What is the Imprest Amount?

The imprest amount is the fixed amount of cash that is presumed to be located in a petty cash box. For example, the initial funding of a petty cash box is $300, and this amount is recorded in the corresponding general ledger account for petty cash. This amount does not change in the general ledger, even though the amount of cash in the petty cash box will gradually decline as it is paid out and replaced with receipts. When the petty cash box is replenished, the cash comes from the regular cash account, rather than the petty cash account, so the imprest amount remains the same.