See Financial Accounting Foundation.
See Financial Accounting Foundation.
Usually a department within a company that is responsible for its costs but not revenues or profit.
The long term asset category of a classified balance sheet which appears immediately after the current assets. Listed in this category would be a bond sinking fund, funds held for construction, the cash surrender value...
A structured market for trading stocks and bonds such as the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Capital market can also include less structured markets such as private placements.
Goods placed with another party without transferring ownership. See consigned goods.
Also referred to as a sunk cost. A past cost is not relevant to a decision.
Also known as a CD. A bank time deposit (savings deposit) that cannot be withdrawn until a specified date. For example, a CD might mature in 6, 9, 12, or 18 months. If the amount deposited in a CD needs to be withdrawn...
The products in a manufacturer’s inventory that are completed and are awaiting to be sold. You might view this account as containing the cost of the products in the finished goods warehouse. A manufacturer must...
What is working capital? Definition of Working Capital Working capital is the amount of a company’s current assets minus the amount of its current liabilities. Example of Working Capital Let’s assume that a...
The party owning an asset and receiving rent from another party (the lessee).
See sales discounts.
The issued shares of common stock minus the shares of treasury stock. The weighted average of the outstanding shares is used to compute the earnings per share.
The standards, rules, guidelines, and industry-specific requirements for financial reporting. To learn more about accounting principles, see our Accounting Principles Outline.
A variance arising in a standard costing system that indicates the difference between the actual amount of fixed manufacturing overhead incurred and the budgeted amount of fixed manufacturing overhead. To learn more, see...
Amounts spent for property, plant and equipment.
See budgetary slack.
The cost of repairing or replacing previously sold products during their warranty periods.
How do you account for a project under construction? Accounting for a Project Under Construction If a company is constructing a major project such as a building, assembly line, etc., the amounts spent on the project will...
The amount that a recurring equal amount deposited at the beginning of each period will grow to under compounded interest. An annuity due is also known as an annuity in advance.
A technique used to determine the variable rate (slope of a total cost line) of an independent variable and the fixed amount by using just two points: the highest point and the lowest point. For example, if at the...
See sum of the years’ digits method of depreciation.
A check that has been issued but has not yet been paid by the bank on which it is drawn. An uncleared check is also known as an outstanding check.
The moving average cost of inventory items under the perpetual inventory system. A new average cost per unit is developed after each purchase of an inventory item. To learn more, see Explanation of Inventory and Cost of...
Receivables due from customers. See accounts receivable.
This is an owner’s equity account. The balance in this account reflects the owner’s investment in this sole proprietorship plus the net income and minus the owner’s draws since the company began. (The...
This is a non-operating or “other” item resulting from the sale of an asset (other than inventory) for less than the amount shown in the company’s accounting records.
A non-operating item resulting from the sale of this long-term asset for less than its carrying amount (or book value).
See fixed manufacturing overhead volume variance.
A decision whether to make some products or equipment in-house versus purchasing the products or equipment from another company. As in any decision, one must compare the relevant costs and other opportunities. It is...
An action by a nonprofit organization’s board of directors to earmark an asset for a specified purpose. Since this is not a donor-imposed restriction, the designated asset is classified and reported as part of...
A “clean” auditor’s report. That is, the auditor has concluded that the financial statements present fairly the results of the company’s operations and its financial position according to...
The situation where the number of units sold is not influenced by a change in selling price. In other words, a price increase does not have a corresponding decrease in the number of units sold.
A factory or manufacturing overhead rate used to allocate, apply, assign, or spread indirect product costs to items manufactured. Under traditional cost accounting, the burden rate might be a percentage of direct labor...
To assign or allocate on a logical basis. For example, the materials price variance in a standard costing system is prorated to the following categories: materials inventory, work-in-process inventory, finished goods...
The most common example is the correction of an error from a prior year. When such a correction is made, it is reported in the current period’s statement of retained earnings rather than in the current...
A stated legal amount for each share of common stock. The par value for every share of common stock issued must be recorded in the separate stockholders’ equity account Common Stock.
The practice where an asset purchased within a year is assumed to have been purchased at the mid-point of the year. For example, an asset purchased during the calendar year 2024 is assumed to have been purchased on July...
The amount in a bank account according to the bank’s records.
Bookkeeping Video Training Part 1 Accounts: record each transaction in two accounts, debits = credits, T-accounts, amounts reported on financial statements Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and...
Featured Review
"I am a staff accountant at a small CPA firm in southern California. I previously worked as the accountant for a county probate department for a number of years, and also worked briefly for an oil & gas company. I finished my accounting degree in 2016, but it wasn't long into my career that I realized I didn't know many of the things I should have learned in college. I would often have to google things I should have already learned, and found that I was often directed to AccountingCoach, which answered nearly all my questions. That was when I decided to become a PRO user, and AccountingCoach became my primary tool for supplemental learning. There are tons of topics available and the concepts are taught in an easy-to-understand manner. I especially like the quizzes and the ease of use of the entire program. AccountingCoach has helped me learn many of the things I should have learned in college, and I believe it has directly influenced my professional growth." - Vincent M.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: