What is IFRS? IFRS is the acronym for International Financial Reporting Standards. IFRS is used throughout the world except in the United States where U.S. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) is followed....
What is IFRS? IFRS is the acronym for International Financial Reporting Standards. IFRS is used throughout the world except in the United States where U.S. GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) is followed....
What is a noncash expense? Definition of a Noncash Expense A noncash expense is an expense that is reported on the income statement of the current accounting period, but the related cash payment took place in another...
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 difference between Notes Payable and Accounts Payable? Definition of Notes Payable The account Notes Payable is a liability account in which a borrower’s written promise to pay a lender is recorded. (The...
What is the debt to equity ratio? Definition of Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to equity ratio or debt-equity ratio is the result of dividing a corporation’s total liabilities by the total amount of stockholders’...
Why does an increase in accounts payable appear as an addition on the statement of cash flows? Adjustments from Accrual to Cash on Statement of Cash Flows When the statement of cash flows (SCF, cash flow statement) is...
What is the proper use of the words lend and borrow? If a company is granted a loan from its bank, the company is borrowing money from its bank, and the bank is lending money to one of its customers. In other words, the...
What is the difference between fixed assets and noncurrent assets? Fixed Assets are Part of Noncurrent Assets Fixed assets are one of several categories of noncurrent assets. Fixed assets are usually reported on the...
What does the term arrears mean in accounting? Definition of Arrears In accounting, the term arrears will be used in the following situations: If a corporation does not declare and pay the dividend on its cumulative...
Why isn't the direct write off method of uncollectible accounts receivable the preferred method? Definition of Direct Write Off Method Under the direct write off method of accounting for credit losses pertaining to...
What is the difference between a debit and a debit balance? Definition of Debit A debit is an entry on the left side of a T-account. A debit entry is used to record assets, expenses, losses, and owner’s draws in their...
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 the difference between Rent Receivable and Rent Payable? Definition of Rent Receivable Rent Receivable is an asset account in the general ledger of a landlord which reports the amount of rent that has been earned...
What is the difference between the direct method and the indirect method for the statement of cash flows? Main Difference between Direct and Indirect Method of SCF The main difference between the direct method and the...
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...
What are adjusting entries? Definition of Adjusting Entries Adjusting entries are usually made on the last day of an accounting period (year, quarter, month) so that a company’s financial statements comply with the...
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 are accrued expenses and when are they recorded? Accrued Expenses Accrued expenses are expenses that have occurred but are not yet recorded in the company’s general ledger. This means these expenses will not...
How do you calculate accrued vacation pay? Definition of Accrued Vacation Pay Accrued vacation pay is the amount of vacation pay that a company’s employees have earned, but the company has not yet paid. Example of...
What is an outstanding deposit? Definition of Outstanding Deposit An outstanding deposit refers to a company’s receipts (cash, checks from customers, etc.) which have been recorded in the company’s general ledger...
What is a bank reconciliation? What is a Bank Reconciliation A bank reconciliation is a process performed by a company to ensure that its records (check register, general ledger account, balance sheet, etc.) are correct....
What is a deferral? Definition of Deferral A deferral often refers to an amount that was paid or received, but the amount cannot be reported on the current income statement since it will be an expense or revenue of a...
How should an interest only loan be recorded? Defintion of an Interest Only Loan An interest only loan specifies that only interest payments are required during the life of the loan. No principal payment is required...
Is AccountingCoach.com based on GAAP or IFRS? The materials presented on AccountingCoach.com are based on U.S. GAAP. Since the accounting materials on AccountingCoach.com are generally introductory concepts, the...
What is the provision for bad debts? Definition of Provision for Bad Debts The provision for bad debts could refer to the balance sheet account also known as the Allowance for Bad Debts, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts,...
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 the stated interest rate of a bond payable? Definition of Stated Interest Rate of a Bond The stated interest rate of a bond payable is the annual interest rate that is printed on the face of the bond and stated...
Are salaried employees entitled to overtime pay? Some salaried employees are entitled to overtime pay. The salaried employees entitled to overtime pay are referred to as nonexempt employees. Nonexempt means that the...
If a mortgage payment is due on January 1, should the payment be accrued at December 31? The following answer assumes that the accrual basis of accounting (also known as the accrual method of accounting) is being used…...
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 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...
What is periodicity in accounting? Definition of Periodicity Periodicity is an accounting assumption made by accountants so that a company’s complex and ongoing activities can be divided up into annual, quarterly, and...
What is an asset account? Definition of an Asset Account An asset account is a general ledger account used to sort and store the debit and credit amounts from a company’s transactions involving the company’s...
What is an account payable? Definition of an Account Payable An account payable is an amount owed to a supplier or vendor for goods or services that were provided in advance of payment. However, some people use the term...
What is the acid test ratio? Definition of Acid Test Ratio The acid test ratio, which is also known as the quick ratio, compares the total of a company’s cash, temporary marketable securities, and accounts receivable...
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...
Why is prepaid insurance a short term asset? Definition of Prepaid Insurance as a Short-term Asset Prepaid insurance is usually a short term or current asset because insurance premiums are rarely billed for periods...
What are some examples of financing activities on the cash flow statement? Definition of Financing Activities Financing activities reported on the statement of cash flows (SCF) involve changes to the long-term...
What is OEM and EOM? OEM is the acronym for original equipment manufacturer. EOM is the acronym for end of month. Join PRO to Track Progress Mark the Question as Read Must-Watch Video Learn How to Advance Your Accounting...
What are byproducts? Byproducts, or by-products, are products with relatively little value that emerge from a common process along with the main products. The main products have significant value and are referred to as...
Featured Review
"I am currently employed as an accounting manager, and have been involved with accounting all throughout my career. I became a PRO user after reviewing AccountingCoach with a CFO at a previous employer. He agreed that this would be a useful tool to have available to me and the accounting department. The detail and amount of accounting information available in AccountingCoach has been very helpful in my career. There are so many challenges to accounting work. Having AccountingCoach to find answers for general and specific processes has been invaluable to me. It has helped me to work through challenging issues as well as to just get a refresher on basic accounting situations. It is assuring to know that I will always have this tool at my disposal." - Michael S.
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: