accumulated depreciation is subtracted from the asset’s cost to indicate the asset’s book value. The book value indicates the maximum amount of future depreciation remaining. Since depreciation is defined as the...
accumulated depreciation is subtracted from the asset’s cost to indicate the asset’s book value. The book value indicates the maximum amount of future depreciation remaining. Since depreciation is defined as the...
What is an independent variable? In accounting, an independent variable is ideally a factor that causes a change in the total amount of the dependent variable. In other words, an independent variable should be something...
What is the accounting treatment for an asset that is fully depreciated, but continues to be used in a business? An asset that is fully depreciated and continues to be used in the business will be reported on the balance...
the depreciable asset is sold, scrapped, or retired, its accumulated depreciation and its cost are removed from the respective accounts. (Any difference between the book value and the amount received is recorded as a...
with the current assets accounts receivable and inventory. While these two assets are initially recorded at cost, there are occasions when the company will collect less than the cost. When that occurs, the company must...
) as of the final moment of an accounting period in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP, US GAAP). GAAP’s historical cost principle means that some noncurrent assets are reported at amounts...
bills tell you the cost of the gas and electricity used between the meter reading dates appearing on the utility bill. For example, if the meters are read on the last day of the month then the utility bills received in...
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...
of a company’s fixed expenses assists in understanding how the retailer’s net income will change as volume changes. The total amount of fixed expenses can also be used to quickly estimate a company’s break-even...
Are repairs to office equipment and factory equipment period costs? Repairs to office equipment are period costs. That is, the cost of the repairs to office equipment will be reported as a selling, general and...
. The contract to pay these cash amounts to the investors makes bonds a less risky investment than common stock. Less risk for the investor means the investor will earn a smaller return—and the corporation will have a...
How do you account for bond issue costs? Definition of Bond Issue Costs The costs associated with issuing bonds are debited to a contra liability account such as Bond Issue Costs. Over the life of the bonds, the issue...
What is straight line depreciation? Definition of Straight-Line Depreciation Straight-line depreciation is the most common method of allocating the cost of a plant asset to expense in the accounting periods during which...
of the year. Accumulated Depreciation is a matching principle. In each accounting period, part of the cost of certain assets (equipment, building, vehicle, etc.) will be moved from the balance sheet to depreciation...
. Accounting for Office Supplies The cost of office supplies on hand at the end of an accounting period should be the balance in a current asset account such as Supplies or Supplies on Hand. The cost of the office...
Accumulated Depreciation (instead of crediting the asset account which has the asset’s original cost), it allows for the balance sheet to report or disclose the following: The original cost of the asset being...
the cost of real estate into the cost of the land and the cost of the buildings. Example of Appraised Value Appraised values are useful because a company’s balance sheet will report its land and buildings at the cost...
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...
of warranty is referred to as an assurance-type warranty. In accounting jargon, the assurance-type warranty is an example of a contingent that is both probable and can be estimated. Therefore, a company must record in...
of a decentralized corporation such as related subsidiary corporations, separate divisions of a corporation, or some other subunits. Depending on the production capacity and the demand for each subunit’s goods or...
by a company’s liabilities will generally have a lower cost than money raised from stockholders’ equity for the following reasons: Some liabilities such as accounts payable have no interest expense associated with...
Why are some expenses deferred? Definition of Deferred Expenses Under the accrual basis of accounting, an expense is a cost that is used up, has expired, or is directly related to revenues reported on a company’s...
, unattractive, etc. New technologies that disrupt the way things are done Decline in overall demand for the items Arrival of unique competitors Consequences of Obsolete Inventory When inventory items become obsolete,...
during the asset’s construction The interest on the debt related to the asset’s construction Adding the capitalized interest to the asset’s cost instead of reporting it as interest expense of the current...
main operating activities involve the buying and selling of merchandise or goods. Therefore, the retailer’s income statement will report the following operating expenses: Cost of goods sold. These costs are reported...
balance in a contra asset account will violate the cost principle.) Examples of Contra Asset Accounts The most common contra asset account is Accumulated Depreciation. Accumulated Depreciation is associated with...
. The equipment’s cost was $100,000 and its accumulated depreciation as of its recent balance sheet date was $40,000. This means that up to the balance sheet date $40,000 of the asset’s cost had been reported as...
loss computed using a past cost) Current and future costs that will differ between two alternatives in a decision. (Costs that will not differ are irrelevant and can be ignored.) Information provided in a timely manner...
will cause the related expense known as the cost of goods sold to be reported/recognized on the July income statement. If the company’s sales reps have earned commissions on the July sales, these commissions...
How do you account for payroll withholdings for health insurance? Definition of Payroll Withholdings for Health Insurance Payroll withholdings for health insurance are the amounts deducted from employees’ pay for their...
Our Explanation of Depreciation emphasizes what the depreciation amounts on the income statement and balance sheet represent. Learn why depreciation is an estimated expense that does not assist in determining the current...
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...
will result in a larger loss on the owner’s cash Examples of Financial Leverage Mary uses $500,000 of her cash to purchase 40 acres of land with a total cost of $500,000. Mary is not using financial leverage. Sue uses...
of depreciation, while the “declining balance” refers to the asset’s book value or carrying value at the beginning of the accounting period. Since book value is an asset’s cost minus its accumulated...
Our Explanation of Accounting Basics uses a simple story to introduce important accounting concepts and terminology. It illustrates how transactions will be included in a company's financial statements.
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