 In accounting, a reserve is always an account with a credit balance in the entity's equity on the balance sheet, while to some non-accountants (e.g., actuaries), it has the connotation of money set aside to meet a future liability (a debit balance).In the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the treatment of provisions (as well as contingent assets and liabilities) is found in IAS 37.A provision can be a liability of uncertain timing or amount.