Why is there a large difference between share value and stockholders' equity? There can be many reasons why the market value of a corporation’s stock is much greater than the amount of stockholders’ equity reported...
Why is there a large difference between share value and stockholders' equity? There can be many reasons why the market value of a corporation’s stock is much greater than the amount of stockholders’ equity reported...
What is the difference between FIFO and LIFO? Difference Between FIFO and LIFO The difference between FIFO and LIFO will exist only if the unit costs of a company’s products are increasing or decreasing. U.S. companies...
What is an unpresented check? An unpresented check is a check written by a company and entered in its records, but the check has not yet cleared the company’s checking account. In other words, the check has not yet...
What is a stockholder? Definition of Stockholder A stockholder (also known as a shareholder) is the owner of one or more shares of a corporation’s capital stock. A stockholder is considered to be separate from the...
How do I write off old outstanding checks? Definition of an Old Outstanding Check We will assume that an outstanding check has appeared on the outstanding check list that is part of the company’s bank reconciliation...
What is accelerated depreciation? Definition of Accelerated Depreciation Accelerated depreciation is the allocation of a plant asset‘s cost at a faster rate than straight-line depreciation. Compared to straight-line...
How do you record a check that clears the bank months after it was voided? Since you had voided the check months earlier, your general ledger no longer reflects 1) the original credit to the cash account, and 2) the...
What is the annual wage limit? Definition of Annual Wage Limit Annual wage limit is a payroll accounting term that is associated with the Social Security payroll tax. (The annual wage limit is also known as the annual...
What is a general ledger account? Definition of General Ledger Account A general ledger account is an account or record used to sort, store and summarize a company’s transactions. These accounts are arranged in the...
What is the difference between a cost and an expense? Definitions of Cost and Expense Some people use cost interchangeably with expense. However, we use the term cost to mean the amount spent to purchase an item, a...
How do I calculate depreciation using the sum of the years' digits? Definition of the Sum-of-the-Years’-Digits Depreciation The sum-of-the-years’-digits depreciation (SYD depreciation) is one method for calculating...
What is "deficit" appearing in stockholders' equity? Definition of Deficit Within Stockholders’ Equity The term deficit is used within the stockholders’ equity section of a corporation’s balance sheet in place of...
What is a lease? Definition of a Lease Typically, a lease is a written agreement between an owner of property (land, building, equipment, vehicle, etc.) and a person or business that will use the property for a stated...
Why is depreciation on the income statement different from the depreciation on the balance sheet? Definition of Depreciation Depreciation is the systematic allocation of an asset’s cost to expense over the useful life...
How do you record the sale of land? Definition of Sale of Land Assume that a retailer sells land that it had been holding for a future store. The retailer must remove the cost of the land from its general ledger asset...
What is deferred revenue? Deferred Revenue Deferred revenue is money received by a company in advance of having earned it. In other words, deferred revenues are not yet revenues and therefore cannot yet be reported on...
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 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 a calendar year? Definition of Calendar Year A calendar year is the 12 consecutive months from January through December. In other words, it is the 365 days (366 days in a leap year) beginning on January 1 and...
What is float? Definition of Float In accounting and bookkeeping, float is the time between the writing of a check and the time that the check clears the bank account on which it is drawn. Examples of Float Payer...
What is a comparative income statement? A comparative income statement will consist of two or three columns of amounts appearing to the right of the account titles or descriptions. For example, the income statement for...
What is ERP? Definition of ERP In accounting, ERP is the acronym for enterprise resource planning. ERP could be described as a database software package that supports all of a business’s processes and operations...
What is bad debts? Definition of Bad Debts The term bad debts usually refers to accounts receivable (or trade accounts receivable) that will not be collected. (Bad debts is also used for notes receivable that will not be...
What is income smoothing? Definition of Income Smoothing Income smoothing involves reducing the fluctuations in a corporation’s earnings. The reductions in fluctuations can result from some legitimate business methods...
Why is Rent Expense a debit and Service Revenues a credit? Why Rent Expense is a Debit Rent expense (and any other expense) will reduce a company’s owner’s equity (or stockholders’ equity). Owner’s equity which...
What is a real account? Definition of a Real Account A real account is a general ledger account that does not close at the end of the accounting year. In other words, the balances in the real accounts are carried over to...
Is depreciation expense an administrative expense? Definition of Depreciation Expense Depreciation expense is the systematic allocation of a depreciable asset’s cost to the accounting periods in which the asset is...
When calculating inventory turnover, do you use sales or the cost of goods sold? I calculate the inventory turnover by using the cost of goods sold. I use the cost of goods sold because inventory is in the general ledger...
What is carriage outwards? Definition of Carriage Outwards Carriage outwards refers to the transportation costs that a seller must pay when it sells merchandise with the terms FOB Destination. Carriage outwards is also...
Which date is used to record a credit card transaction? When a business uses its credit card, the transaction date is the date the credit card is used, not the date that the credit card statement is paid. For example, if...
What does crossfoot mean? Definition of Crossfoot or Crossfooting Accountants and auditors use the word foot to mean adding one or more columns of numbers. When there are several columns of numbers along with a...
How do I learn more about the CPA Exam? You can learn more about the Uniform CPA Exam at our free Accounting Career Center. Within our Accounting Career Center are direct links to the state boards of accountancy, CPA...
What is the effect on financial ratios when using LIFO instead of FIFO? Definition of Effect of LIFO Instead of FIFO During periods of significantly increasing costs, the LIFO cost flow assumption instead of the FIFO...
What is a bookkeeper? Definition of Bookkeeper A bookkeeper is usually employed by a small to mid-size company (or other organization) to process and record the large volume of transactions involving sales, purchases,...
Where is a contract with a customer reported on the balance sheet? A contract to perform future services for a customer is not reported on the balance sheet of the company that will be providing the services. For...
Is a security deposit for a rental agreement recorded in a liability account? The person paying the security deposit would credit the asset account Cash and would debit the asset account Security Deposits. The person...
How should the cost of a yearly subscription for a newspaper be recorded? Definition of Recording a Yearly Subscription Typically, yearly subscriptions are paid in advance or at the start of the subscription period. If...
How is the account Cash Short and Over used? Definition of Cash Short and Over Account The account Cash Short and Over is an income statement account (within a company’s general ledger) in which shortages or overages...
How can a business increase its cash flow from operations? A business can increase its cash flow from operations (or operating activities) by looking closely at each of its current assets and current liabilities. For...
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...
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