What are byproducts? Byproducts, or by-products, are products with relatively little value that emerge from a common process along with the main products. The main products have significant value and are referred to as...
What are byproducts? Byproducts, or by-products, are products with relatively little value that emerge from a common process along with the main products. The main products have significant value and are referred to as...
What is net working capital? Definition of Net Working Capital Net working capital is the amount (as opposed to being a ratio) remaining after subtracting a company’s total amount of current liabilities from its total...
What are gross wages? Definition of Gross Wages Gross wages are the amounts earned by employees before the payroll withholding taxes and other deductions are subtracted. Sometimes gross wages is used to describe the...
What is an account payable? Definition of an Account Payable An account payable is an amount owed to a supplier or vendor for goods or services that were provided in advance of payment. However, some people use the term...
How can working capital be improved? Definition of Working Capital Working capital is defined as the amount by which a company’s current assets exceed its current liabilities. How Working Capital Can be Improved Some...
What is a current liability? Definition of Current Liability A current liability is: An obligation that will be due within one year of the date of the company’s balance sheet, and Will require the use of a current...
What are common-size financial statements? Common-size financial statements present the financial statement amounts as a percentage of a base number. For example, the common-size income statement will report the revenue...
Why does our company's balance sheet report its land at cost when it is so much more valuable? Accountants are guided by the cost principle. This requires accountants to report assets at their cost when acquired—not...
How does revenue affect the balance sheet? Effect of Revenue on the Balance Sheet Generally, when a corporation earns revenue there is an increase in current assets (cash or accounts receivable) and an increase in the...
What are phantom profits? The terms phantom profits or illusory profits are often used in the context of inventory (but can also pertain to depreciation) during periods of rising costs. The amount of phantom or illusory...
Is AccountingCoach.com based on GAAP or IFRS? The materials presented on AccountingCoach.com are based on U.S. GAAP. Since the accounting materials on AccountingCoach.com are generally introductory concepts, the...
What is a voided check? A voided check is a check written or partially written but then canceled or deleted by the maker of the check. The notation of “void” is used because checks are prenumbered for control...
What is OEM and EOM? OEM is the acronym for original equipment manufacturer. EOM is the acronym for end of month. Join PRO to Track Progress Mark the Question as Read Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting...
What is bookkeeping? Definition of Bookkeeping Bookkeeping includes the recording, storing and retrieving of financial transactions for a business, nonprofit organization, individual, etc. Examples of Bookkeeping Tasks...
What is the difference between Rent Receivable and Rent Payable? Definition of Rent Receivable Rent Receivable is an asset account in the general ledger of a landlord which reports the amount of rent that has been earned...
What if a company's Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is understated? Definition of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is a contra asset account. The Allowance account’s credit balance is...
What is the difference between Notes Payable and Accounts Payable? Definition of Notes Payable The account Notes Payable is a liability account in which a borrower’s written promise to pay a lender is recorded. (The...
What is an outstanding check? Definition of Outstanding Check An outstanding check is a check that a company has issued and recorded in its general ledger accounts, but the check has not yet cleared the bank account on...
What are accrued expenses and when are they recorded? Accrued Expenses Accrued expenses are expenses that have occurred but are not yet recorded in the company’s general ledger. This means these expenses will not...
Why are loan costs amortized? Definition of Loan Costs Loan costs may include legal and accounting fees, registration fees, appraisal fees, processing fees, etc. that were necessary costs in order to obtain a loan. If...
What is historical cost? Definition of Historical Cost Historical cost is a term used instead of the term cost. Cost and historical cost usually mean the original cost at the time of a transaction. The term historical...
What is a stock split? Definition of Stock Split A stock split usually refers to a corporation dividing its existing number of shares of common stock into a greater number of shares. For instance, a corporation with...
What is a checking account? Definition of Checking Account A checking account is a bank account in which a company deposits money and can subsequently withdraw the money by writing a check, using a debit card, arranging...
How do you calculate accrued vacation pay? Definition of Accrued Vacation Pay Accrued vacation pay is the amount of vacation pay that a company’s employees have earned, but the company has not yet paid. Example of...
What is safety stock? Definition of Safety Stock Safety stock is an additional quantity of an item held by a company in inventory in order to reduce the risk that the item will be out of stock. Safety stock acts as a...
What is the difference between equity financing and debt financing? Definition of Equity Financing Equity financing involves increasing the owner’s equity of a sole proprietorship or increasing the stockholders’...
What is IFRS? IFRS is the acronym for International Financial Reporting Standards. IFRS is used throughout the world except in the United States where U.S. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) is followed....
What is the statement of activities? Definition of Statement of Activities The statement of activities is one of the main financial statements issued by a nonprofit organization. It is prepared instead of the income...
What is the debt to equity ratio? Definition of Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to equity ratio or debt-equity ratio is the result of dividing a corporation’s total liabilities by the total amount of stockholders’...
What does NOI stand for? NOI is the acronym for net operating income. Net operating income is also referred to as income from operations. NOI excludes discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and nonoperating (or...
What is meant by nonoperating expenses and losses? Definition of Nonoperating Expenses and Losses Nonoperating expenses are business expenses that are outside of a company’s main or central operations. (Some describe...
What is the proper use of the words lend and borrow? If a company is granted a loan from its bank, the company is borrowing money from its bank, and the bank is lending money to one of its customers. In other words, the...
What does arms length transaction mean? Definition of Arms Length Transaction An arms length transaction exists when two independent (unrelated) parties are each attempting to get the best deal possible. Example of Arms...
Why is the P&L profit entered on the credit side of the balance sheet? Profit’s Effect on the Balance Sheet The profit or net income belongs to the owner of a sole proprietorship or to the stockholders of a...
Is there a difference between an expense and an expenditure? Definition of Expense An expense is reported on the income statement in the period in which the cost matches the related sales, has expired, was used up, or...
What are nonmanufacturing overhead costs? Definition of Nonmanufacturing Overhead Costs Nonmanufacturing overhead costs are the business expenses that are outside of a company’s manufacturing operations. In other...
What is par value? Definition of Par Value Par value is a per share amount that will appear on some stock certificates and in the corporation’s articles of incorporation. (Some states may require a corporation to have...
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 difference between cost and expense? Definition of Cost A cost might be an expense or it might be an asset. Definition of Expense An expense is a cost that has expired or was necessary in order to earn...
What is meant by reconciling an account? Definition of Reconciling an Account Reconciling an account is likely to mean proving or documenting that an account balance is correct. Examples of Reconciling an Account When a...
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For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has
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