Why are some expenses deferred? Definition of Deferred Expenses Under the accrual basis of accounting, an expense is a cost that is used up, has expired, or is directly related to revenues reported on a company’s...
Why are some expenses deferred? Definition of Deferred Expenses Under the accrual basis of accounting, an expense is a cost that is used up, has expired, or is directly related to revenues reported on a company’s...
How do you record bonds that are issued? Definition of Bonds Payable Bonds payable is a form of long-term debt often issued by large corporations especially public utilities when constructing large, expensive power...
What is the meaning of systematic and rational allocation? Definition of Systematic and Rational Allocation Systematic and rational allocation is typically included in the definition of depreciation. In this context, it...
How do I determine the cost of missing inventory? Definition of Determining the Cost of Missing Inventory The approximate cost of missing inventory is the difference between 1) the cost of the inventory items that are...
Why will some asset accounts have a credit balance? Definition of Asset Account Balances In accounting, asset accounts normally have debit balances. That is, the general ledger accounts for assets typically have their...
How do you calculate the payroll accrual? Definition of Payroll Accrual The payroll accrual is the amounts a company owes for work done by employees, but the amounts have not yet been recorded in the company’s general...
Is depreciation expense an administrative expense? Definition of Depreciation Expense Depreciation expense is the systematic allocation of a depreciable asset’s cost to the accounting periods in which the asset is...
Why can a retailer record its purchase of merchandise as a debit to purchases within the cost of goods sold, instead of the asset inventory? Before we explain why companies will record the purchases of merchandise in the...
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...
How are the balance sheet and income statement connected? Connection between Balance Sheet and Income Statement The connection between the balance sheet and the income statement results from: The use of double-entry...
What is the cost of goods available? Definition of Cost of Goods Available For non-manufacturing companies using the periodic inventory system in its general ledger, the cost of goods available (COGA, or cost of goods...
What is an escrow payment? An escrow payment is an amount deposited with another party and it is to be released only for its specified purpose. The following is one example of an escrow payment. A borrower and lender...
What is accounts receivable? Definition of Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable is the amount owed to a company resulting from the company providing goods and/or services on credit. The term trade receivable is also...
What is "deficit" appearing in stockholders' equity? Definition of Deficit Within Stockholders’ Equity The term deficit is used within the stockholders’ equity section of a corporation’s balance sheet in place of...
What does a debit signify in bookkeeping? In bookkeeping, a debit can signify an increase in an asset, an expense, and the owner’s draws. A debit can also signify a decrease in a liability, revenues, and owner’s...
If a company earns a profit, which balance sheet items change? Definition of Profit Profit is the result of revenues minus expenses. How Profits Change the Balance Sheet Since all business transactions affect at least...
How do you calculate an asset's salvage value? Definition of Asset Salvage Value In accounting, an asset’s salvage value is the estimated amount that a company will receive at the end of a plant asset’s useful life....
What is the difference between FIFO and LIFO? Difference Between FIFO and LIFO The difference between FIFO and LIFO will exist only if the unit costs of a company’s products are increasing or decreasing. U.S. companies...
When should costs be expensed and when should costs be capitalized? Definition of Costs In the context of the question, costs are the amounts paid in exchange for materials, products, or services. The costs could be:...
What is the FUTA tax? Definition of FUTA Tax FUTA is the acronym for the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and is associated with a federal payroll or employment tax paid solely by the employer. (This unemployment tax is in...
What is net income? Definition of Net Income Net income is the positive result of a company’s revenues and gains minus its expenses and losses. A negative result is referred to as net loss. (There are a few gains and...
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...
Where is a contingent liability recorded? Recording a Contingent Liability A potential or contingent liability that is both probable and the amount can be estimated is recorded as 1) an expense or loss on the income...
Why is an increase in inventory shown as a negative amount in the statement of cash flows? Meaning of a Negative Amount on Statement of Cash Flows A negative amount on the statement of cash flows (SCF) indicates that the...
Can you help me to understand credit memo and debit memo in the bank reconciliation? Definition of Bank Credit Memo A bank credit memo is an item on a company’s bank account statement that increases a company’s...
How do I record a loan payment which includes paying both interest and principal? Definition of a Loan Payment A loan payment is likely to consist of three amounts: Total payment amount Interest payment Principal payment...
Does the accrual method apply to the purchase of equipment? The accrual method does apply to the purchase of equipment (as well as applying to revenues and expenses). To illustrate, let’s assume that on December 29 a...
What is a vendor? Definition of Vendor In the context of accounts payable, a vendor is a person or business that supplies goods or services to the company. Another term for vendor is supplier. The term vendor can also be...
What are capital expenditures? Definition of Capital Expenditures Capital expenditures are the amounts spent for tangible assets that will be used for more than one year in the operations of a business. Capital...
What is the cost of sales? Definition of Cost of Sales Cost of sales is often a line shown on a manufacturer’s or retailer’s income statement instead of cost of goods sold. The cost of sales for a manufacturer is the...
What are the various types of adjusting entries? Types of Adjusting Entries Adjusting entries, which are required in order to have a company’s financial statements comply with the accrual method of accounting, are...
How do I record an advance to an employee and the deduction? Definition of Advance to an Employee A cash advance to an employee is usually a temporary loan by a company to an employee. In other words, the company is the...
What is the difference between expense and loss? Definition of Expense An expense is a cost that a company incurs or uses up when it earns revenues. Examples of Expenses A few examples of the many expenses that a company...
What is capitalized interest? Definition of Capitalized Interest Capitalized interest is the interest on debt that was used to finance a self-constructed, long-term asset. The capitalized interest for the company’s...
Why would a balance sheet list current liabilities as negative amounts? Reasons for Negative Current Liabilities on a Balance Sheet Some older accounting software used minus signs or parentheses to indicate credit...
Can absorption costing cause an increase in net income? Definition of Absorption Costing Absorption costing is a cost accounting method (required by US GAAP) in which a manufacturer must assign fixed manufacturing...
What is the difference between adjusting entries and correcting entries? Definition of Adjusting Entries Generally, adjusting entries are required at the end of every accounting period so that a company’s financial...
In what order are liabilities listed in the chart of accounts? Order for Listing Liabilities It is logical for a company’s liabilities to be organized in the chart of accounts in the same way as they are presented on...
What is the difference between vertical analysis and horizontal analysis? Definition of Vertical Analysis Vertical analysis expresses each amount on a financial statement as a percentage of another amount. The vertical...
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...
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