What is a liability account? Definition of Liability Account A liability account is a general ledger account in which a company records the following which resulted from business transactions: Amounts owed to suppliers...
What is a liability account? Definition of Liability Account A liability account is a general ledger account in which a company records the following which resulted from business transactions: Amounts owed to suppliers...
What does it mean to recognize an expense? Definition of Recognize an Expense To recognize an expense means to report the proper amount of an expense on the income statement for the appropriate accounting period. When...
What entry is made when selling a fixed asset? Defining the Entries When Selling a Fixed Asset When a fixed asset or plant asset is sold, there are several things that must take place: The fixed asset’s depreciation...
Is it possible for owner's equity to be a negative amount? Definition of Negative Owner’s Equity Negative owner’s equity means the amount of a sole proprietorship’s liabilities exceeds the amount of its assets....
What is accumulated depreciation? Definition of Accumulated Depreciation Accumulated depreciation is the total amount of a plant asset’s cost that has been allocated to depreciation expense (or to manufacturing...
How do you write off a bad account? Definition of the Write-off of a Bad Account The write-off of a bad account usually refers to eliminating an account receivable due to the customer’s inability to pay the amount...
Are commissions a cost of goods sold account or an expense? Definition of Commissions Commissions are compensation for obtaining sales. Hence, sales commissions are a selling expense and will be recorded in general...
What is a mortgage loan? Definition of Mortgage Loan A mortgage loan is a loan associated with the purchase of real estate, such as a home or buildings used in a business. As part of the loan process, the lender files a...
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...
What is a deferred credit? A deferred credit could mean money received in advance of it being earned, such as deferred revenue, unearned revenue, or customer advances. A deferred credit could also result from complicated...
What is the meaning of debit? Definition of Debit The term debit is similar to the term used in Italy more than 500 years ago when the double entry accounting system was documented. What you need to know today is that...
What is the statement of activities? Definition of Statement of Activities The statement of activities is one of the main financial statements issued by a nonprofit organization. It is prepared instead of the income...
Would you please help me understand opportunity cost? You might think of opportunity cost as the profit you had to forego. Let’s illustrate this with a little story. Suppose that you are the sole owner of a company...
What is the definition of net sales? Definition of Net Sales Net sales is a company’s gross sales of products minus any sales discounts and sales returns and allowances. When a company makes a sale, the general ledger...
What are generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)? Definition of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Generally accepted accounting principles (commonly referred to as GAAP or US GAAP) are the common...
What are phantom profits? The terms phantom profits or illusory profits are often used in the context of inventory (but can also pertain to depreciation) during periods of rising costs. The amount of phantom or illusory...
What is the difference between revenues and receipts? Definition of Revenues A company’s revenues are amounts it has earned as the result of business activities such as selling merchandise or performing services. Under...
What does Accumulated Depreciation tell us? Definition of Accumulated Depreciation Accumulated depreciation reports the amount of depreciation that has been recorded from the time an asset was acquired until the date of...
What is depletion? Definition of Depletion In accounting, depletion refers to the expensing of a company’s cost of a natural resource. Ultimately, it means moving a natural resource’s cost from the company’s...
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...
Are fixed assets the same as plant assets? Definition of Fixed Assets and Plant Assets My experience indicates that people use the term fixed assets to mean the same as plant assets. As a result, I define both fixed...
What is bookkeeping? Definition of Bookkeeping Bookkeeping includes the recording, storing and retrieving of financial transactions for a business, nonprofit organization, individual, etc. Examples of Bookkeeping Tasks...
Are the goods purchased by a retailer an expense or an asset? Definition of Goods Purchased by a Retailer The goods purchased by a retailer are the products or merchandise that it buys and plans to resell. The goods that...
What does a bookkeeper do? Definition of Bookkeeper A bookkeeper’s role at a company varies by the size and nature of the business. At a very small company without an accountant, the bookkeeper’s duties are likely to...
How do I determine my payroll tax liabilities? Your payroll tax liabilities will include the following: Federal, state, and local income taxes withheld from employees’ wages, salaries, bonuses, etc. but not yet...
What is a comparative balance sheet? Definition of Comparative Balance Sheet A comparative balance sheet typically has two columns of amounts that appear to the right of the account titles or other descriptions such as...
What is the difference between Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes? Social Security Payroll Tax The Social Security payroll tax is 6.2% and is based on each employee’s earnings (wages, salaries, bonuses,...
What is a T-account? Definition of T-Account A T-account is a visual aid used to depict a general ledger account. The account title is written above the horizontal part of the “T”. On the left-side of the vertical...
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...
Where do preferred stocks go on the P&L? The amount received from issuing preferred stock is reported on the balance sheet within the stockholders’ equity section. Only the annual preferred dividend is reported on the...
What is gross profit? Definition of Gross Profit Gross profit is defined as net sales minus the cost of goods sold. Gross profit is sometimes referred to as gross margin. (However, gross margin can also mean the gross...
How do you compute a selling price if you know the cost and the required gross margin? Definition of Selling Price A selling price is the amount that a customer will pay to buy a product. If a retailer wants to earn a...
What is book value? Definition of Book Value In accounting, book value refers to the amounts contained in the company’s general ledger accounts (or books). It is important to realize that the book value is not the same...
What is a trade discount? Definition of Trade Discount A trade discount is a routine reduction from the regular, established price of a product. The use of trade discounts allows a company to vary the final price based...
What is meant by reconciling an account? Definition of Reconciling an Account Reconciling an account is likely to mean proving or documenting that an account balance is correct. Examples of Reconciling an Account When a...
What is a long-term asset? Definition of Long-term Asset A long-term asset is an asset that is not expected to be converted to cash or be consumed within one year of the date shown in the heading of the balance sheet....
What is the difference between a trial balance and a balance sheet? Definition of Trial Balance A trial balance is an internal report that remains in the accounting department. The trial balance lists all of the accounts...
What is the difference between cost and expense? Definition of Cost A cost might be an expense or it might be an asset. Definition of Expense An expense is a cost that has expired or was necessary in order to earn...
What are consolidated financial statements? Definition of Consolidated Financial Statements Consolidated financial statements are financial statements for a group of separate legal entities that are controlled by one...
What does current portion of long term debt mean? Definition of Current Portion of Long-Term Debt The current portion of long-term debt is the amount of principal that will be due within one year of the date of the...
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