What occurs during the trial balance process if debits and credits do not equal?

During the trial balance process, if debits and credits do not equal, it signifies an error. The trial balance is a key tool in accounting used to ensure that the total debits equal the total credits after all transactions have been recorded. When discrepancies arise, it indicates that something has gone wrong in the recording process. This could be due to various factors such as incorrect data entry, omissions, double entries, or misclassification of accounts. Identifying that the debits and credits do not balance serves as a critical alert for accountants to investigate and rectify the errors before progressing to financial reporting. This normalization is essential to maintaining accuracy in financial statements, ensuring the integrity of the accounting system.