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 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 contra liability account? Definition of Contra-Liability Account A contra-liability account is a liability account in which the balance is expected to be a debit balance. Since a debit balance in a liability...
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...
Does the income statement explain the change in the equity section of a balance sheet? The income statement could explain the change in the equity section of a balance sheet. However, there are likely to be some other...
What is the difference between a balance sheet of a nonprofit organization and a for-profit business? Definition of Balance Sheet The balance sheet is one of the main financial statements issued organizations. The...
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...
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 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...
What is a noncurrent asset? Definition of Noncurrent Asset A noncurrent asset is an asset that is not expected to turn to cash within one year of date shown on a company’s balance sheet. (This assumes that the company...
What are direct materials? Definition of Direct Materials Direct materials are defined as: Traceable matter that is converted by a manufacturer into products Part of manufacturer’s production costs A variable cost of a...
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 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 days' sales in inventory ratio? Definition of Days’ Sales in Inventory The financial ratio days’ sales in inventory tells you the number of days it took a company to sell its inventory during a recent...
Our Explanation of Payroll Accounting discusses the taxes and benefits which are withheld from employees' pay as well as the taxes and benefits that are expenses for the employers. Also provided are examples of the...
Our Explanation of Accounting Basics uses a simple story to introduce important accounting concepts and terminology. It illustrates how transactions will be included in a company's financial statements.
Our Explanation of the Balance Sheet provides you with a basic understanding of a corporation's balance sheet (or statement of financial position). You will gain insights regarding the assets, liabilities, and...
Our Explanation of Financial Accounting introduces some of the basic accounting concepts and how they affect the income statement, balance sheet, and other financial statements.
What is a petty cash voucher? Definition of Petty Cash Voucher A petty cash voucher is usually a small form that is used to document a disbursement (payment) from a petty cash fund. Petty cash vouchers are also referred...
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...
What is the difference between the current ratio and the quick ratio? Definition of Current Ratio The current ratio is the proportion, quotient, or relationship between the amount of a company’s current assets and the...
What is an expense? Definition of Expense Under the accrual method of accounting, an expense is a cost that is reported on the income statement for the period in which: The cost best matches the related revenues The cost...
What are the reasons for high inventory days? Definition of Inventory Days I assume that inventory days is referring to the days’ sales in inventory. If so, then inventory days is also related to the inventory turnover...
What is included in cash and cash equivalents? Examples of Cash In accounting, a company’s cash includes the following: currency and coins checks received from customers but not yet deposited checking accounts petty...
What are the elements of financial statements? Definition of Elements of Financial Statements The elements of financial statements are the classes of items contained in the financial statements. Examples of Elements of...
What is the difference between the cash basis and the accrual basis of accounting? Definition of the Cash Basis of Accounting Revenues are reported on the income statement in the period in which the cash is received from...
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...
How does inflation affect the cost of goods sold? Inflation and the Cost of Goods Sold Generally speaking, a company selling goods during periods of inflation will see an increase in its cost of goods sold. When and by...
What is treasury stock? Definition of Treasury Stock Treasury stock is usually a corporation’s previously issued shares of common stock that have been purchased from the stockholders, but the corporation has not...
Are repairs to office equipment an expense? Repairing and maintaining office equipment is an immediate expense. This is true even if the repair cost is a very large amount. If a large expenditure is made to improve...
What is columnar? Prior to electronic worksheets, accountants had several pads of paper with a varying number of columns (and rows) preprinted on them. The pads of paper were labeled as columnar pads. The preprinted...
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...
Where do credit card payments get recorded? Definition of Credit Card Payments We define a credit card payment as the amount a company remits to the credit card company for the purchases that occurred by using the credit...
What is long-term debt? Definition of Long-term Debt In accounting, long-term debt generally refers to a company’s loans and other liabilities that will not become due within one year of the balance sheet date. (The...
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 are some tips to make learning debits and credits easy? Here are five tips to make learning debits and credits easier: The accounts for expenses are nearly always debited. For example, when a company pays its...
If we dispose of an asset, will there be a change in the owner's equity? The owner’s equity of a sole proprietorship will change only if the disposal of an asset causes a gain or loss to be reported on the income...
What is the difference between an invoice and a statement? Definition of an Invoice An invoice received from a supplier shows the items purchased, the cost per unit, the total cost or extension of each item, the total of...
What is a valuation account? Definition of Valuation Account In accounting, a valuation account is usually a balance sheet account that is used in combination with another balance sheet account in order to report the...
What is a sale on credit? Definition of Sale on Credit A sale on credit is revenue earned by a company when it sells goods and allows the buyer to pay at a later date. This is also referred to as a sale on account....
What are the typical items reported as current liabilities? Definition of Current Liabilities Current liabilities (also known as short-term liabilities) for most companies are the obligations that must be paid within one...
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