See return on capital employed.
See return on capital employed.
Also known as a permanent account. Includes the balance sheet accounts (assets, liabilities, and owner’s or stockholders’ equity accounts) but excludes the owner’s drawing account, which is a temporary...
These pronouncements were issued by the Committee on Accounting Procedures of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants during the years 1953 to 1959. They were and are part of the generally accepted...
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...
An Italian monk associated with debits, credits, and double-entry accounting approximately 500 years ago.
Obligations that a company has incurred, but have not yet been routinely recorded in Accounts Payable. For example, if the interest on a bank loan is paid on the 10th of each month, then on the last day of each month...
See last in, first out (LIFO).
Federal government securities with a fixed interest rate and maturing in 10 years or less.
The sum of future amounts multiplied by their respective probabilities of occurrence.
Also referred to as shareholders’ equity. At a corporation it is the residual or difference of assets minus liabilities. To learn more about stockholders’ equity, see our Stockholders’ Equity Outline.
Bonds with one maturity date (as opposed to serial bond).
Net sales is the gross amount of Sales minus Sales Returns and Allowances, and Sales Discounts for the time interval indicated on the income statement.
Under the accrual basis of accounting this income statement account reports the amount of commissions expense that pertains to the revenues earned by the company during the accounting period shown in the heading of the...
What is the statement of financial position? Definition of Statement of Financial Position The statement of financial position is another name for the balance sheet. It is one of the main financial statements. The...
These agencies establish the educational requirements and the eligibility of candidates desiring to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam. There is a board of accountancy in each of the 50 U.S. states plus five other...
The time between when a check is written and when the check clears the bank account on which it is drawn.
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...
Interest on interest. For example, if $1,000 is deposited in an account earning interest of 6% per year the account will earn $60 in the first year. In year two the account balance will earn $63.60 (not $60.00) because...
This indicates (on average) how many days it takes to sell the merchandise held in inventory. To learn more, see Explanation of Financial Ratios.
Which accounts get closed at the end of a fiscal year? The temporary accounts get closed at the end of an accounting year. Temporary accounts include all of the income statement accounts (revenues, expenses, gains,...
A common cost. Often refers to the costs prior to the point where several products emerge from a common process.
Under this method of recognizing losses on credit sales, a contra asset account Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is reported on the balance sheet. Prior to specifically identifying an account receivable as uncollectible,...
A loss that occurs by holding an asset. Holding losses might be recorded on the income statement or they might not be recorded depending on the asset and the amounts.
For a retailer, wholesaler, and distributor the primary activities would be the buying of merchandise and then the sale of that merchandise. A manufacturer’s primary activities would be the production and sale of...
One component of the FICA tax (the other component is Social Security). This payroll tax is withheld from employees’ payroll checks and is also matched by the employer. The employee and the employer each pay the...
This current liability account reports the amount a company owes (is required to remit) for its employees’ 401(k) program as of the date of the balance sheet.
The net amount of gross sales on credit minus the sales returns, sales allowances, and sales discounts which pertain to the sales on credit.
For a merchandiser this is the cost of merchandise purchased after deducting purchase returns, purchase allowances, and purchase discounts but after adding freight-in.
An abbreviation for the word account.
Same as book value. For example, an asset’s net book value is equal to the asset’s cost minus its accumulated depreciation.
A bond issued with a series (or staggering) of maturity dates.
A dollar adjusted for inflation. If an asset such as land was purchased for $10,000 many years ago when the consumer price index (CPI) was 100 and today the CPI is 400, today’s constant-dollar amount would be...
The type of stock that is present at every corporation. (Some corporations have preferred stock in addition to their common stock.) Shares of common stock provide evidence of ownership in a corporation. Holders of common...
The amount in a bank account according to the bank’s records.
The cost to operate office equipment during a specified time interval.
A formal written promise to pay interest every six months and the principal amount at maturity.
An amount earned by a company on its interest bearing bank accounts or other investments. The amount should be reported as Interest Revenues, Interest Income, or Investment Revenues in the accounting period in which the...
A reduction in the cost of goods purchased that is granted by a supplier without the physical return of the goods. Also a general ledger account in which the purchase allowances are recorded under the periodic inventory...
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