AccountingQA Latest Questions

Radha
Radha
In: >

  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom
    This answer was edited.

    Capital Work in Progress refers to the total cost incurred on a fixed asset that is still undergoing construction as on the balance sheet date. These costs are not allowed to be used as an operating asset until the asset is ready to use. Until the construction of the asset is completed, the costs arRead more

    Capital Work in Progress refers to the total cost incurred on a fixed asset that is still undergoing construction as on the balance sheet date. These costs are not allowed to be used as an operating asset until the asset is ready to use. Until the construction of the asset is completed, the costs are recorded as capital work in progress.

    Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the cost of an asset over its useful life. Depreciation is charged on an asset from the date it is ready to use. Since Capital Work in Progress is not yet ready to use, depreciation cannot be charged on it.

    Example

    If a company owns a Machinery worth Rs. 45,000 out of which Rs. 15,000 is part of capital work in progress, then depreciation on such machinery would be calculated only on the part of machinery that is ready to use that is Rs. 30,000 (45,000-15,000).

    When an asset is undergoing construction, the journal entry for each expense would be recorded as

    Further, when all construction of the above asset is completed, it is transferred to fixed asset account. This would be recorded as

    After transfer to Fixed Asset account, depreciation can be calculated and shown as below

    If the construction of an asset is complete but has not been put to use till now, depreciation is still calculated as it is ready for use. It can be done through various methods like straight-line method, written down value method etc.

    See less
    • 0
Aditi
Aditi
In: >

  2. Mehak

    The terms outstanding expenses and accrued expenses are two accounting terms which are often used interchangeably. However, these two terms are not the same and have different meanings. The difference between these two terms is given below: What are Outstanding expenses? As the name suggests, outstaRead more

    The terms outstanding expenses and accrued expenses are two accounting terms which are often used interchangeably. However, these two terms are not the same and have different meanings. The difference between these two terms is given below:

    What are Outstanding expenses?

    As the name suggests, outstanding expenses are the expenses that are due but have not been paid yet. It means that the business is supposed to pay the amount due but it has not paid the same at the end of the accounting period.

    Outstanding expenses are recognized as a current liability because the business is liable to pay such expenses. These expenses are recorded in the books of accounts but the payment is still pending.

    Some examples of outstanding expenses are:

    1. The electricity bill is due for the month of January but has not yet been paid on 31st January.
    2. Salaries of employees of 50,000 is due for the month of March but have not been paid yet by the business.

    What are Accrued expenses? 

    Accrued expenses are the expenses that a business has incurred during the accounting period but they have not yet been recorded in the books of accounts because the bill has not yet been received or the payment is not due yet.

    The concept of Accrued expenses helps in complying with the accrual basis of accounting which says that the expense shall be recognised at the time it occurs regardless of the fact that payment is received or not.

    Examples of accrued expenses are:

    1. The electricity bill for December is received in the month of January. However, it shall be recognised as an expense in the month of December.
    2. The salaries of the employees for the month of April are paid in May. However, this expense shall be recognized in April.

     

    Key differences between outstanding expenses and accrued expenses

    To summarise the above discussion, the key differences between outstanding expenses and accrued expenses are given in the table below:

     

    See less
    • 0
Bonnie
BonnieCurious
In: >

  2. AbhishekBatabyal Helpful Pursuing CA, BCOM (HONS)

    Credit Note A credit note is a document which generally evidences a sales return. It is created by the seller and sent to the buyer acknowledging the receipt of goods returned by the buyer. On the basis of it, the seller promises to pay back the buyer for the goods returned to him or adjust the amouRead more

    Credit Note

    A credit note is a document which generally evidences a sales return. It is created by the seller and sent to the buyer acknowledging the receipt of goods returned by the buyer. On the basis of it, the seller promises to pay back the buyer for the goods returned to him or adjust the amount in future transactions.

    A credit note is also created when the buyer has sent excess money by mistake against the goods delivered to him.

    In Tally, a credit note is created using a credit note voucher. Now, a credit note can only be created only if a sales entry has been made.

    Hence first, we will be creating a sales entry and then the credit note.

     Creation of sales entry in sales voucher ( If not done before)

    The step to create a sale entry in Tally prime is as follows:

    Gateway of Tally –> Vouchers –> Press F8 to open sales voucher

    Enter the details of sales in the sales voucher like I have entered in my sale voucher and accept.

    Here, my debtor is Rama and I have sold 1000pcs of Linc pens@Rs. 10 to him

    Important things to consider:

    • If no ledger accounts, stock items and stock units are created in your company, you can easily create them while in the voucher creation menu itself. Just press Alt + C  in the field where you need to enter party name, stock item name or stock unit name and the respective creation menus will open.
    • After entering the item details, a new menu will open which will ask for which account to be credited for the sale entry. As we know, a sales account is credited, so you have select the sales account from the menu or simply create a Sales account if not created by pressing Alt + C. Below is that menu:

    #2 Creation of credit note

    If already in the voucher creation menu, just press Alt + F6 to open the credit note voucher.

    Enter the party name and a menu will open, asking for a tracking number.  No need to enter any details there.

    Next, another menu will open asking for party details. Select the name of the respective debtor.

    Next enter the details of stock items returned as I have done:

    I have made a credit note for 100pcs of Linc pens returned by Rama.

    After entering all the details, press Enter and accept.

    You can verify the effect of this sales voucher by performing the following steps.

    Gateway of Tally –> Display more reports –> Account Books –> Ledger –>Select the debtor account from the list of ledgers.

    After opening the ledger, if you see that the debtor account is credited by an amount through a credit note voucher, then it can be said that you have performed the steps correctly.

    See less
    • 0
A_Team
A_Team
In: >

  2. Kajal
    This answer was edited.

    Yes, Goodwill is a fixed asset because it adds to the value of the business over a long period. Goodwill can never be calculated for a short period.   GOODWILL Basically, goodwill is a premium or you can say an additional price you are paying because of the reputation of a firm or a person. YouRead more

    Yes, Goodwill is a fixed asset because it adds to the value of the business over a long period. Goodwill can never be calculated for a short period.

     

    GOODWILL

    Basically, goodwill is a premium or you can say an additional price you are paying because of the reputation of a firm or a person.

    You may have seen some famous shop in your locality which usually charges a higher price as compared to the other local shops selling the same product.

    You may have also noticed that bigger brands like Bata, Titan, Zara, etc. charge higher prices for their products as compared to the same products available in the local market and people are even willing to pay for them. Ever wondered why?

    This is because of the goodwill created by them over the years by providing quality products and services, good employee relationships, a strong customer base, social service, a brand name and so on. Customers trust them and for this trust, they are even willing to pay higher prices.

    Goodwill is the quantitative value (i.e. in monetary terms) of the reputation of the firm in the market.

     

    FIXED ASSETS

    An asset is any possession or property of the business that enables the firm to get cash or any benefit in the future.

    Fixed Assets are assets which are purchased for long-term use. They are for continued use in the business for producing goods or services and are not meant for resale. For example- Plant, machinery, building, goodwill, patents etc.

    Fixed assets can be tangible or intangible.

    Tangible assets are those assets which can be seen and touched and have physical existence like Plant and machinery, building, stock, furniture etc.

    Intangible assets are those assets which cannot be seen or touched i.e. they don’t have any physical existence like goodwill, patent, trademark, prepaid expenses etc. Even though they can’t be seen or touched by they have value and are not fictitious assets.

     

    Goodwill as a Fixed Asset

    Goodwill is an intangible asset as it cannot be seen or touched but has value and adds value to the business over a long period. Thus, goodwill is a fixed asset.

    It is shown in the balance sheet as a Fixed asset under the head Intangible asset.

    Goodwill can be

    • Self-generated (Non-Purchased goodwill)
    • Purchased goodwill

    Self-generated goodwill is created over a period due to the good reputation of the business. It is the difference between the value of the firm and the fair value of the net tangible assets of the firm.

    Goodwill = Value of the firm – Fair value of net tangible assets

    Here, F.V of net tangible assets = Fair value of tangible assets- Fair value of tangible liabilities

    Purchased goodwill arises when one business purchases another business. It is the difference between the price paid for the purchased firm and the sum of the fair market value of the assets received and liabilities to be paid by them on behalf of the purchased firm.

    Goodwill = Purchase price – (F.V of assets received + F.V of liabilities to be paid)

    Only purchased goodwill is recorded in the books of accounts because it is difficult to correctly calculate the value of self-generated goodwill as the future is uncertain, also its valuation depends on the judgement of the person calculating it, which defers from person to person. Since there is no fixed standard to calculate self-generated goodwill only purchased goodwill is recorded as the price paid for it at the time of acquiring another business.

    Suppose Firm A acquired Firm B.

    Purchase price= $100,000

    Assets received=$60,000

    Liabilities (to be paid by Firm A on behalf of Firm B) = $10,000

    Goodwill = $100,000 – ($60,000 + $10,000) = $30,000

    This, goodwill of $30,000 will be recorded under the head Fixed Asset, subhead Intangible Assets in the balance sheet of Firm A (that is in the balance sheet of the acquiring firm)

    See less
    • 0
AbhishekBatabyal
AbhishekBatabyalHelpful
In: >

  2. Samar Sparsh

    The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a firm’s ability to pay off its short-term liabilities with its current assets. The current ratio is important because short-term liabilities are due within a period of twelve months. The current ratio is calculated using two standard figures thatRead more

    The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a firm’s ability to pay off its short-term liabilities with its current assets. The current ratio is important because short-term liabilities are due within a period of twelve months.

    The current ratio is calculated using two standard figures that are shown in the company’s balance sheet: current assets and current liabilities. The formula for the same goes as:

    Current ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

    A current ratio of 2:1 is considered ideal. Generally, a ratio between 1.5 to 2 is considered beneficial for the business, which means that the company has more financial resources (Current Assets) to cover its short-term debt (Current Liabilities).

    A high current ratio may indicate that the business is having difficulties managing its capital efficiently to generate profits.

    On the other hand, a lower current ratio (especially lower than 1) would signify that the company’s current liabilities exceed its current assets and the business may have difficulty covering its short-term debt. Although the definition of a good current ratio may vary in the different industry groups.

    Example- Where,

    1) CR is 2:1, the company is in a good situation as it has double the Current Assets in order to cover the short-term debt.

    2) CR is 0.5:1, the company is not in a good situation as it has only half the Current Assets in order to cover the short-term debt.

    See less
    • 0
Aadil
AadilCurious
In: >

CapitalReserve CapitalReservesUncalled CapitalUnsubscribed Capital
  2. Ayushi Curious Pursuing CA
    This answer was edited.

    Reserve capital is part of ‘Uncalled capital’. ‘Uncalled capital’ means the outstanding amount on shares on which the call money is not yet called. A company may issue its shares and receive the money either in full or in instalments. The instalments are named: Application money – Received by a compRead more

    Reserve capital is part of ‘Uncalled capital’. ‘Uncalled capital’ means the outstanding amount on shares on which the call money is not yet called.

    A company may issue its shares and receive the money either in full or in instalments. The instalments are named:

    • Application money – Received by a company from the people who apply for allotment of the shares.
    • Allotment money – Called by the company from the people to whom the shares are allotted at the time of allotment.
    • Call money – The outstanding amount is called by way of call money in one or more instalments.

     For example, X Ltd issues 1000 shares at a price of Rs. 100 per share which is payable Rs. 25 at application, Rs. 30 at the allotment, Rs. 25 at the first call and Rs. 20 at the second and final call.

    The shares at fully subscribed and X Ltd has called and received money till the first call. The second call is not made yet.

     This amount of Rs 20,000 (1000 x Rs.20) will be uncalled capital.

    Now, It is up to the management when to make the second and final call.

    If the management shows no intention of calling the outstanding money on such shares, then the uncalled capital will be called reserve capital.

    Such shares which are not fully called are known as party paid shares.

    It is ultimately payable to the company by the shareholders of partly paid shares at the time of dissolution.

    Reserve capital is not shown either in the balance sheet or in the notes to accounts to the balance sheet. But one can ascertain it just by examining the notes to accounts to the balance. If the shares are partly paid and the management seems to have no intention of calling the outstanding money then such uncalled share capital is reserve capital.

    Reserve capital is neither a liability nor an asset for the company.

    But at the time of winding up of the company, it becomes a liability for the shareholders to pay the balance amount of their shares.

    By now, you must have understood why reserve capital is not part of unsubscribed capital. It is because reserve capital is related to shares that are issued and subscribed.

    See less
    • 0
Mehak
Mehak
In: >

  2. Mehak

    Everyone must have heard about the term “cooking the books”. This term is generally associated with Creative accounting. In simple words, Creative accounting is a method of accounting in which the management tries to show a better picture of the business than the reality. Let us now understand thisRead more

    Everyone must have heard about the term “cooking the books”. This term is generally associated with Creative accounting. In simple words, Creative accounting is a method of accounting in which the management tries to show a better picture of the business than the reality. Let us now understand this concept in detail.

    What is Creative accounting?

    Creative accounting is a method of accounting in which the management manipulates the books of accounts by finding loopholes to showcase a better image of the business.

    It is a practice of using accounting loopholes to make a company’s financial position look better than it really is. It is not exactly illegal but it is more of a gray area.

    For example, a business may delay reporting expenses to increase the profits to present a better short-term position.

    The goal of creative accounting is to impress the shareholders, investors, get loans or boost stock prices.

    However, this can also be very risky and have serious consequences. It can reduce the trust of the investors and customers. In some cases, like Enron and WorldCom the world has seen how creative accounting lead to legal consequences.

    Common Techniques of Creative Accounting

    Some of the common techniques used by the business to manipulate the financial position are as follows:

    1. Revenue Recognition: Techniques such as recognizing revenue before it is actually earned is a method of creative accounting.
    2. Expense manipulation: Delaying the recognition of expenses to show a better position of the business in a short-term.
    3. Undervaluing liabilities: Undervaluing the liabilities of the business by not recognizing any future costs such as insurance or warranty etc.
    4. Asset Valuation: Overstating the value of asses or high amount of depreciation can be some ways of manipulating the value of assets.
    5. Tax avoidance: This is a way of reducing the tax liability by manipulating the financial statements to lower the profits.
    6. Cookie jar accounting: This is a method in which profits in the good years are saved in excess to use in the years of difficulty.

    Ethical implications of Creative Accounting

    There are several ethical implications with respect to creative accounting. Some of these are discussed below:

    1. Misleading Stakeholders: Creative accounting is a method to mislead the stakeholders including the investors, creditors, government, etc. This can lead to loss of trust.
    2. Loss of trust: The shareholders will lose trust over the company if the manipulation is discovered. Creative accounting breaches the fundamental of honesty.
    3. Non – compliance: Creative accounting leads to the non-compliance of the rules and regulations of the country which requires the businesses to follow certain accounting and reporting standards.
    4. Unfair competition: Creative accounting can make a company look more profitable and stable than it actually is, misleading investors and customers. This can leave honest businesses, who follow the rules, at a disadvantage.
    5. Moral responsibility: Management and business has the moral responsibility of working in the best interest of the society and the stakeholders.

    Conclusion

    The key takeaways from the above discussion are as follows:

    1. Creative accounting is the practice of using accounting loopholes to make a company’s financial position look better than it really is.
    2. The goal of creative accounting is to impress the shareholders, and investors, get loans, or boost stock prices.
    3. Revenue recognition, expense manipulation, and asset valuation are some of the common techniques of Creative accounting.
    4. The ethical implications of creative accounting include misleading stakeholders, eroding trust, compromising regulatory compliance, promoting unfair competition, neglecting moral responsibility, etc.

     

    See less
    • 0
Load More Questions

Most Helping Users

Astha

Astha

Leader
Simerpreet

Simerpreet

Helpful
AbhishekBatabyal

AbhishekBatabyal

Helpful