What if an employee's actual vacation payment is greater than the amount that has been accrued? Let’s assume that a company’s accounting year ends on December 31 and the company has only one employee who worked the...
What if an employee's actual vacation payment is greater than the amount that has been accrued? Let’s assume that a company’s accounting year ends on December 31 and the company has only one employee who worked the...
Financial Statements Video Training Part 2 Balance sheet: accounts receivable, estimated allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory cost flows (FIFO & LIFO) Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
What is the advantage of using historical cost on the balance sheet for property, plant and equipment? Definition of Historical Cost Historical cost is the original cost of an asset including all the necessary costs to...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 1 Accounts: record each transaction in two accounts, debits = credits, T-accounts, amounts reported on financial statements Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
If cash and a note are exchanged for a plant asset, is the amount of the note used in the depreciation calculation? A plant asset’s cost is depreciated, unless the asset is land. Cost is defined as the cash or cash...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 3 Accounts for expenses are debited, the income statement and balance sheet are connected, accrual method of accounting Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
A corporation has a large balance in retained earnings. Does that mean that its dividends to stockholders will be increasing? Definition of Retained Earnings Retained earnings is one part of a corporation’s...
Our income statement shows wide fluctuations in utilities expense from month to month. I suspect our accounting is not proper. Any suggestions? Under accrual accounting, your income statement should report the amount for...
Financial Statements Video Training Part 13 Statement of cash flows: cash flows from operating activities, cash flows from investing activities, cash flows from financing activities, quality of earnings Must-Watch Video...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 13 Sales on credit: risk, unsecured accounts receivable, aging to monitor allowance for doubtful accounts, bad debts expense Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
Is a manufacturer's product warranty part of its manufacturing overhead or is it part of its SG&A expense? The costs associated with a manufacturer’s product warranty are part of its selling expenses and therefore part...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 10 Adjusting entries: recap of accruals, deferrals, one balance sheet account and one income statement account will be affected Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 12 Bank reconciliation: process to determine the true or adjusted amount of cash, journal entries needed for adjustments to book balance Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your...
Could a company's statement of cash flows show a positive net cash flow from operating activities even though it reported a net loss on its income statement? Yes, a company with a net loss on its income statement could...
Why are some plastic cards called debit cards? I assume the name debit card relates to the reduction in the cardholder’s checking account balance at the time that the card is used. The checking account balances of a...
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...
Are transportation-in costs part of the cost of goods sold? Definition of Transportation-in Costs Transportation-in costs, which are also known as freight-in costs, are part of the cost of goods purchased. The reason is...
Why is an increase in inventory shown as a negative amount in the statement of cash flows? Meaning of a Negative Amount on Statement of Cash Flows A negative amount on the statement of cash flows (SCF) indicates that the...
What is the difference between liquidity and liquidation? Definition of Liquidity Liquidity usually refers to a company’s ability to pay its bills when they become due. Liquidity is often evaluated by comparing a...
How do I determine the cost of missing inventory? Definition of Determining the Cost of Missing Inventory The approximate cost of missing inventory is the difference between 1) the cost of the inventory items that are...
What is discount on bonds payable? Definition of Discount on Bonds Payable Discount on bonds payable (or bond discount) occurs when a corporation issues bonds and receives less than the bonds’ face or maturity amount....
Is the cost of land, buildings, and machinery a fixed cost? Land, Buildings and Machinery are Fixed Assets It is common for people to refer to land, buildings, and machinery as fixed assets. They are also referred to as...
What is the purpose of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts? Definition of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts or Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts is a general ledger contra account...
What is COS? Definition of COS In accounting, the acronym COS could indicate either cost of sales or cost of services. The income statement of a manufacturer or a retailer might use the term cost of sales or it might use...
What is other comprehensive income? Definition of Other Comprehensive Income Other comprehensive income, or OCI, consists of items that have an effect on the balance sheet amounts, but the effect is not reported on the...
What is window dressing? Definition of Window Dressing Window dressing refers to actions taken or not taken prior to issuing financial statements in order to improve the appearance of the financial statements. Example...
What is the aging method? Definition of Aging Method The aging method usually refers to the technique for estimating the amount of a company’s accounts receivable that will not be collected. The estimated amount that...
Is a loan's principal payment included on the income statement? Definition of Loan Principal Payment When a company borrows money from its bank, the amount received is recorded with a debit to Cash and a credit to a...
What is the difference between stockholder and shareholder? Definition of Stockholder and Shareholder The term stockholder or shareholder typically describes an investor who own shares of a corporation’s common stock....
What is illusory profit? Illusory profit, also called phantom profit, is the difference between 1) the profit reported using historical costs required by US GAAP, and 2) the profit computed using replacement costs....
What is NIFO? NIFO is the acronym for next-in, first-out. NIFO is a cost flow assumption, just as FIFO and LIFO are cost flow assumptions. However, NIFO is not acceptable for financial reporting since it calls for a...
How should the sale of gift certificates be recorded in the general ledger? Definition of Gift Certificates Gift certificates (and gift cards) are often sold by a retailer to a buyer for cash. The buyer can then redeem...
Where can I find an illustration of a common size balance sheet? You will find an illustration of a common size balance sheet under AccountingCoach.com’s Explanation of Financial Ratios. The common size balance sheet...
Why would a company use double-declining depreciation on its financial statements? Definition of Double-Declining-Balance Depreciation The double-declining-balance method of depreciation is a form of accelerated...
What is straight line depreciation? Definition of Straight-Line Depreciation Straight-line depreciation is the most common method of allocating the cost of a plant asset to expense in the accounting periods during which...
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 is a current liability? Definition of Current Liability A current liability is: An obligation that will be due within one year of the date of the company’s balance sheet, and Will require the use of a current...
What accounts for the difference in inventory values between periodic LIFO and perpetual LIFO? Difference Between Periodic LIFO and Perpetual LIFO The difference between periodic LIFO and perpetual LIFO involves the time...
What is budgeting? Definition of Budgeting Budgeting is the process of preparing detailed projections of future amounts. Companies often engage in two types of budgeting: Operational budgeting, and Capital budgeting...
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