If the related claim is more than the reserve who will bear the excess part?

Correct answer: Old partners in old ratio

A reserve is an amount created from profits earned before a new partner joins. Therefore, it belongs to the old partners in their old profit-sharing ratio. If a claim against the firm is greater than the reserve, the reserve can cover only part of it. The remaining amount is a loss related to the period before admission, so the old partners must bear it. The new partner is not responsible for this past deficiency.

Thus, the excess claim is debited to the old partners’ capital or current accounts in their old ratio. The bank account is not the party that bears the loss; it merely records payment. Hence option A, old partners in old ratio, is correct.