What is SG&A? Definition of SG&A SG&A is the acronym for selling, general and administrative. SG&A are the operating expenses incurred to 1) promote, sell, and deliver a company’s products and services, and 2) manage...
What is SG&A? Definition of SG&A SG&A is the acronym for selling, general and administrative. SG&A are the operating expenses incurred to 1) promote, sell, and deliver a company’s products and services, and 2) manage...
Are commissions considered to be revenues or expenses? Definition of Commissions Revenues or Expenses The company or person earning and receiving commissions (such as a percentage of sales) will have commissions revenue....
What does crossfoot mean? Definition of Crossfoot or Crossfooting Accountants and auditors use the word foot to mean adding one or more columns of numbers. When there are several columns of numbers along with a...
What is the profit margin (after tax) ratio? Definition of Profit Margin Ratio The after tax profit margin ratio expresses the company’s net income or earnings as a percent of the company’s net sales. In other words,...
How do you record the sales tax on the purchase of an asset? Accountants define the cost of an asset as all of the costs that are necessary to obtain the asset and to get it ready for use. If your state does not allow an...
What are some examples of financing activities? Definition of Financing Activities Financing activities often refers to the cash flows from financing activities, which is one of the three main sections of the statement...
What is a blank endorsement? In the case of a check payable to John Smith (the payee), a blank endorsement would be the signature of John Smith on the back side of the check without any other words above or below his...
What are some reasons that cause the balance on the bank statement to differ from the cash balance on the books? Reasons a Bank Balance Will Differ from a Company’s Balance Some of the reasons for a difference between...
What is burn rate? In business, burn rate is usually the monthly amount of cash spent in the early years of a start-up business. Burn rate is an important metric since the new business must spend time and money...
Why is a product that sells for $50 reported in inventory at its cost of $40? Generally, items in inventory are valued at their cost—not their selling prices—because of the cost principle. Another reason for not...
What is a bookkeeper? Definition of Bookkeeper A bookkeeper is usually employed by a small to mid-size company (or other organization) to process and record the large volume of transactions involving sales, purchases,...
What is the difference between public sector and private sector? Definition of Public Sector Public sector refers to: government-owned organizations, and government-provided services (Note: public sector entity is...
Are estimates allowed in bookkeeping? While bookkeeping involves mostly precise amounts from sales and purchase invoices, cash receipts and checks written, etc. there are situations when estimates need to be entered....
What is a cash cow? A cash cow is often a profitable product or service that dominates a market and generates far more cash than is needed to maintain its market position. Companies may use the money from the cash cow to...
What are the disclosures for a manufacturer's inventory? A manufacturer should disclose the following categories of inventory: raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, manufacturing supplies, and packaging...
What is inventory? Definition of Inventory Inventory is a very significant current asset for retailers, distributors, and manufacturers. Inventory serves as a buffer between 1) a company’s sales of goods, and 2) its...
How do I record money received for an insurance claim on inventory loss? Definition of Money from Insurance Claim for Inventory Loss Let’s assume that a company has insurance on its inventory and its inventory is...
Weekly Income Statement When I became a director of a meatpacking company, I was concerned about the thin profit margins, the corporation’s lack of working capital, and my inexperience in the industry. The company...
Are income taxes affected by accelerated depreciation? Definition of Accelerated Depreciation Accelerated depreciation means the cost of an asset used in a business will be charged to Depreciation Expense at a faster...
What conditions cause a discount on bonds payable? Discount on bonds payable occurs when a bond’s stated interest rate is less than the bond market’s interest rate. If a $1,000,000 bond issue promises to pay interest...
What is the abbreviation for debit and credit? Abbreviation for Debit and Credit The abbreviation for debit is dr. and the abbreviation for credit is cr. Apparently the “dr.” is associated with the term used in Italy...
What is the cost to store inventory? Definition of Cost to Store Inventory The cost to store, hold or carry inventory is the total of the following: Cost of the space used for storing inventory, such as rent, heat,...
What is YOY? In financial analysis and data analytics, YOY is the acronym for year over year. YOY indicates the change from the comparable amount reported in the same period one year earlier. Below are three examples of...
Where can I get official information for federal payroll taxes? For official information on federal payroll taxes we recommend the Internal Revenue Service Publication 15 which is known by two names: Circular E and...
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 interest payable? Definition of Interest Payable Interest payable is the interest expense that has been incurred (has already occurred) but has not been paid as of the date of the balance sheet. [Interest payable...
What are bonds payable? Definition of Bonds Payable Bonds payable are a form of long term debt usually issued by corporations, hospitals, and governments. The issuer of bonds makes a formal promise/agreement to pay...
What is a bond sinking fund? Definition of Bond Sinking Fund A bond sinking fund is a corporation’s noncurrent asset that is restricted for the purpose of redeeming or buying back its bonds payable. Bonds that require...
Why would a company use LIFO instead of FIFO? Definitions of FIFO and LIFO FIFO and LIFO are two of the cost flow assumptions used by U.S. companies with inventory items. FIFO moves the first/oldest costs from inventory...
What is the meaning of systematic and rational allocation? Definition of Systematic and Rational Allocation Systematic and rational allocation is typically included in the definition of depreciation. In this context, it...
What are the notes to the financial statements? Definition of Notes to Financial Statements The notes to the financial statements are a required, integral part of a company’s external financial statements. They are...
What is Form 10-K? Definition of Form 10-K Form 10-K is a required annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by U.S. corporations whose common stock is publicly traded. It is common for a...
What is the cost of sales? Definition of Cost of Sales Cost of sales is often a line shown on a manufacturer’s or retailer’s income statement instead of cost of goods sold. The cost of sales for a manufacturer is the...
How do you calculate the cost of goods sold for a retailer? Formula for Calculating a Retailer’s Cost of Goods Sold A retailer’s cost of goods sold is: The cost of the retailer’s beginning inventory Plus the cost...
What are payroll withholding taxes? Definition of Payroll Withholding Taxes In the U.S. payroll withholding taxes are the taxes that an employer is required to deduct from its employees’ gross wages, salaries, bonuses,...
What is an invoice? Definition of Invoice An invoice is a dated bill prepared by the seller of goods sold (or services provided) which includes brief descriptions of the items, quantities of items and their unit prices,...
What is the difference between stockholder and shareholder? Definition of Stockholder and Shareholder The term stockholder or shareholder typically describes an investor who own shares of a corporation’s common stock....
At what point are revenues considered to be earned? Revenues, which are derived from an entity’s main activities such as the sale of merchandise or the performance of service, are considered to be earned when the...
When should costs be expensed and when should costs be capitalized? Definition of Costs In the context of the question, costs are the amounts paid in exchange for materials, products, or services. The costs could be:...
What are term bonds and serial bonds? Term bonds are bonds which mature or come due on a single date. Serial bonds are bonds which do not mature or come due on a single date. Instead, serial bonds have maturity dates...
Featured Review
"I needed a refresher course in Accounting as most of my professional work has been in Finance and other areas where I don't apply accounting skills regularly. I needed to go over accounting concepts as job interviews test you on general accounting skills and I was in the process of looking for new employment. As I started reading through the materials, I found them very easy to understand. The topics are great for anyone who is looking for a refresher or trying to get in the Accounting world. I upgraded to AccountingCoach PRO as I wanted to have more testing materials to make sure I understood the topics thoroughly. Overall, I think the investment is so much worth the price for the information provided. I recommend AccountingCoach to anyone trying to understand the basics of accounting and its applications in the real world. Thank you for such a great course." - Roger S.
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: