A reduction of a markup. In the retail method of estimating inventory, it could mean the elimination of part or all of the additional markup. For example, if an item with a cost of $10 would normally be priced at $15,...
A reduction of a markup. In the retail method of estimating inventory, it could mean the elimination of part or all of the additional markup. For example, if an item with a cost of $10 would normally be priced at $15,...
A potential loss that is dependent upon some future event occurring or not occurring. If the loss is probable and the amount can be estimated, then the loss and a liability are recorded with a journal entry. If the loss...
Equipment is a noncurrent or long-term asset account which reports the cost of the equipment. Equipment will be depreciated over its useful life by debiting the income statement account Depreciation Expense and crediting...
A liability account used to record an amount received from a customer before a service has been provided or before goods have been shipped. This account is referred to as a deferred revenue account and could be entitled...
be recorded as part of the cost of the asset. Join PRO to Track Progress Mark the Question as Read Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and Bookkeeping Career Perform better at your current job Refresh...
The amount of principal owed on a loan. On the typical mortgage loan, a portion of the monthly payment is applied to interest and principal. The amount of principal that remains after the principal payment is the unpaid...
The result of two or more amounts being combined. For example, net sales is equal to gross sales minus sales returns, sales allowances, and sales discounts. The net realizable value of accounts receivable is the...
Under the accrual method of accounting, this account reports the amount of wages that the delivery employees have earned during the accounting period indicated in the heading of the income statement. Because wages are...
An income statement account that reports the amount of service revenues earned during the time interval indicated in the heading of the income statement. (Under the accrual basis of accounting, fees earned are reported...
Also referred to as a shareholder. The owner of shares of stock in a corporation. Every corporation has common stock and those owners are known as common stockholders. Some corporations also issued preferred stock and...
The average balance in the account Accounts Receivable during a period of time. Since the amount reported in the Accounts Receivable account is the ending balance on one specific day, it is necessary to compute an...
The length of time that an asset would last. Instead of the physical life, accountants focus on the useful life. For example, a computer’s physical life is perhaps 50 years. However, its useful life is likely to be...
More formally known as the Uniform CPA Examination. This rigorous, 14-hour, computer-based exam consists of questions developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The exam is in English only and...
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...
Compensation for employees that is in addition to salaries and wages. Examples include paid absences (vacation, sick, holiday), insurances (health, dental, vision, life), pensions, profit sharing contributions, employer...
Used to calculate the earnings per share of common stock: Earnings available for common stock divided by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding. The weighted-average number of shares is needed...
Sorting and reporting expenses according to the type of activity for which the expense was incurred. The functional expense classifications for a nonprofit organization would be Program #1, Program #2, Management and...
An intangible asset reported on the balance sheet at the company’s cost (or lower). Often, successful trade names were developed by companies over many years. As a result the cost of the trade name is minimal, but...
One of the types of adjusting entries that are made at the end of the accounting period in order to report (1) revenues that have been earned but have not yet been entered into the accounting records, and/or (2) expenses...
The amount of interest expense incurred during the time interval shown in the heading of the income statement that pertains to a company’s bonds payable. Bond interest expense also includes the amortization of the...
This is a valuation account for the asset Inventory. A credit balance should be reported in this account for the amount that the net realizable value of inventory is less than the cost reported in the Inventory account....
See Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 121. Under this standard if the undiscounted future cash flows from the asset (including sale amount) are less than its carrying amount, a loss is recognized. The amount...
A method used by retailers to achieve the LIFO cost flow without tracking individual units. A further advantage is that pools of products are used. This will likely mean less liquidation of LIFO cost layers that would...
Bond Issue Costs is a contra liability accounts reported along with Bonds Payable. Bond Issue Costs include the professional fees and registration fees associated with the issuance of bonds. The amount in the account...
Costs that have been divided up and assigned to periods, departments, products, etc. In depreciation it is the asset’s cost that is assigned to each of the years that the asset is in use. In cost accounting it is...
The systematic allocation of the discount, premium, or issue costs of a bond to expense over the life of the bond. The systematic allocation of an intangible asset to expense over a certain period of time. The systematic...
A quality of accounting information that facilitates comparing a company’s reporting of one accounting period to another. For example, the reader of a company’s financial statements can assume that the...
An income statement that subtracts all variable costs and expenses from revenues in order to show the contribution margin. From that is subtracted the fixed costs and expenses to arrive at net income. To learn more, see...
One of the main financial statements of a nonprofit organization. This financial statement reports the revenues and expenses and the changes in the amounts of each of the classes of net assets during the period shown in...
Under the accrual method of accounting, the account Unemployment Tax Expense on Warehouse reports the unemployment tax expense the company has incurred for the employees in the warehouse during the period indicated in...
in the notes to the financial statements. Join PRO to Track Progress Mark the Question as Read Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting and Bookkeeping Career Perform better at your current job Refresh your...
A liability account that reports the amount payable as of the balance sheet date. For the account to show a balance, a loss/obligation must be probable and the amount can be estimated. If the lawsuit is remote or only...
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...
Refers to the accounting associated with the preparation of the main financial statements: income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, statement of retained earnings, statement of stockholders’...
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: