The major distinguishing element between the final account of a partnership and that of a sole trader is the
Answer Details
The major distinguishing element between the final account of a partnership and that of a sole trader is the inclusion of the appropriation account in the partnership's final account. The appropriation account shows how the profits or losses of the partnership are divided among the partners.
In a sole trader's final account, there is no need for an appropriation account because all the profits or losses belong to the sole trader alone. However, in a partnership, the profits or losses are divided among the partners according to their agreed-upon sharing ratio. The appropriation account shows how these profits or losses are divided and allocated to each partner's capital account.
The other accounts listed in the question (drawing account, capital account, and creditor account) are common to both sole trader and partnership final accounts. However, the appropriation account is unique to partnership final accounts and is necessary to show how the profits or losses of the partnership are distributed among the partners.