Our Explanation of Income Statement helps you learn the most important features of a corporation's income statement (also known as the statement of operations or profit and loss statement). We provide more understanding...
Our Explanation of Income Statement helps you learn the most important features of a corporation's income statement (also known as the statement of operations or profit and loss statement). We provide more understanding...
What is the employer matching of FICA? Definition of FICA FICA is the acronym for Federal Insurance Contributions Act, which requires employers to withhold the following from each employee’s paycheck: Social Security...
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...
In accounting, cost is defined as the cash amount (or the cash equivalent) given up for an asset. Cost includes all costs necessary to get an asset in place and ready for use. For example, the cost of an item in...
Payroll taxes include 1) the taxes withheld from employees’ wages and salaries such as Social Security tax, Medicare tax, federal income tax, and state income tax, 2) the employers’ portion of the Social...
What is marginal cost? Definition of Marginal Cost Marginal cost is a manufacturer’s cost to produce one more unit of product. In other words, marginal cost is the change in total costs when one additional unit is...
How much do you depreciate an asset and when? Definition of How and When to Depreciate an Asset Depreciation begins when you place an asset in service and it ends when you take an asset out of service or when you have...
What is the difference between revenues and earnings? Definition of Revenues and Earnings Revenues are the amounts earned from providing goods or services to customers during the period shown in the heading of the income...
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...
Is rent expense a period cost or a product cost? Definition of Rent Expense Rent expense is often a monthly amount paid by a company for use of a building. Typically, the rent is due on the first day of every month that...
A method for recognizing bad debts expense arising from credit sales. Under this method there is no allowance account. Rather, an account receivable is written-off directly to expense only after the account is determined...
What is a long-term liability? Definition of Long-term Liability A long-term liability is an obligation resulting from a previous event that is not due within one year of the date of the balance sheet (or not due within...
What is hurdle rate? Definition of Hurdle Rate In capital budgeting, the term hurdle rate is the minimum rate that a company wants to earn when investing in a project. Therefore, the hurdle rate is also referred to as...
Is the current portion of long term debt adjusted monthly? A monthly adjustment to the current portion of long term debt is necessary when: 1. the company issues monthly balance sheets, and 2. the amount to be paid on a...
Our Explanation of Income Statement helps you learn the most important features of a corporation's income statement (also known as the statement of operations or profit and loss statement). We provide more understanding...
For a merchandiser this is the cost of merchandise purchased after deducting purchase returns, purchase allowances, and purchase discounts but after adding freight-in.
Payroll Accounting(Quick Test #2) Download PDF After you have answered all 25 questions, click "Grade This Quick Test" at the bottom of the page to view your grade and receive feedback on your answers. Note: Some of the...
What is the earnings per share (EPS) ratio? Definition of Earnings per Share The earnings per share ratio, or simply earnings per share, or EPS, is a corporation’s 1) net income (or earnings) after tax that is...
What is cash flow net of tax? I view cash flow net of tax as the amount of cash spent minus the income tax savings when the amount is deductible on the corporation’s income tax return. To illustrate this, let’s...
This current liability account reports the amount a company owes the U.S. government as of the balance sheet date for the federal income taxes withheld from its employees’ salaries and wages.
This current liability account reports the amount a company owes the state governments as of the balance sheet date for the state income taxes withheld from its employees’ salaries and wages.
Our Explanation of Financial Ratios includes calculations and descriptions of 15 financial ratios. As you calculate the financial ratios you will also gain a deeper understanding of a company's operations and financial...
How do I determine my payroll tax liabilities? Your payroll tax liabilities will include the following: Federal, state, and local income taxes withheld from employees’ wages, salaries, bonuses, etc. but not yet...
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...
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...
Payroll Accounting For multiple-choice and true/false questions, simply press or click on what you think is the correct answer. For fill-in-the-blank questions, press or click on the blank space provided. If you have...
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...
How do you calculate the cost of carrying inventory? Definition of Cost of Carrying Inventory The cost of carrying inventory (or cost of holding inventory) is the sum of the following: Cost of money tied up in inventory,...
Cost of goods sold is usually the largest expense on the income statement of a company selling products or goods. Cost of Goods Sold is a general ledger account under the perpetual inventory system. Under the periodic...
See cost of goods sold.
The incremental cost of storing or holding inventory. It is an annual percentage that includes the cost of rent, insurance, cost of capital, deterioration and obsolescence.
See weighted-average cost flow assumption and moving-average cost of inventory.
This phrase has two connotations. One is the cost of holding inventory. In this case the carrying cost is the cost of capital tied up in inventory, the cost of storage, insurance, and obsolescence. Often this is...
See cost of goods sold.
What is the difference between assessed value and appraised value? Definition of Assessed Value Assessed value will likely be the amount that a local or state government has designated for individual properties. This...
Our Explanation of Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold will take your understanding to a new level. You will see how the income statement and balance sheet amounts are affected by the various inventory systems and cost flow...
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 revenue? Definition of Revenue Revenue is the amount a company receives from selling goods and/or providing services to its customers and clients. A company’s revenue, which is reported on the first line of its...
This is an operating expense resulting from making sales on credit and not collecting the customers’ entire accounts receivable balances.
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...
Featured Review
"I've been a lifetime member for quite awhile now. This site is like having my college textbooks on hand, and it has helped me through multiple career paths: from Assistant Controller, to Controller, to Accounting Director, and now into Public Accounting. If ever I am stumped this is my first go to for why, how, and what to do. It is a tremendous help. Honestly, I find it much better than searching through my textbooks, and it is always up to date. Keep up the great work on this site and this wonderful resource." - Lorraine H.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviews
For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has
worked as an accounting supervisor, manager, consultant, university instructor, and innovator in teaching accounting online. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com.
We now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: