Is it possible to have a balance sheet for a single day? A balance sheet presents the amounts of a company’s assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity as of an instant or moment in time within a day. Usually it is the...
Is it possible to have a balance sheet for a single day? A balance sheet presents the amounts of a company’s assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity as of an instant or moment in time within a day. Usually it is the...
What is the face value of a bond payable? Definition of Face Value of a Bond Payable The face value of a bond payable is the amount printed on the bond. The face value is also referred to as the following: Face amount...
How do you calculate the gain or loss when an asset is sold? Definition of Gain or Loss on Sale of an Asset The gain or loss on the sale of an asset used in a business is the difference between 1) the amount of cash that...
How should an interest only loan be recorded? Defintion of an Interest Only Loan An interest only loan specifies that only interest payments are required during the life of the loan. No principal payment is required...
What is capex? Definition of Capex Capex is a shortened form of the term capital expenditure or capital expenditures. Capex is often used when referring one or both of the following: Actual amounts that were spent during...
What is Notes Payable? Definition of Notes Payable In accounting, Notes Payable is a general ledger liability account in which a company records the face amounts of the promissory notes that it has issued. The balance in...
What are generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)? Definition of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Generally accepted accounting principles (commonly referred to as GAAP or US GAAP) are the common...
What is the difference between the direct method and the indirect method for the statement of cash flows? Main Difference between Direct and Indirect Method of SCF The main difference between the direct method and the...
Why is the distinction between product costs and period costs important? The distinction between product costs and period costs is important to: Properly measure a company’s net income during the time specified on its...
What is the gross margin ratio? Definition of Gross Margin Ratio The gross margin ratio is a percentage resulting from dividing the amount of a company’s gross profit by the amount of its net sales. (The gross margin...
What is the advantage of issuing bonds instead of stock? Definition of Bonds Bonds payable are a form of long-term debt, which include a formal agreement to pay interest semiannually and the principal amount at maturity....
What is the difference between a note payable and a bond payable? Definition of Note Payable and Bond Payable For accounting purposes, a note payable and a bond payable have the following similarities: Formal written...
What are dividends? In accounting, dividends often refers to the cash dividends that a corporation pays to its stockholders (or shareholders). Dividends are often paid quarterly, but could be paid at other times. For a...
What is the earnings per share (EPS) ratio? Definition of Earnings per Share The earnings per share ratio, or simply earnings per share, or EPS, is a corporation’s 1) net income (or earnings) after tax that is...
What is the FUTA tax? Definition of FUTA Tax FUTA is the acronym for the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and is associated with a federal payroll or employment tax paid solely by the employer. (This unemployment tax is in...
Is contribution margin the same as operating income? Definition of Contribution Margin Contribution margin is defined as revenues minus the variable costs and variable expenses. Example of Contribution Margin Assume that...
What is the difference between income and profit? Definition of Income The term income is used differently by many people. For some, income means the money coming in, such as What is your family income? What is your...
What is meant by owner's draws? Definition of Owner’s Draws Owner’s draws are withdrawals of a sole proprietorship’s cash or other assets made by the owner for the owner’s personal use. The account in which the...
What is a promissory note? Definition of Promissory Note A promissory note is a written promise to pay an amount of money by a specified date (or perhaps on demand). The maker of the promissory note agrees to pay the...
What does understated mean? Definition of Understated In accounting, understated means that a reported amount is less than the actual, true amount based on the accounting rules. In other words, the reported amount can be...
What is the accrual method? Definition of Accrual Method The accrual method of accounting reports revenues on the income statement when they are earned even if the customer will pay 30 days later. The accrual method of...
What is the bookkeeping equation? Definition of Bookkeeping Equation The bookkeeping equation (or accounting equation) is similar to the structure of the balance sheet: For a sole proprietorship: Assets = Liabilities +...
What is the meaning of a favorable budget variance? Definition of a Favorable Budget Variance A favorable budget variance means that the actual amount that occurred was better for the company (or organization) than the...
Which accounts normally have debit balances? Definition of Debit Balance In accounting, a debit balance refers to a general ledger account balance that is on the left side of the account. This is often illustrated by...
Why is manufacturing overhead allocated to products? Definition of Manufacturing Overhead Allocated to Products Manufacturing overhead refers to the indirect production costs of producing goods, products, component...
How can a manufacturer determine the precise cost of its products? A manufacturer may never be able to determine the precise cost of its individual products. The reason is that most of the manufacturing costs (other than...
What is the income statement? Definition of Income Statement The income statement is also known as the statement of operations, profit and loss statement, and statement of earnings. It is one of a company’s main...
How do you record an asset that was partially financed? Example of Recording an Asset that was Partially Financed Assume that your company purchased a car for $10,000 by paying cash of $4,000 and signing a promissory...
What is accounts receivable? Definition of Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable is the amount owed to a company resulting from the company providing goods and/or services on credit. The term trade receivable is also...
Does a company have to use the IRS years of useful life for depreciation? For the company’s financial statements, the economic life of the asset should be used—not the years of useful life required for income tax...
What is capitalized interest? Definition of Capitalized Interest Capitalized interest is the interest on debt that was used to finance a self-constructed, long-term asset. The capitalized interest for the company’s...
What are nonmanufacturing overhead costs? Definition of Nonmanufacturing Overhead Costs Nonmanufacturing overhead costs are the business expenses that are outside of a company’s manufacturing operations. In other...
How do you record bonds that are issued? Definition of Bonds Payable Bonds payable is a form of long-term debt often issued by large corporations especially public utilities when constructing large, expensive power...
What are adjusting entries? Definition of Adjusting Entries Adjusting entries are usually made on the last day of an accounting period (year, quarter, month) so that a company’s financial statements comply with the...
What does debit memo mean on a bank statement? Definition of Bank Debit Memo A debit memo on a company’s bank statement refers to a deduction by the bank from the company’s bank account. In other words, a bank debit...
What is the contribution margin ratio? Definition of Contribution Margin Ratio The contribution margin ratio is the percentage of sales revenues, service revenues, or selling price remaining after subtracting all of the...
Why does a company prepare a bank reconciliation? Reasons for Preparing a Bank Reconciliation There are several reasons for a company to prepare a bank reconciliation: To safeguard the company’s cash. Performing a bank...
What are the effects of overstating inventory? Definition of Overstating Inventory Overstating inventory means that the reported amount for the cost of a company’s inventory is greater than the actual true cost based...
What is a sole proprietorship? Definition of Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is a form of business organization that is owned by one person and is easy to start. The owner is referred to as a sole proprietor....
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