for. The weekly payroll would have to be divided between months.) The cost of cattle was the largest cost, but that cost was available for each day, since cattle had to be paid for within 24 hours of purchase. It would...
for. The weekly payroll would have to be divided between months.) The cost of cattle was the largest cost, but that cost was available for each day, since cattle had to be paid for within 24 hours of purchase. It would...
What is a favorable variance? Definition of a Variance In accounting the term variance usually refers to the difference between an actual amount and a planned or budgeted amount. For example, if a company’s budget for...
(such as years). Instead, the depreciation is expressed and calculated based on the asset’s usage. Under the units-of-activity method of depreciation, the asset’s cost (less any salvage value) is allocated to the...
in all of the capital accounts must be equal to the reported total of the company’s assets minus its liabilities. Because of the historical cost principle and other accounting principles, the total amount reported in...
of goods and/or the providing of services Expenses, which include the cost of goods sold, SG&A expenses, and interest expense Gains and losses, such as the sale of a noncurrent asset for an amount that is...
Should an owner's compensation be recorded as an expense or in the Drawing account? If the enterprise is a sole proprietorship, the owner’s compensation should be debited to the Drawing account. If the enterprise is a...
of the balance sheet, reports assets at their original cost less accumulated depreciation. However, the current value of some of these assets may be much greater. Some intangible assets such as trade names, patents,...
of accounting. Example of Book Depreciation Let’s assume that equipment used in a business has a cost of $500,000 and is expected to be used for 10 years. If the company assumes no salvage value at the end of the 10...
What is the difference between stockholder and stakeholder? Definition of Stockholder A stockholder or shareholder is the owner of shares of a corporation’s common or preferred stock. Definition of Stakeholder A...
Why will some asset accounts have a credit balance? Definition of Asset Account Balances In accounting, asset accounts normally have debit balances. That is, the general ledger accounts for assets typically have their...
What is a credit memo? Definition of Credit Memo One type of credit memo is issued by a seller in order to reduce the amount that a customer owes from a previously issued sales invoice. Another type of credit memo, or...
What is a toxic asset? I would define a toxic asset as an investment whose value has dropped significantly and there is no market in which to sell the asset. To illustrate, let’s assume that at the peak of the real...
Why does a bond's price decrease when interest rates increase? Definition of Bond’s Price A bond’s price is the present value of the following future cash amounts: The cash interest payments that occur every six...
What is included in cash and cash equivalents? Examples of Cash In accounting, a company’s cash includes the following: currency and coins checks received from customers but not yet deposited checking accounts petty...
What is the difference between a note payable and a bond payable? Definition of Note Payable and Bond Payable For accounting purposes, a note payable and a bond payable have the following similarities: Formal written...
How can a business increase its cash flow from operations? A business can increase its cash flow from operations (or operating activities) by looking closely at each of its current assets and current liabilities. For...
What is the purpose of depreciation? Purpose of Depreciation The purpose of depreciation is to achieve the matching principle of accounting. That is, a company is attempting to match the historical cost of a productive...
In what order are liabilities listed in the chart of accounts? Order for Listing Liabilities It is logical for a company’s liabilities to be organized in the chart of accounts in the same way as they are presented on...
the reported amount of assets. Since the reported amounts reflect the cost principle and other accounting principles, the net result cannot be assumed to be the company’s worth. Join PRO to Track Progress Mark the...
What is the difference between adjusting entries and correcting entries? Definition of Adjusting Entries Generally, adjusting entries are required at the end of every accounting period so that a company’s financial...
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...
that was in inventory at a cost of $30,000, the company’s current assets will increase by $20,000. If no other expenses are incurred, working capital will increase by $20,000. If a company borrows $50,000 and agrees...
What is a defined benefit pension plan? A defined benefit pension plan is a retirement plan in which the employer commits to paying a specified monthly payment to each eligible employee when he or she retires at a stated...
too little ending inventory could be any or all of the following: Omitting some inventory items when counting the ending inventory Miscounting some inventory items Math errors occurring during the tabulation of the cost...
What is the difference between an accrual and a deferral? Definition of an Accrual An accrual pertains to: expenses that should be reported now, but have not yet been recorded or paid, and revenues that should be...
of the monetary unit assumption, accountants at a U.S. corporation do not hesitate to add the cost of a parcel of land purchased in 2024 to the cost of another parcel of land that had been purchased in 2004. (See...
expense. The term gross profit means sales minus the cost of goods sold. Knowing that people might use terms differently, you may need to ask the person a question to clarify their intended meaning. Join PRO to Track...
assume that a company has net sales of $800,000 and its cost of goods sold is $600,000. As a result, its gross profit is $200,000 (net sales of $800,000 minus its cost of goods sold of $600,000) and its gross margin...
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...
sales, while the operating expenses will include the cost of goods sold, selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A), and perhaps impairment charges. Some of the SG&A expenses may appear as separate...
What is double-entry bookkeeping? Definition of Double-Entry Bookkeeping Double-entry bookkeeping refers to the 500-year-old system in which each financial transaction of a company is recorded with an entry into at least...
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...
Where does the interest paid on bank loans get reported on the statement of cash flows. Definition of Interest on Bank Loans The interest on bank loans is usually an expense of the accounting period in which the interest...
Is depreciation a source of funds? Definition of Depreciation Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the cost of a business asset to expense over the useful life of the asset. The accounting for depreciation is a...
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...
How do you record the interest that is unpaid on a note payable? Definition of Interest Unpaid on Note Payable Interest that has occurred, but has not been paid as of a balance sheet date, is referred to as accrued...
How do I record exterior cement work? Is it an asset or an expense? If the cement work was done to repair or maintain existing cement work, then the expenditure should be recorded as an expense. Even if the cost is very...
What is bad debts? Definition of Bad Debts The term bad debts usually refers to accounts receivable (or trade accounts receivable) that will not be collected. (Bad debts is also used for notes receivable that will not be...
What is the entry for a loan to an employee? Definition of Loan to Employee A loan to an employee is money advanced by the company to assist the employee. If the employee is expected to repay the loan within one year of...
What does the term organic growth mean? Organic growth often refers to the growth in a company’s sales that did not occur because of an acquisition of another company. Expressed another way, organic growth is...
Featured Review
"I love having this PRO Plus resource available. I am an office manager that deals with all of the financial accounting for my company. I have a degree in accounting but there are many times I have logged on to find information that I needed or confirmation of what I thought was correct. The best money I have ever spent and it has saved me a few times. Thanks for making this available and so accessible when it's needed." - Vadra G.
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: