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...
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 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 are accounting principles? Definition of Accounting Principles Accounting principles are the common rules that must be followed when preparing financial statements that are distributed to people outside of the...
What is safety stock? Definition of Safety Stock Safety stock is an additional quantity of an item held by a company in inventory in order to reduce the risk that the item will be out of stock. Safety stock acts as a...
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 are goods in transit? Definition of Goods in Transit Goods in transit refers to inventory items and other products that have been shipped by a seller, but have not yet reached the purchaser. When goods are in...
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...
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...
How does the accounting equation stay in balance when the monthly rent is paid? How a Rent Payment Affects the Accounting Equation A company’s payment of each month’s rent reduces the company’s asset Cash. This is...
Why is the Cash Flow Statement identified as one of the financial statements? The Cash Flow Statement or Statement of Cash Flows is required as part of a full set of financial statements because of the Financial...
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 difference between stock dividend and cash dividend? Definition of a Stock Dividend A stock dividend is a dividend consisting of additional shares of stock. Assume that before a corporation declares a stock...
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…...
What is interest expense? Definition of Interest Expense Interest expense is the cost of borrowing money during a specified period of time. Interest expense is occurring daily, but the interest is likely to be paid...
What does arms length transaction mean? Definition of Arms Length Transaction An arms length transaction exists when two independent (unrelated) parties are each attempting to get the best deal possible. Example of Arms...
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...
Is a money market account a current asset or a fixed asset? A money market account is a current asset unless it is restricted for a long-term purpose. The amount of an unrestricted money market account will likely be...
What is the debt ratio? Definition of Debt Ratio The debt ratio is also known as the debt to asset ratio or the total debt to total assets ratio. Hence, the formula for the debt ratio is: total liabilities divided by...
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 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 a liquidity ratio? Definition of Liquidity Ratio A liquidity ratio is a financial ratio that indicates whether a company’s current assets will be sufficient to meet the company’s obligations when they become...
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...
How can working capital be improved? Definition of Working Capital Working capital is defined as the amount by which a company’s current assets exceed its current liabilities. How Working Capital Can be Improved Some...
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...
How do I calculate the cost of goods sold for a manufacturing company? Calculation of the Cost of Goods Sold for a Manufacturer The calculation of the cost of goods sold for a manufacturing company is: Beginning...
What is the cost principle? Definition of Cost Principle The cost principle is one of the basic underlying guidelines in accounting. It is also known as the historical cost principle. The cost principle requires that...
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...
Is there a difference between work-in-process and work-in-progress? It depends on the user of the terms. Definition of Work-in-Process I use the term “work-in-process” to mean a manufacturer’s inventory that is not...
Our Explanation of Chart of Accounts shows how a typical chart of accounts is organized and examples of possible account numbering. It concludes with a quick review of debits and credits.
Activity Based Costing(Quick Test) Download PDF After you have answered all 35 questions, click "Grade This Quick Test" at the bottom of the page to view your grade and receive feedback on your answers. Note: Some of the...
Our Explanation of Standard Costing uses an easy-to-relate to example for illustrating a manufacturer's standard costs and variances. Also provided is a chart which indicates each variance, what it tells you, and where...
Our Explanation of Stockholders' Equity covers the unique terminology for a corporation's paid-in capital, retained earnings, treasury stock, and accumulated other comprehensive income. Included are cash dividends, stock...
Cost Terms & Classifications(Quick Test) Download PDF After you have answered all 40 questions, click "Grade This Quick Test" at the bottom of the page to view your grade and receive feedback on your answers. Note: Some...
Improving Profits For multiple-choice and true/false questions, simply press or click on what you think is the correct answer. For fill-in-the-blank questions, press or click on the blank space provided. If you have...
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For the past 52 years, Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has
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