calculating goodwill or revaluation adjustments.
Settlement Options: Cash Payment vs Loan Account
- Full cash settlement: single journal entry, Dr Capital/Executor A/c, Cr Bank.
- Loan settlement: Dr Capital/Executor A/c, Cr Loan A/c; then record installments and interest.
- Interest on loan: Dr P&L Appropriation A/c, Cr Retiring Partner's Loan A/c.
- Installment payment: each cash payout is Dr Loan A/c, Cr Bank.
Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12 Notes: Journal Entries Sequence
- Step 1: Distribute reserves (Dr Reserve, Cr Partners — old ratio).
- Step 2: Revaluation (Dr/Cr assets/liabilities, then transfer balance to partners — old ratio).
- Step 3: Goodwill adjustment (Dr continuing partners — gaining ratio, Cr retiring partner).
- Step 4: Close/transfer retiring/deceased partner's account (Dr Capital, Cr Executor/Loan/Bank).
- Step 5: Adjust continuing partners' capital if required (Dr/Cr Capital, Dr/Cr Bank).
Common Mistakes in Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12 Numericals
- Error: Goodwill shared in old ratio instead of gaining ratio — penalty: 2 marks.
- Error: Skipping reserve distribution — penalty: 1 mark.
- Error: Full-year profit to deceased partner instead of time-apportioned — penalty: 2 marks.
- Error: Not opening executor's account for death case — penalty: 1–2 marks.
- Error: Wrong gaining ratio calculation — penalty: entire goodwill entry marked wrong.
- Error: Forgetting interest on loan — penalty: 1 mark per year.
- Error: Capital adjustment not recorded when question asks for it — penalty: 2 marks.
CBSE Class 12 Accountancy Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Exam Pattern and Weightage (2024-25)
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Important Formulas for Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12
- Gaining Ratio = New Share − Old Share (each continuing partner separately).
- Goodwill to Retiring Partner = Firm Goodwill × Retiring Partner's Old Ratio.
- Settlement Amount = Capital (after all adjustments) + Reserves + Goodwill + Revaluation Profit − Drawings − Losses.
- Profit till Death = (Last Year Profit × Months / 12) × Deceased Share, OR (Sales till Death / Total Sales) × Profit × Deceased Share.
- Adjusted Capital = Total Capital × New Ratio (when capital adjustment clause exists).
Frequently asked questions
Why is gaining ratio used for goodwill and not the old profit-sharing ratio in Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12?+
How do I calculate the amount payable to a retiring partner step-by-step for CBSE board exam?+
What is the executor's account and when must I prepare it in Class 12 Accountancy?+
How is profit calculated up to the date of death when a partner dies mid-year?+
Do I need to adjust continuing partners' capital accounts after retirement or death?+
Can a retiring partner's dues be settled partly in cash and partly as a loan?+
What is hidden goodwill and how do I account for it in Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12?+
Why must reserves and profits be distributed in the old ratio before computing retirement dues?+
My child's school uses T.S. Grewal or D.K. Goel instead of NCERT for Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12. Will this create problems in the board exam?+
How many marks does Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner carry in CBSE Class 12 Accountancy board exam?+
What are the most common journal entries I must know for Reconstitution — Retirement / Death of a Partner Class 12?+
Is interest on the retiring partner's loan account debited to Profit & Loss Account or Profit & Loss Appropriation Account?+
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