The difference between the actual amount and the budgeted amount.
The difference between the actual amount and the budgeted amount.
How does the aging of accounts receivable determine bad debts expense? Definition of Aging of Accounts Receivable The aging of accounts receivable sorts the amounts that a company is owed (from customers who had...
An accounting principle/guideline that allows the accountant to keep the sole proprietor’s business transactions separate from the owner’s personal transactions even though a sole proprietorship is not...
Same as book value. For example, an asset’s net book value is equal to the asset’s cost minus its accumulated depreciation.
The expense associated with a commitment to repair or replace a product for a specified period of time. The expense should be reported on the income statement at the time that the sale of the product is reported in order...
A table of factors that shows what the future value of $1 will grow to if invested at the rate shown in the column heading and compounded for the number of periods indicated in the row.
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...
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...
A company’s balance sheet that shows each item’s amount after it has been divided by the amount of total assets. In other words, current assets will be shown as a percentage of total assets. This will allow...
Often a U-shaped arrangement of the various machines involved in manufacturing a product. This layout eliminates the need to move the item being manufactured from one area or department of the factory to another. In...
A cost that has been recorded in the accounting records and reported on the balance sheet as an asset until matched with revenues on the income statement in a later accounting period.
A term that refers to a negative checking account balance. It arises when a company writes checks in excess of the amount it has on deposit in its checking account.
See direct labor efficiency variance.
With regard to depreciation, what does the term mid-month convention mean? Definition of Mid-Month Convention In depreciation, the mid-month convention means that an asset placed into service anytime during a given...
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...
A stated legal amount for each share of common stock. The par value for every share of common stock issued must be recorded in the separate stockholders’ equity account Common Stock.
See inventory: work-in-process (WIP).
The most common example is the correction of an error from a prior year. When such a correction is made, it is reported in the current period’s statement of retained earnings rather than in the current...
The reduction or removal of an asset amount. For example, an account receivable will be removed or written off if the customer is not able to pay the amount owed to the company.
What is the FISH inventory method? FISH is the acronym for first-in, still-here. FISH is an attempt to bring humor to the fact that some items have been sitting in inventory for years. Unlike FIFO and LIFO, which are...
A current asset account which contains the amount of investments that can and will be sold in the near future.
An intangible asset that is reported at cost (or lower) on the balance sheet. It might consist of a name or a logo. Trademarks should be registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Also see trade names.
Usually a simple form used by the petty cash custodian in order to document small payments from a petty cash box.
See long-term assets.
Market interest rate, current return, effective interest rate. Also see yield to maturity.
The systematic allocation of the cost of an asset from the balance sheet to Depreciation Expense on the income statement over the useful life of the asset. (The depreciation journal entry includes a debit to Depreciation...
Often a 1% or 2% reduction in the amount owed if an invoice is paid within 10 days of the invoice date instead of the customary 30 days.
What are dividends? In accounting, dividends often refers to the cash dividends that a corporation pays to its stockholders (or shareholders). Dividends are often paid quarterly, but could be paid at other times. For a...
See inventory shrinkage.
That component of a product that has not yet been placed into the product or into work-in-process inventory. This account often contains the standard cost of the direct materials on hand. A manufacturer must disclose in...
A company’s receipts that appear on the company’s records but do not yet appear on the bank statement. For example, a retail store’s receipts of March 31 are deposited after banking hours on March 31 or...
See accelerated depreciation.
The actual cost incurred for manufacturing costs other than direct materials and direct labor which increase as production volume increases. Examples include manufacturing supplies and electricity to operate the...
See direct materials usage variance. To learn more, see Explanation of Standard Costing.
What is a blank check? Definition of Blank Check A blank check often refers to a check that has been signed by an authorized check signer without completing the other information (date, payee, amount). A blank check...
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,...
What is historical cost? Definition of Historical Cost Historical cost is a term used instead of the term cost. Cost and historical cost usually mean the original cost at the time of a transaction. The term historical...
Corporations whose stock is traded on stock exchanges. Also referred to as publicly-traded corporations.
Also referred to as manufacturing overhead, indirect manufacturing costs, factory burden, and manufacturing support costs. To learn more, see Explanation of Manufacturing Overhead.
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