The ratio of total liabilities to stockholders’ equity. The higher the proportion of debt to equity, the more risky the company appears to be. An indicator of the amount of financial leverage at a company. It...
The ratio of total liabilities to stockholders’ equity. The higher the proportion of debt to equity, the more risky the company appears to be. An indicator of the amount of financial leverage at a company. It...
This term is often associated with an investment in the common stock (and/or preferred stock) of a corporation when the stock is publicly traded.
Often a liability representing the differences between the income tax expense associated with the revenues and expenses reported on a corporation’s income statements and the actual income tax appearing on the...
When a company writes a check, the company records it with a credit to the Cash account in the company’s general ledger. Whether the check has or hasn’t cleared the bank account, the company’s Cash account...
A liability account that reflects the estimated amount a company owes for expenses that occurred, but have not yet been paid nor recorded through a routine transaction. To learn more, see Explanation of Adjusting...
Taxes assessed by states to cover unemployment benefits paid to unemployed workers who have been laid off or terminated by a company for specified reasons. This tax is paid by the employer but is computed by multiplying...
An employee fringe benefit provided by an employer that allows employees to be absent from work with pay. Often the number of paid vacation days allowed is based on the number of years of employment.
Financial Statements Video Training Part 3 Balance sheet: prepaid expenses; current assets; investments; property, plant and equipment Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and Bookkeeping Career Perform...
Contributions collected by Charity #1 who is merely acting as a collection agent for Charity #2. Also known as flow-through contributions.
A management tool that identifies the critical path—the path of sequential activities requiring the longest time to complete.
The systematic allocation of the premium on bonds payable (reported as a credit in a liability account) to Bond Interest Expense over the life of the bonds. The journal entry to amortize the premium contains a debit to...
Usually a change in the estimated useful life of an asset or a change in the estimated salvage value. The change usually causes a change in the depreciation expense for the current year and subsequent years. The...
See direct labor efficiency variance.
Activities that are not specifically associated with a specific product or customer. For example, the costs of an audit and filing information with government agencies are examples of organization-sustaining activities.
An allocation of indirect costs based on the units of production, the number of machine hours, the number of labor hours, etc.
The amount that would be agreed upon by two independent persons. The amount to be received in the ordinary course of business in an arm’s length transaction.
See double declining balance method of depreciation.
A tax status allowed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Obligations not reported as liabilities on the balance sheet.
The amount owed to employees as of a specified date for the amount of vacation pay that has been earned but has not been taken. For example, the accrued vacation pay as of December 31, 2023 is the amount the employees...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the employer’s portion of the health insurance cost incurred by the company during the period indicated in the heading of the income statement, whether...
The description of the required reporting of expenses by some nonprofits. The expenses will be presented on lines based on the nature of the expense (salaries, fringe benefits, rent, utilities, postage, professional...
A contra liability account that reports the amount of unamortized discount associated with bonds that are outstanding. The discount on bonds payable originates when bonds are issued for less than the bond’s face or...
This current liability account reports the amount a company owes as of the balance sheet date for its worker compensation insurance policy premiums. The amounts owed are usually based on the policy’s rates for the...
The actual cost incurred for manufacturing costs that does not change as production volume changes. Examples include the property tax, rent, and depreciation of the factory building and equipment, and the salaries of the...
A highly summarized balance sheet
What is interest expense? Definition of Interest Expense Interest expense is the cost of borrowing money during a specified period of time. Interest expense is occurring daily, but the interest is likely to be paid...
Usually an annual manufacturing overhead rate established just prior to an accounting year and based on budgeted amounts.
A liability account containing the amount of premium on bonds payable that has not yet been amortized to interest expense. To learn more, see Explanation of Bonds Payable.
A non-operating item resulting from the sale of this long-term asset for less than its carrying amount (or book value).
A current liability account which reflects the amount of income taxes currently due to the federal, state, and local governments.
What is a reclassification? Definition of Reclassification In accounting, the term reclassification is often used to describe moving an amount from one general ledger account to another. Examples of Reclassification...
Financial Statements Video Training Part 9 Income statement: revenues, cost of goods sold, expenses, nonoperating items Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and Bookkeeping Career Perform better at your...
The method used for removing costs from the inventory of goods. The cost flow can be different from the physical flow of goods. For example, in the U.S. the LIFO cost flow can be used even if the oldest goods are shipped...
the following: Debit Cash Credit the account(s) that was debited when the check was originally recorded This entry increases the general ledger account Cash (that contains the company’s checking account). It also...
Preferred stock that is callable by the issuer at a certain price. The price and other conditions are disclosed in the preferred stock’s indenture.
The preparation of financial statements from a client’s information and without any review or audit of the amounts.
What is a limitation of the inventory turnover ratio? Definition of Inventory Turnover Ratio The inventory turnover ratio is often calculated by dividing a company’s cost of goods sold for a recent year by the average...
Usually referred to as the SEC. The U.S. government agency which has regulatory power over the U.S. stock exchanges and the reporting requirements of the corporations whose stock is traded on those stock exchanges. The...
Featured Review
"Hands down, without a trace of doubt, your website is the absolute number one aid for an accounting student such as myself. Trust me, I have been to all the websites, nothing like AccountingCoach even comes close. It is extremely professional and expertly web-formatted, not to mention, user-friendly." - T.M.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: