An expense reported on the income statement that did not require the use of cash during the period shown in the heading of the income statement. The typical example is depreciation expense. Also, the write-down of an...
An expense reported on the income statement that did not require the use of cash during the period shown in the heading of the income statement. The typical example is depreciation expense. Also, the write-down of an...
A current asset which indicates the cost of the insurance contract (premiums) that have been paid in advance. It represents the amount that has been paid but has not yet expired as of the balance sheet date. A related...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the amount of wages that the warehouse employees have earned during the accounting period indicated in the heading of the income statement. Because wages are...
Payroll taxes include 1) the taxes withheld from employees’ wages and salaries such as Social Security tax, Medicare tax, federal income tax, and state income tax, 2) the employers’ portion of the Social...
A gross amount minus the income tax associated with the gross amount. For example, a company may dispose of one of its business segments and show a gain (proceeds exceed carrying amount) of $10,000,000. However, if the...
A current asset representing the cost of supplies on hand at a point in time. The account is usually listed on the balance sheet after the Inventory account. A related account is Supplies Expense, which appears on the...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the employer’s expense for the company’s 401(k) plan associated with the employees in the warehouse department during the period indicated in the...
The owner’s equity account that reports the amount invested in the sole proprietorship owned by Tony Mandella plus the cumulative amount of net income minus the cumulative amount of the sole proprietor’s...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the employer’s portion of the Social Security and Medicare tax that pertains to the period indicated in the heading of the income statement, whether or...
The interest rate of debt (bonds, loans) after deducting the income tax savings. For example, if a corporation has issued bonds with an interest rate of 8% and the corporation’s income tax rate is 25%, the...
The amounts withheld for employees’ checks for Social Security tax, Medicare tax, federal income tax, state income tax, and voluntary deductions such as United Way, union dues, 401(k) contributions,...
A method for recognizing bad debts expense arising from credit sales. Under this method there is no allowance account. Rather, an account receivable is written-off directly to expense only after the account is determined...
The owner’s equity accounts are the owner’s capital account and the owner’s drawing account. During the year the income statement accounts (revenues, expenses, gains, losses), the owner’s drawing...
This account is a non-operating or “other” expense for the cost of borrowed money or other credit. The amount of interest expense appearing on the income statement is the cost of the money that was used...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the employer’s expense for the company’s 401(k) plan associated with the employees in the delivery department during the period indicated in the...
Our Explanation of Financial Statements provides you with the highlights of each of the five external financial statements issued by U.S. corporations. Our insights will give you a good understanding of what the...
Since our Explanation of Cash Flow Statement illustrates how the amounts are determined, you will get a better understanding of this very important financial statement. No longer will you look at only the income...
If we dispose of an asset, will there be a change in the owner's equity? The owner’s equity of a sole proprietorship will change only if the disposal of an asset causes a gain or loss to be reported on the income...
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...
Where do worker compensation insurance costs get reported on the financial statements? Worker compensation insurance costs (also referred to as worker comp) should appear on the income statement and also on the balance...
What is apportionment? An apportionment is an allocation based on some proportions. I associate the term apportionment with a corporation’s taxable income that was earned in many states within the U.S. In that...
How do cash dividends affect the financial statements? Definition of Cash Dividends Cash dividends are a distribution of a corporation’s earnings to its stockholders or shareholders. For cash dividends to occur, the...
Are depreciation, depletion and amortization similar? In accounting the terms depreciation, depletion and amortization often involve the movement of costs from the balance sheet to the income statement in a systematic...
What is the return on assets ratio? Definition of Return on Assets Ratio The return on assets ratio, or return on total assets ratio, relates a company’s net income during a specific year, to the company’s average...
What is the accounting journal entry for depreciation? Definition of Journal Entry for Depreciation The journal entry for depreciation is: Debit to the income statement account Depreciation Expense Credit to the balance...
How does the purchase of a new machine affect the profit and loss statement? Definition of New Machine’s Effect on Profit The purchase of a new machine that will be used in a business will affect the profit and loss...
What is the profit margin (after tax) ratio? Definition of Profit Margin Ratio The after tax profit margin ratio expresses the company’s net income or earnings as a percent of the company’s net sales. In other words,...
What is the effect on financial ratios when using LIFO instead of FIFO? Definition of Effect of LIFO Instead of FIFO During periods of significantly increasing costs, the LIFO cost flow assumption instead of the FIFO...
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...
What is the cash flow statement? Definition of Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement (officially known as the statement of cash flows) is one of the required financial statements issued by U.S. businesses (and by...
Why is the accuracy of inventory valuation so important? Definition of Inventory Accuracy Inventory accuracy means the following: Accurate counts of the items in inventory Proper cost of each item in inventory (based on...
Is depreciation an operating expense? Depreciation Could Be Either an Operating Expense or a Non-operating Expense Depreciation is an operating expense if the asset being depreciated is used in an organization’s main...
What is the difference between depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation? Definition of Depreciation Expense Depreciation expense is the amount of depreciation that is reported on the income statement. In other...
What is the purpose of the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts? Definition of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts or Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts is a general ledger contra account...
How do you report a write-down in inventory? Definition of Write-down in Inventory Under FIFO and average cost methods, when the net realizable value of inventory is less than the cost of the inventory, there needs to be...
What is the purpose of the cash flow statement? Definition of Cash Flow Statement The cash flow statement or statement of cash flows or SCF identifies a company’s major cash inflows and outflows that occurred the same...
Featured Review
"I am thrilled to share my journey with AccountingCoach PRO, a platform that has been a cornerstone in my career transformation from Accountant to Finance Manager, and now Business Applications Manager. I vividly remember the day I was called for an interview that included a critical accounting exam. AccountingCoach was instrumental in helping me revive crucial knowledge, ultimately leading me to outshine other candidates and secure the job. What truly set me apart was the practical assistance from AccountingCoach PRO, particularly the ready-to-use Excel templates that streamlined my work processes. My journey with AccountingCoach didn't stop there. It also played a pivotal role in my career progression from Accountant to Senior Accountant, and eventually in my role as Financial & Administrative Manager. The platform has been invaluable, not only in refining my own skills but also in enabling me to effectively communicate complex financial concepts to junior colleagues, business owners, and non-finance stakeholders. Whenever I encounter a forgotten topic, AccountingCoach is my reliable resource for quick and clear information. The decision to upgrade to the PRO version was a no-brainer. It offered an array of advanced tools like training videos, Excel cheat sheets, comprehensive PDF guides, and flashcards—all of which has significantly enhanced my knowledge and memory retention. Today, as a business applications manager working closely with accounting, finance, data, and ERP teams, I owe a great deal of my success and professional growth to the foundational and ongoing learning supported by AccountingCoach PRO." - Mahmoud E.
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: