What is the difference between the current ratio and working capital? Definition of Current Ratio The current ratio is the proportion, quotient, or relationship between the amount of a company’s current assets and the...
What is the difference between the current ratio and working capital? Definition of Current Ratio The current ratio is the proportion, quotient, or relationship between the amount of a company’s current assets and the...
What is recorded in the Wages and Salaries Expense account? Definition of Wages and Salaries Expense The account Wages and Salaries Expense (or separate accounts such as Wages Expense or Salaries Expense) are used to...
In adjusting entries, how do I know which T-accounts to use? We illustrate the common adjusting entries with the use of T-accounts in the Explanation of the Topic Adjusting Entries available for your reading at no...
What is the difference between gross profit margin and gross margin? Definition of Gross Profit Gross profit is an amount that is computed as follows: A company’s net Sales minus its cost of goods sold A product’s...
What is a creditor? Definition of Creditor A creditor could be a bank, supplier or person that has provided money, goods, or services to a company and expects to be paid at a later date. In other words, the company owes...
What is the cost to store inventory? Definition of Cost to Store Inventory The cost to store, hold or carry inventory is the total of the following: Cost of the space used for storing inventory, such as rent, heat,...
What are sales? Definition of Sales In accounting, the term sales refers to the revenues earned when a company sells its goods, products, merchandise, etc. When a company sells a noncurrent asset that had been used in...
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...
What are gross wages? Definition of Gross Wages Gross wages are the amounts earned by employees before the payroll withholding taxes and other deductions are subtracted. Sometimes gross wages is used to describe the...
Why are expenses debited? Why Expenses Are Debited Expenses cause owner’s equity to decrease. Since owner’s equity’s normal balance is a credit balance, an expense must be recorded as a debit. At the end of the...
Why would someone buy a bond at a premium? Definition of Bond Premium Bond premium or premium on bonds occurs when the bond’s actual interest payments are greater than the interest payments expected by the market. The...
What is the periodic inventory system? Definition of Periodic Inventory System The periodic inventory system does not update the general ledger account Inventory when a company purchases goods to be resold. Rather than...
Why are sales a credit? Definition of Sales In accounting, sales are revenues earned when a company transfers ownership of its goods to its customers. Under the accrual basis or method of accounting, the sale occurs when...
What is a revenue expenditure? Definition of Revenue Expenditure A revenue expenditure is a cost that will be an expense in the accounting period when the expenditure takes place. Revenue expenditures are often discussed...
Where can I find an illustration of a common size balance sheet? You will find an illustration of a common size balance sheet under AccountingCoach.com’s Explanation of Financial Ratios. The common size balance sheet...
Why do we charge depreciation? Definition of Depreciation Accountants charge (to expense) Have a significant cost Will be useful for more than a year Will not be useful indefinitely Since the asset land is assumed to be...
If a customer pays for the same invoice twice, should the customer be informed? I say yes. If you become aware of the double payment when posting the customer’s second remittance, I would double check your records...
Which items on a bank reconciliation will require a journal entry? Journal Entries for Bank Reconciliation The items on the bank reconciliation that require a journal entry are the items noted as adjustments to books....
What if a company's Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is understated? Definition of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Allowance for Doubtful Accounts is a contra asset account. The Allowance account’s credit balance is...
How does an expense affect the balance sheet? Definition of Expense An expense is a cost that has been used up, expired, or is directly related to the earning of revenues. Most of a company’s expenses fall into the...
Where are short-term bank loans reported on the statement of cash flows? Definition of Short-Term Bank Loans Short-term bank loans are generally loans that must be repaid within one year of the date of the balance sheet....
What would cause a decrease in accumulated depreciation? Definition of Accumulated Depreciation Accumulated depreciation is the cumulative amount of depreciation taken since a depreciable asset was put into service. The...
What is window dressing? Definition of Window Dressing Window dressing refers to actions taken or not taken prior to issuing financial statements in order to improve the appearance of the financial statements. Example...
Our income statement shows wide fluctuations in utilities expense from month to month. I suspect our accounting is not proper. Any suggestions? Under accrual accounting, your income statement should report the amount for...
What are net assets? Definition of Net Assets Net assets is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. Examples of Net Assets In a sole proprietorship the amount of net assets is reported as owner’s equity. In a...
What is meant by the term relevance in accounting? Definition of Relevance In accounting, the term relevance could mean one of the following: An amount, disclosure, etc. that will make a difference to the decision maker...
What is interest payable? Definition of Interest Payable Interest payable is the interest expense that has been incurred (has already occurred) but has not been paid as of the date of the balance sheet. [Interest payable...
What is the cost of goods sold? Definition of Cost of Goods Sold The cost of goods sold is the cost of the products that a retailer, distributor, or manufacturer has sold. The cost of goods sold is reported on the income...
What is the allowance method? Definition of Allowance Method The allowance method usually refers to one of the two ways for reporting bad debts expense that results from a company selling goods or services on credit....
Can I capitalize this year's R&D? Generally, R&D costs cannot be capitalized for U.S. financial statements according to the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 2, Accounting for Research and Development...
What are the required financial statements? The required financial statements for U.S. business corporations are: Statement of income. This financial statement is also known as the statement of operations, statement of...
What accounts for the difference in inventory values between periodic LIFO and perpetual LIFO? Difference Between Periodic LIFO and Perpetual LIFO The difference between periodic LIFO and perpetual LIFO involves the time...
What is the difference between the current ratio and the quick ratio? Definition of Current Ratio The current ratio is the proportion, quotient, or relationship between the amount of a company’s current assets and the...
What is long-term debt? Definition of Long-term Debt In accounting, long-term debt generally refers to a company’s loans and other liabilities that will not become due within one year of the balance sheet date. (The...
Where do credit card payments get recorded? Definition of Credit Card Payments We define a credit card payment as the amount a company remits to the credit card company for the purchases that occurred by using the credit...
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...
What is the meaning of debtor? Definition of Debtor A debtor is a person, company, or other entity that owes money. In other words, the debtor has a debt or legal obligation to pay the amount owed. Example of Debtor If...
How does inflation affect the cost of goods sold? Inflation and the Cost of Goods Sold Generally speaking, a company selling goods during periods of inflation will see an increase in its cost of goods sold. When and by...
How do you record a payment for insurance? Definition of Payment for Insurance A company’s property insurance, liability insurance, business interruption insurance, etc. often covers a one-year period with the cost...
How do you record the interest that is unpaid on a note payable? Definition of Interest Unpaid on Note Payable Interest that has occurred, but has not been paid as of a balance sheet date, is referred to as accrued...
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