What is a nominal account in accounting? Definition of Nominal Account In accounting, nominal accounts are the general ledger accounts that are closed at the end of each accounting year. The closing process transfers...
What is a nominal account in accounting? Definition of Nominal Account In accounting, nominal accounts are the general ledger accounts that are closed at the end of each accounting year. The closing process transfers...
What does it mean to recognize an expense? Definition of Recognize an Expense To recognize an expense means to report the proper amount of an expense on the income statement for the appropriate accounting period. When...
What are the effects of overstating inventory? Definition of Overstating Inventory Overstating inventory means that the reported amount for the cost of a company’s inventory is greater than the actual true cost based...
What are goods in transit? Definition of Goods in Transit Goods in transit refers to inventory items and other products that have been shipped by a seller, but have not yet reached the purchaser. When goods are in...
What will cause a change in net working capital? Definition of Net Working Capital Net working capital, which is also known as working capital, is defined as a company’s current assets minus itscurrent liabilities....
What is an outstanding deposit? Definition of Outstanding Deposit An outstanding deposit refers to a company’s receipts (cash, checks from customers, etc.) which have been recorded in the company’s general ledger...
Why is inventory turnover important? Definition of Inventory Turnover A company’s inventory turnover is often expressed as the company’s cost of goods sold for a year divided by the average cost of inventory during...
Are liabilities always a bad thing? Definition of Liabilities Liabilities are a company’s obligations and are usually defined as a claim on the company’s assets. However, liabilities (and stockholders’ equity) can...
What is the difference between stock dividend and cash dividend? Definition of a Stock Dividend A stock dividend is a dividend consisting of additional shares of stock. Assume that before a corporation declares a stock...
A corporation has a large balance in retained earnings. Does that mean that its dividends to stockholders will be increasing? Definition of Retained Earnings Retained earnings is one part of a corporation’s...
In accounting, what is meant by relevant costs? Definition of Relevant Costs Relevant costs are future costs that will differ between two or more alternative actions. Expressed another way, relevant costs are the costs...
What is the full disclosure principle? Definition of Full Disclosure Principle The full disclosure principle requires a company to provide the necessary information so that people who are accustomed to reading financial...
What is bank balance and book balance? Definition of Bank Balance The term bank balance is commonly used when reconciling the bank statement. It is also known as the balance per bank or balance per bank statement....
What entry is made when selling a fixed asset? Defining the Entries When Selling a Fixed Asset When a fixed asset or plant asset is sold, there are several things that must take place: The fixed asset’s depreciation...
How do I compute the units of production method of depreciation? Definition of Units of Production Depreciation The units of production method of depreciation (which is also referred to as the units of activity method)...
What is the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax in 2022 and 2023? 2022 Annual Earnings Limit for Social Security Payroll Tax The maximum amount of an employee’s 2022 earnings (and a...
Our Explanation of Financial Statements provides you with the highlights of each of the five external financial statements issued by U.S. corporations. Our insights will give you a good understanding of what the...
Our Explanation of Accounts Payable provides insights on the bill paying process in a large company. Included are discussions of the three-way match, early payment discounts, end of period accruals, and more.
Accounting Equation (Flashcards) Download Single-Sided PDF Download Double-Sided PDF All Cards (20) Marked Wrong (0) Marked Right (0) accounting equation (or) basic accounting equation This algebraic expression is Assets...
Our Explanation of Working Capital and Liquidity provides you with an in-depth look at the components of working capital and the challenges of converting current assets to cash before obligations come due. You will see...
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...
Bookkeeping Bookkeeping in the Past Historically, bookkeepers were responsible for the following steps in the accounting cycle: Record all the company’s transactions in journals Post the amounts from the journals to...
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 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...
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...
Cash Flow Statement Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement is officially known as the statement of cash flows (SCF). It reports the major cash inflows and outflows that have occurred during the accounting period...
Financial Ratios(Quick Test #1) Download PDF After you have answered all 50 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 difference between net cash flow and net income? Definition of Net Cash Flow Net cash flow is the combination of the cash received and the cash disbursed. In other words, it is the combination of the debit...
What is the tax advantage when bonds are issued instead of stock? Definition of Bonds and Stock In this context, bonds refers to bonds payable, a form of long-term debt that typically promises to pay interest every six...
Why do companies use cost flow assumptions to cost their inventories? Cost flow assumptions are necessary because of inflation and the changing costs experienced by companies. If costs were completely stable, it...
Improving Profits Improving Profits Improving profits or reducing operating losses is likely to require some decisions and some action. Both the decisions and the actions involve the future and may involve: expanding a...
Our Explanation of Accounting Equation (or bookkeeping equation) illustrates how the double-entry system keeps the accounting equation in balance. You will see how the revenues and expenses on the income statement are...
What do negative variances indicate? Definition of Negative Variances on Accounting Reports Negative variances are the unfavorable differences between two amounts, such as: The amount by which actual revenues were less...
What is inventory valuation? Definition of Inventory Valuation In the U.S., inventory valuation is the dollar amount associated with the items remaining in a company’s inventory. Generally speaking, the amount is the...
What would cause a decrease in accumulated depreciation? Definition of Accumulated Depreciation Accumulated depreciation is the cumulative amount of depreciation taken since a depreciable asset was put into service. The...
Why does commitment and contingencies appear on the balance sheet without an amount? Definition of Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and contingencies is a balance sheet line with no amount reported. The line...
Depreciation(Quick Test #2) Download PDF After you have answered all 20 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...
Accounts Payable(Quick Test #2 with Coaching) Download PDF This Quick Test with Coaching includes a “View Coaching” button to the right of each answer box. If you choose to click the button, an explanation for the...
Our Explanation of Debits and Credits describes the reasons why various accounts are debited and/or credited. For the examples we provide the logic, use T-accounts for a clearer understanding, and the appropriate general...
Bank Reconciliation(Quick Test #3 with Coaching) Download PDF This Quick Test with Coaching includes a “View Coaching” button to the right of each answer box. If you choose to click the button, an explanation for the...
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