The next best benefit foregone. The opportunity lost. Often measured as the contribution margin given up by not doing an activity. For example, if a sole proprietor is foregoing a salary and benefits of $50,000 at...
The next best benefit foregone. The opportunity lost. Often measured as the contribution margin given up by not doing an activity. For example, if a sole proprietor is foregoing a salary and benefits of $50,000 at...
The chief accounting officer of a company. This person would head up the accounting department.
The increase in a carrying amount. Also see write-up work.
See direct labor efficiency variance and variable manufacturing overhead efficiency variance.
An asset having accumulated depreciation equal to its depreciable cost (cost minus estimated salvage value). The use of an asset after it is fully depreciated will mean no depreciation expense for those accounting...
What are fixed assets? Definition of Fixed Assets Fixed assets are a company’s tangible, noncurrent assets that are used in its business operations. The word fixed indicates that these assets will not be used up,...
Taking out a loan or issuing bonds in order to acquire an asset or another business.
Part of stockholders’ equity representing the fair market value of an asset at the time it was received as a gift. For example, a corporation may be given a large tract of land from a community if the corporation...
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...
What conditions cause a discount on bonds payable? Discount on bonds payable occurs when a bond’s stated interest rate is less than the bond market’s interest rate. If a $1,000,000 bond issue promises to pay interest...
What is the difference between revenue, income, and gain? Definition of Revenue Revenue is the amount earned from a company’s main operating activities, such as a retailer selling merchandise or a law firm providing...
Losses result from the sale of an asset (other than inventory) for less than the amount shown on the company’s books. Since the loss is outside of the main activity of a business, it is reported as a nonoperating...
The systematic allocation of the cost of a natural resource from the balance sheet to the income statement.
See income statement. To learn more, see Explanation of Income Statement.
How do you calculate the cost of carrying inventory? Definition of Cost of Carrying Inventory The cost of carrying inventory (or cost of holding inventory) is the sum of the following: Cost of money tied up in inventory,...
Billing a client based on the value of the information or service provided rather than billing based on time spent.
Cash and other resources that are expected to turn to cash or to be used up within one year of the balance sheet date. (If a company’s operating cycle is longer than one year, an item is a current asset if it will...
Selling expenses are part of the operating expenses (along with administrative expenses). Selling expenses include sales commissions, advertising, promotional materials distributed, rent of the sales showroom, rent of...
The planned or expected costs. Often used in manufacturing for accounting for inventories and production. When actual costs differ from the standard costs, variances are reported.
What is a bond? There are several business definitions for bond. A bond could be a formal debt instrument issued by a corporation or government and purchased by investors. This is the meaning when we say that a public...
Can absorption costing cause an increase in net income? Definition of Absorption Costing Absorption costing is a cost accounting method (required by US GAAP) in which a manufacturer must assign fixed manufacturing...
Can a fully depreciated asset be revalued? A fully depreciated asset cannot be revalued because of accounting’s cost principle. Definition of a Fully Depreciated Asset A fully depreciated asset is one that has...
The cost transferred from one department to the next department in a process costing system.
One hundredth (1/100) of a percentage point. In other words, one percentage point is equal to 100 basis points. The difference between an interest rate of 6.5% and 6.75% is 25 basis points.
Cash that can be used only for the purpose intended.
See inventory: finished goods (FG).
The additional amount given to employees for the overtime hours. Usually this is the “half-time” in time and one-half. For example, if an employee’s hourly pay rate is $10 per hour and the employee...
See Supplies.
Segments of a business. For example, a corporation may have a consumer division and an industrial division in order to improve its effectiveness in marketing its goods.
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...
The result after subtracting the income tax associated with a given amount. For example, if a corporation has a gain of $100,000 before tax, and its income tax rate is 30%, its after-tax gain is $70,000. If a corporation...
See U.S. Treasury bills.
An official pronouncement by the Financial Accounting Standards Board that involves a previously issued FASB Standard. FASB Interpretations are part of the generally accepted accounting principles.
Is the cost of land, buildings, and machinery a fixed cost? Land, Buildings and Machinery are Fixed Assets It is common for people to refer to land, buildings, and machinery as fixed assets. They are also referred to as...
In the EOQ model, the holding costs are the incremental costs of storing or holding an item in inventory for one year.
A simple form of business where there is one owner. Legally the owner and the sole proprietorship are the same. However, for accounting purposes the economic entity assumption results in the sole proprietorship’s...
A dollar adjusted for inflation. If an asset such as land was purchased for $10,000 many years ago when the consumer price index (CPI) was 100 and today the CPI is 400, today’s constant-dollar amount would be...
One of the financial statements issued by a nonprofit organization which reports expenses according to both function and nature. Learn more about Nonprofit Accounting.
Also referred to as the current interest rate, the yield-to-maturity, and the effective interest rate. The market interest rate is always changing whereas the stated interest rate does not change.
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