What is the difference between entries in a general journal versus a general ledger? Definition of General Journal The general journal is described as the book of original entry. Today the general journal is used to...
What is the difference between entries in a general journal versus a general ledger? Definition of General Journal The general journal is described as the book of original entry. Today the general journal is used to...
Are bonds payable reported as a current liability if they mature in six months? Definition of Bonds Payable Bonds payable are formal, long-term obligations that promise to pay interest every six months and the principal...
How do I learn of new accounting rules? The U.S. accounting rules issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) can be found on its free website www.fasb.org/st/. There you will find: FASB Statements...
What is a/c? Definition of a/c In accounting, a/c is the abbreviation for account. Example of a/c An accountant might leave the following note for a subordinate: “Please review the balance in the a/c Interest...
What is a deposit in transit? Definition of Deposit in Transit A company’s deposit in transit is the currency and customers’ checks that have been received and are rightfully reported as cash on the date received,...
What is a mortgage loan? Definition of Mortgage Loan A mortgage loan is a loan associated with the purchase of real estate, such as a home or buildings used in a business. As part of the loan process, the lender files a...
What is a nominal account in accounting? Definition of Nominal Account In accounting, nominal accounts are the general ledger accounts that are closed at the end of each accounting year. The closing process transfers...
How can a company have a profit but not have cash? Definition of Profit Under the accrual basis of accounting, profit is the amount of revenues earned minus the amount of expenses incurred. Note that revenues are not...
Why are expenses debited? Why Expenses Are Debited Expenses cause owner’s equity to decrease. Since owner’s equity’s normal balance is a credit balance, an expense must be recorded as a debit. At the end of the...
How many years is the appropriate time for depreciating leasehold improvements? Leasehold improvements should be depreciated or amortized according to the lessee’s normal depreciation policy except that the time period...
What are gross wages? Definition of Gross Wages Gross wages are the amounts earned by employees before the payroll withholding taxes and other deductions are subtracted. Sometimes gross wages is used to describe the...
What is the return on assets ratio? Definition of Return on Assets Ratio The return on assets ratio, or return on total assets ratio, relates a company’s net income during a specific year, to the company’s average...
What is apportionment? An apportionment is an allocation based on some proportions. I associate the term apportionment with a corporation’s taxable income that was earned in many states within the U.S. In that...
Why are the amounts on the financial statements rounded to thousands or millions? Definition of Rounding Amounts on Financial Statements Rounding the amounts on a company’s financial statements means dropping the less...
Does collecting a customer's accounts receivable affect net income? Definition of Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable is a current asset that results when a company reports revenues from sales of products or the...
What is the accounting entry when an order is received? There is no accounting entry recorded in a company’s general ledger accounts when an order is received. The reason is that a sale or sales revenues has not yet...
Do corporations issue both common stock and preferred stock? Some corporations issue both common stock and preferred stock. However, most corporations issue only common stock. In other words, it is necessary that a...
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...
Isn't objectivity violated when estimates are used in bookkeeping and accounting? The use of estimates does not necessarily violate objectivity. If it is not possible to determine the exact amount of an expense and/or...
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...
What is the payout ratio? The payout ratio indicates the percentage of a corporation’s earnings which are distributed as cash dividends to its stockholders. Typically, the payout ratio is computed by using the per...
What is the stated interest rate of a bond payable? Definition of Stated Interest Rate of a Bond The stated interest rate of a bond payable is the annual interest rate that is printed on the face of the bond and stated...
What is the return on stockholders' equity (after tax) ratio? Definition of Return on Stockholders’ Equity The financial ratio return on stockholders’ equity (or return on equity) is calculated by dividing a...
What is the meaning of debtor? Definition of Debtor A debtor is a person, company, or other entity that owes money. In other words, the debtor has a debt or legal obligation to pay the amount owed. Example of Debtor If...
When do you adjust the amount of prepaid expenses? Definition of Adjusting Prepaid Expenses The balance in the current asset account Prepaid Expenses should be adjusted prior to a company issuing its financial...
How do the income statements of a sole proprietorship and a regular corporation differ? Definition of Income Statements of Sole Proprietorship and Regular Corporation The income statement of a sole proprietorship and a...
Is a postdated check considered to be currency? A postdated check—a check with a date that is later than the current date—is not considered to be currency. Further, the postdated check should not be reported as part...
What are gross sales? Definition of Gross Sales Gross sales are the amounts a company earned from selling its products. The amounts originate from the company’s sales invoices but the total will be adjusted to the...
What is a lump sum payment? A lump sum payment is often associated with a single amount paid to acquire a group of items. For instance, a corporation might pay $50,000 for the inventory and equipment of a small...
What is the difference between paid-in capital and retained earnings? Definition of Paid-in Capital Paid-in capital is one of the major categories of stockholders’ equity. Generally, paid-in capital reports the amount...
What is the accounting cycle? Definition of Accounting Cycle The accounting cycle is often described as a process that includes the following steps: Identifying, collecting and analyzing documents and transactions...
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant? Before I provide a distinction, you should be aware that some people use the words interchangeably. Even though I was the accountant, treasurer, and CFO of a...
How is petty cash reported on the financial statements? Definition of Petty Cash Petty Cash is a small amount of money that a company has available to pay small amounts without writing a company check. The money might be...
What is capital surplus? Definition of Capital Surplus In the past, capital surplus was used to describe what is now referred to as paid-in capital in excess of par or Premium on Common Stock. Example of Capital Surplus...
What is a special journal? Definition of a Special Journal A special journal (also known as a specialized journal) is useful in a manual accounting or bookkeeping system to reduce the tedious task of recording both the...
What are byproducts? Byproducts, or by-products, are products with relatively little value that emerge from a common process along with the main products. The main products have significant value and are referred to as...
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 does a debit signify in bookkeeping? In bookkeeping, a debit can signify an increase in an asset, an expense, and the owner’s draws. A debit can also signify a decrease in a liability, revenues, and owner’s...
Would you please explain unearned income? Definition of Unearned Income Unearned income or deferred income is a receipt of money before it has been earned. This is also referred to as deferred revenues or customer...
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...
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