A constant or unchanging amount that is often used when referring to petty cash. For example, if the petty cash account in the general ledger has an imprest balance of $100, the account balance will be a constant $100....
A constant or unchanging amount that is often used when referring to petty cash. For example, if the petty cash account in the general ledger has an imprest balance of $100, the account balance will be a constant $100....
What does current portion of long term debt mean? Definition of Current Portion of Long-Term Debt The current portion of long-term debt is the amount of principal that will be due within one year of the date of the...
An actual count of the goods owned by the company. The actual counts are then compared to the quantities reported on the detailed inventory records. If a difference exists, the quantity shown on the inventory record...
More formally known as the Uniform CPA Examination. This rigorous, 14-hour, computer-based exam consists of questions developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The exam is in English only and...
A current asset that reports the amount paid for advertising that has not yet taken place. When the advertising occurs the prepaid advertising is reduced and advertising expense is recorded.
In accounting this refers to the multiplication of quantity times price, or number of units times price or cost per unit.
A discount that often varies by customer. For example, a company may sell its products to a variety of resellers. Some of the resellers might buy $1 million of products each year, other resellers might purchase $100,000,...
Compensation for employees that is in addition to salaries and wages. Examples include paid absences (vacation, sick, holiday), insurances (health, dental, vision, life), pensions, profit sharing contributions, employer...
A loan from a bank or other lender in which the borrower has pledged an asset as collateral in case the loan cannot be repaid in full.
The supplier of goods or services.
A publication by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to assist employers with federal payroll taxes. The complete title of the publication is Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide. It is available...
The par value of common and preferred stock.
A symbol that indicates the total amount of fixed costs during a specified period of time. In the equation of the straight line, y = a + bx, the total amount of fixed costs during the period is represented by...
A lease that “in substance” is a purchase and financing arrangement. When a lease meets certain criteria, the asset being “rented” is recorded as an asset and a liability is also recorded. A lease...
A company might construct a building and then sell the building to an investor who in turn leases the building back to the company.
In accounting this means to defer or to delay recognizing certain revenues or expenses on the income statement until a later, more appropriate time. Revenues are deferred to a balance sheet liability account until they...
See inventory: work-in-process (WIP).
The second section of the statement of cash flows. To learn more, see Explanation of Cash Flow Statement.
In securities, a party that assists a company in issuing stock or bonds.
See uncleared check.
The compensation usually associated with executives, managers, professionals, office employees, etc. whose pay is stated on an annual or on a monthly basis. (On the other hand, “wages” is usually associated...
Repairs that do not improve an asset or extend the asset’s life. These repairs are charged to Repairs Expense or Maintenance Expense when incurred. Major repairs such as a complete engine overhaul that extends the...
A cost and/or volume of activity that is outside of an expected range.
A reference to stockholders’ equity. See paid-in capital. Also an adjective that references property, plant and equipment used in a business; for example, capital expenditures and capital budgeting.
Operating expenses are the costs of a company’s main operations that have been used up during the period indicated on the income statement. For example, a retailer’s operating expenses consist of its cost of...
Often referred to as fixed assets. This would include long term assets such as buildings and equipment used by a company. Plant assets (other than land) will be depreciated over their useful lives.
A business that sells goods from inventory. The business could be a retailer, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer, etc.
The underlying true cause of a cost occurring. In other words, the root cause is more than a mere correlation between an event and a cost. There is a real cause and effect relationship.
See accrued rent expense. Also see accrued rent income.
Goodwill is a long-term (or noncurrent) asset categorized as an intangible asset. Goodwill arises when a company acquires another entire business. The amount of goodwill is the cost to purchase the business minus the...
Gross wages or gross salaries minus withholdings for payroll taxes and other items such as insurance, union dues, United Way, etc. Also referred to as “take home pay” or the amount the employee...
See activity-based costing.
An unsecured bond. For example, a bond not secured by a lien on the issuer’s property.
Regular fees or charges often paid to an organization at regular intervals. For example, a state CPA organization might have annual dues of $200.
See long-term liabilities.
Part of stockholders’ equity representing the fair market value of an asset at the time it was received as a gift. For example, a corporation may be given a large tract of land from a community if the corporation...
A series of equal amounts occurring at the end of each equal time interval. Also known as an annuity in arrears. An example is the monthly payments on a loan. Another example is the semiannual interest on a bond.
To eliminate debt such as a company’s repurchase or retirement of its outstanding bonds.
The amount before deductions. For example, gross pay is the amount before withholding deductions. Gross sales is the amount before sales returns and allowances and sales discounts.
A liability account that reports the amount of taxes that a company owes as of the balance sheet date.
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