What is a flexible budget variance? Definition of Flexible Budget and Flexible Budget Variance First, a flexible budget is a budget in which some amounts will increase or decrease when the level of activity changes. A...
What is a flexible budget variance? Definition of Flexible Budget and Flexible Budget Variance First, a flexible budget is a budget in which some amounts will increase or decrease when the level of activity changes. A...
What is the debt ratio? Definition of Debt Ratio The debt ratio is also known as the debt to asset ratio or the total debt to total assets ratio. Hence, the formula for the debt ratio is: total liabilities divided by...
What is a liquidity ratio? Definition of Liquidity Ratio A liquidity ratio is a financial ratio that indicates whether a company’s current assets will be sufficient to meet the company’s obligations when they become...
Where do dividends appear on the financial statements? Definition of Dividends Cash dividends are a distribution of a company’s profits. Financial Statements of a Corporation The main financial statements of a...
What is illusory profit? Illusory profit, also called phantom profit, is the difference between 1) the profit reported using historical costs required by US GAAP, and 2) the profit computed using replacement costs....
What is the difference between cost and price? Definition of Cost and Price In accounting, the term cost can mean the cash or cash equivalent amount a company paid to acquire an asset or the amount of an expense it...
How do you reduce a company's break-even point? Definition of Break-even Point The break-even point is the level of sales where a company’s income statement will report exactly zero net income. The level of sales can...
Are payroll withholding taxes an expense or a liability? Definition of Payroll Withholding Taxes Payroll withholding taxes are amounts withheld from employees’ wages and salaries. The amounts withheld are actually the...
How can I learn bookkeeping? You can learn bookkeeping at no cost on our website AccountingCoach.com. We recently expanded our Explanation of Bookkeeping, and we have many other topics that are relevant including debits...
What is a rubber check? A rubber check is a check that is not paid (or honored) by the bank on which it is drawn. The reason the check is not paid is the maker’s account had insufficient funds or not sufficient funds...
What is the difference between residual value, salvage value, and scrap value? The terms residual value, salvage value, and scrap value are often used when referring to the estimated value that is expected at the end of...
What is the difference between break-even point and payback period? Definition of Break-Even Point The break-even point is the amount of sales required to cover a company’s costs and expenses that are reported on its...
What is a deferral? Definition of Deferral A deferral often refers to an amount that was paid or received, but the amount cannot be reported on the current income statement since it will be an expense or revenue of a...
What is a controller's cushion? A controller’s cushion or controller’s reserve involves temporarily recording too much expense for an item that the controller calculates. For example, the controller might budget...
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 earnings per share (EPS) ratio? Definition of Earnings per Share The earnings per share ratio, or simply earnings per share, or EPS, is a corporation’s 1) net income (or earnings) after tax that is...
Why aren't retained earnings distributed as dividends to the stockholders? Definition of Retained Earnings Retained earnings is one component of the stockholders’ equity section of a corporation’s balance sheet. Some...
What are manufacturing costs? Definition of Manufacturing Costs Manufacturing costs are the costs of materials plus the costs to convert the materials into products. All manufacturing costs must be assigned to the units...
What is inventory shrinkage? Definition of Inventory Shrinkage Inventory shrinkage is a term to describe the loss of inventory. The shrinkage could be the result of theft, breakage, poor recordkeeping, etc. The term...
Why do you separate current liabilities from long-term liabilities? Definition of Current Liabilities and Long-term Liabilities Generally, current liabilities are a company’s obligations that are due within one year of...
What is a bank reconciliation? What is a Bank Reconciliation A bank reconciliation is a process performed by a company to ensure that its records (check register, general ledger account, balance sheet, etc.) are correct....
What is the difference between the Cash Flow and Funds Flow statements? Definition of Cash Flow and Funds Flow Statements The cash flow statement, known formally as the Statement of Cash Flows, reports a company’s...
What are semivariable costs? Definition of Semivariable Costs Semivariable costs are costs or expenses whose behavior is partially fixed and partially variable. That is, part of the total cost does not increase or...
What is managerial accounting? Definition of Managerial Accounting Managerial accounting is also known as management accounting and it includes many of the topics that are included in cost accounting. Some of the...
What items are added to the balance per bank on the bank reconciliation? Bank Reconciliation Adjustments to Bank Balance The items that are added to the balance per bank when doing a bank reconciliation include: Deposits...
What is opportunity cost? Definition of Opportunity Cost Opportunity cost is the profit that was lost or missed because of some action or failure to take some action. Some refer to opportunity cost as opportunity lost....
Where is accrued income reported in the balance sheet? Definition of Accrued Income Accrued income refers to amounts that have been earned, but the amounts have not yet been received. For example, a corporation may have...
What is the difference between fixed assets and noncurrent assets? Fixed Assets are Part of Noncurrent Assets Fixed assets are one of several categories of noncurrent assets. Fixed assets are usually reported on the...
What is ROI? Definition of ROI ROI is the acronym for return on investment. Traditionally, ROI related 1) the income statement profit to the 2) the balance sheet investment. A drawback of ROI is that the accounting...
What is NPV? Definition of NPV NPV is the acronym for net present value, which can be calculated as follows: The present value of the future cash inflows Minus the cash investment Example of NPV Assume that a company...
What is materiality? Definition of Materiality In accounting, materiality refers to the relative size of an amount. Relatively large amounts are material, while relatively small amounts are not material (or immaterial)....
What is zero-based budgeting? Definition of Zero-Based Budgeting Zero-based budgeting, or ZBB, is a rigorous budgeting process that requires that every dollar of every expense in the budget be justified, even if the...
What adjustment is needed when a check that was written in a previous month appears on the current month's bank statement? A check written in any previous month but not appearing on previous bank statements, should have...
Is a money market account a current asset or a fixed asset? A money market account is a current asset unless it is restricted for a long-term purpose. The amount of an unrestricted money market account will likely be...
What do overabsorbed and underabsorbed mean? Definition of Overabsorbed and Underabsorbed In cost accounting, overabsorbed and underabsorbed pertain to a manufacturer’s manufacturing overhead costs. The manufacturing...
What is a mortgage loan? Definition of Mortgage Loan A mortgage loan is a loan associated with the purchase of real estate, such as a home or buildings used in a business. As part of the loan process, the lender files a...
What is the transaction approach and balance sheet approach to measuring net income? The transaction approach to measuring net income is the traditional bookkeeping and accounting method. That is, individual transactions...
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 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 the difference between a cost center and a profit center? Definition of Cost Center A cost center is a subunit of a company that is responsible only for its costs. A few examples of cost centers are: Production...
Featured Review
"I want to express my sincere gratitude for the pivotal role AccountingCoach played in my journey towards securing a position in accounting. As a dedicated user, I relied on the platform to prepare for the role and refresh my studies. I am currently serving in the accounting field, and AccountingCoach played a crucial role in my success. The decision to become a PRO user was strategic, given the tailored nature of the materials. The platform's comprehensive content proved instrumental in acing the accounting exam, and has continued to be an invaluable resource in my daily responsibilities. I am delighted to share that not only did I pass the exam for the position I applied for, but I have also excelled in the role over the past few years, all thanks to the invaluable resources provided by AccountingCoach. I appreciate the opportunity to share my positive experience, and I look forward to continued success with your exceptional resources. Thank you, AccountingCoach, for being an integral part of my professional journey." - Rose C.
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: