AccountingQA Latest Questions

AbhishekBatabyal
AbhishekBatabyalHelpful
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  2. Ayushi Curious Pursuing CA
    This answer was edited.

    Meaning A valuation account is a balance sheet account that is paired with another balance sheet account to report the carrying amount of the paired account at a reduced value. The purpose of a valuation account is to reduce the balance of the concerned asset or liability without affecting the mainRead more

    Meaning

    A valuation account is a balance sheet account that is paired with another balance sheet account to report the carrying amount of the paired account at a reduced value.

    The purpose of a valuation account is to reduce the balance of the concerned asset or liability without affecting the main ledger account.  This is a conservative approach to use valuation accounts to present the value of the concerned asset or liability at a reduced value.

    The most common example of a valuation account is the ‘Provision for doubtful debts account’. It appears in the balance sheet as a reduction from the debtors’ accounts. Also when the amount is transferred to this provision, it appears in the statement of profit and loss account. But it doesn’t appear in the debtors’ account ledger.

    Treatment

    A valuation account appears only in the balance sheet. Sometimes, it also appears in the profit and loss account when any amount is transferred to it.

    Valuation accounts are only used in accrual accounting. They cannot be used in cash-based accounting as there is no flow of cash related to valuation accounts.

    They have a balance opposite of their paired accounts i.e. if their paired account is an asset then they will have a credit balance and if it is a liability then they will have a debit balance.

    Other Examples of valuation accounts are as follows:

    1. Provision for doubtful debts (offsets the account receivables or debtors’ account)
    2. Accumulated depreciation (report the assets net of depreciation)
    3. Discount on bonds payable (reduces the reporting balance of bond payable account)
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Radha
Radha
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  2. Manvi Pursuing ACCA
    This answer was edited.

    The principal book of accounting is “Ledger”. It records all types of transactions relating to a real, personal or nominal account. It records transactions relating to an income, expense, asset or a liability. A ledger classifies a transaction which is recorded in journal to their respective accountRead more

    The principal book of accounting is “Ledger”. It records all types of transactions relating to a real, personal or nominal account. It records transactions relating to an income, expense, asset or a liability.

    A ledger classifies a transaction which is recorded in journal to their respective accounts, and in the end calculates a closing balance for the same account. The closing balance is further transferred to the financial statements, and hence ledger is called the books of final entry as it gives true and fair picture of an account.

    Template of Ledger:

     

    For example, ABC Ltd purchased machinery for cash amounting to Rs 1,00,000 on 1st January. This transaction will include a machinery account and a cash account. The amount will be recorded in the respective accounts for that period.

    The reason being ledger is called a principal book of accounting is, it helps a business in preparation of trial balance and financial statements.

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Radha
Radha
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  2. AbhishekBatabyal Helpful Pursuing CA, BCOM (HONS)
    This answer was edited.

    The term ‘contra’ means opposite or against. In financial accounting, we encounter the term ‘contra’ in: Contra accounts Contra entries The meaning of contra in the above mention terms is also the same as their general meaning. Contra accounts mean the account which is opposite of the account it corRead more

    The term ‘contra’ means opposite or against. In financial accounting, we encounter the term ‘contra’ in:

    • Contra accounts
    • Contra entries

    The meaning of contra in the above mention terms is also the same as their general meaning. Contra accounts mean the account which is opposite of the account it corresponds to.

    Contra entries are entries of the debit and credit aspects related to the same parent account.  Let’s discuss them in detail.

    Contra accounts

    Any account which is created with the purpose of reducing or offsetting the balance of another account is known as a contra account.

    A contra account is just the opposite of the account to which it relates. The most common examples are the sales discount account and sales return account which is the contra account of the sales account.  They are just the opposite of the sales accounts.

    Contra Entries

    Contra entries refer to the entries which show the movement of the amount within the same parent account. Here, the debit and credit entry is posted on the debit and credit side respectively of a single parent account.  Mainly, contra entries are the entries involving cash and bank accounts.

    The following transactions are recorded as contra entries:

    • Cash to Bank transactions: Deposit of cash into the bank account by the entity.
    • Bank to Cash transactions: Withdrawal of cash from the bank.
    • Cash to cash transactions: Transfer of cash to the petty cash account.
    • Bank to Bank transactions: Transfer of amounts from one bank account to other bank accounts of the same entity.

    Contra entries are marked by the letter ‘C’ beside the postings in the ledger. Deposit of cash in to bank will be posted in cashbook as below:

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Radha
Radha
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  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom

    The term set off in English means to offset something against something else. It thereby refers to reducing the value of an item. In accounting terms, when a debtor can reduce the amount owed to a creditor by cancelling the amount owed by the creditor to the debtor, it is termed as set off. It is coRead more

    The term set off in English means to offset something against something else. It thereby refers to reducing the value of an item. In accounting terms, when a debtor can reduce the amount owed to a creditor by cancelling the amount owed by the creditor to the debtor, it is termed as set off.

    It is commonly used by banks where they seize the amount in a customer’s account to set off the amount of loan unpaid by the customer.

    Types

    There are various types of set-offs as given below:

    • Transaction set-off – This is where a debtor can simply reduce the amount he is owed from the amount he owes to the creditor.
    • Contractual set-off – Sometimes, a debtor agrees to not set off any amount and hence he would have to pay the entire amount to the creditor even if the creditor owed some amount to the debtor.
    • Insolvency set-off – These rules are mandatory and have to be followed under the Insolvency rules 2016.
    • Bankers set-off – Here, the bank sets off the amount of a customer with another account of the customer.

    Example

    Let’s say Divya owes Rs 20,000 to Sherin for the purchase of goods. But, Sherin owed Rs 6,000 to Divya already for use of her Machinery. Therefore, the amount of 6,000 can be set off against the 20,000 owed to Sherin and hence Divya would effectively owe Sherin Rs 14,000.

    This helps in reducing the number of transactions and unnecessary flow of cash.

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Radha
Radha
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Internal Users
  2. Vijay Curious M.Com
    This answer was edited.

    One of the main purposes of accounting is to provide financial data to its users so that decisions are taken at an appropriate time. These users of accounting information are broadly classified into (a) internal users and (b) external users. Since the question concentrates on internal users I’ll beRead more

    One of the main purposes of accounting is to provide financial data to its users so that decisions are taken at an appropriate time. These users of accounting information are broadly classified into (a) internal users and (b) external users. Since the question concentrates on internal users I’ll be explaining internal users of accounting information in detail.

    Internal users are people within an organization/business who need accounting information to make day-to-day decisions.

    The various internal users of accounting information include:

    • Owners/Promoters/Directors:

    Owners are the people who contribute capital to the business and therefore they are interested to know the profit earned or loss incurred by the business as well as the safety of their capital. In the case of a Sole Proprietorship, the proprietor is the owner of the business. In the case of a Partnership, the partners are considered as the owners of the firm.

    The use for them: To know how the business is doing financially, owners need to know the profit and loss reflected in the financial statements.

    • Management:

    Management is responsible for setting objectives, formulating plans, taking informed decisions, and ensuring that pre-planned objectives are met within the stipulated time period.

    The use for them: To achieve objectives, management needs accounting information to make decisions related to determining the selling price, budgeting, cost control and reduction, investing in new projects, trend analysis, forecasting, etc.

    • Employees/Workers:

    Employees and workers are the ones who implement the plans set by the management. Their well-being is dependent on the profitability of the business.

    The use for them: They are interested to check the financial statements so that they can get a better knowledge of the business. Some organizations also give their employees a share in their profits in the form of a bonus at the year-end. This also creates an interest in the employees to check the financial statements.

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A_Team
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  2. Akash Kumar AK
    This answer was edited.

    Generally, Assets are classified into two types. Non-Current Assets Current Assets   Non-Current Asset Noncurrent assets are also known as Fixed assets. These assets are an organization's long-term investments that are not easily converted to cash or are not expected to become cash within an acRead more

    Generally, Assets are classified into two types.

    1. Non-Current Assets
    2. Current Assets

     

    Non-Current Asset

    Noncurrent assets are also known as Fixed assets. These assets are an organization’s long-term investments that are not easily converted to cash or are not expected to become cash within an accounting year.

    In general terms, In accounting, fixed assets are assets that cannot be converted into cash immediately. They are primarily tangible assets used in production having a useful life of more than one accounting period. Unlike current assets or liquid assets, fixed assets are for the purpose of deriving long-term benefits.

    Unlike other assets, fixed assets are written off differently as they provide long-term income. They are also called “long-lived assets” or “Property Plant & Equipment”.

     

    Examples of Fixed Assets

    • Land
    • Land improvement (e.g. irrigation)
    • Building
    • Building (work in progress)
    • Machinery
    • Vehicles
    • Furniture
    • Computer hardware
    • Computer software
    • Office equipment
    • Leasehold improvements (e.g. air conditioning)
    • Intangible assets like trademarks, patents, goodwill, etc. (non-current assets)

     

    Valuation of Fixed asset

    fixed assets are recorded at their net book value, which is the difference between the “historical cost of the asset” and “accumulated depreciation”.

    “Net book value = Historical cost of the asset – Accumulated depreciation”

     

    Example:

    Hasley Co. purchases Furniture for their company at a price of 1,00,000. The Furniture has a constant depreciation of 10,000 per year. So, after 5 years, the net book value of the computer will be recorded as

    1,00,000 – (5 x 10,000) = 50,000.

    Therefore, the furniture value should be shown as 50,000 on the balance sheet.

     

    Presentation in the Balance Sheet

    Both current assets and non-current assets are shown on the asset side(Right side) of the balance sheet.

     

    Difference between Current Asset and Non-Current Asset

    Current assets are the resources held for a short period of time and are mainly used for trading purposes whereas Fixed assets are assets that last for a long time and are acquired for continuous use by an entity.

    The purpose to spend on fixed assets is to generate income over the long term and the purpose of the current assets is to spend on fixed assets to generate income over the long term.

    At the time of the sale of fixed assets, there is a capital gain or capital loss but at the time of the sale of current assets, there is an operating gain or operating loss.

    The main difference between the fixed asset and current asset is, although both are shown in the balance sheet fixed assets are depreciated every year and it is valued by (the cost of the asset – depreciation) and current asset is valued as per their current market value or cost value, whichever is lower.

     

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Karan
Karan
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  2. AbhishekBatabyal Helpful Pursuing CA, BCOM (HONS)

    Accumulated profit is the amount of profit left after the payment of dividends to the shareholders. It is also known as retained earnings. It is the profit that is not distributed as dividends to shareholders, hence called retained earnings. This accumulated profit is an important source of internalRead more

    Accumulated profit is the amount of profit left after the payment of dividends to the shareholders. It is also known as retained earnings. It is the profit that is not distributed as dividends to shareholders, hence called retained earnings. This accumulated profit is an important source of internal finance for a company. Accumulated profit or retained earnings can be ascertained using the following formula:

    Accumulated profit = Opening balance of accumulated profit + Net Profit/Loss (loss being in the negative figure) – Dividend paid

    Accumulated profit can be put to the following uses:

    • To reinvest into the business in form of capital assets or working capital.
    • To repay the debt of the company.
    • To pay dividends in future.
    • To set off the net loss made by the company.

    Accumulated profit and reserves are often considered the same. But in substance, they are not. The reserves are actually part of the accumulated profit, but the converse is not true. They are created by transferring amounts from the accumulated profit. While reserves are created for purpose of strengthening the financial foundation of a firm, the accumulated profit’s main purpose is to make reinvest in the business to increase its growth.

    The amount of accumulated profits depends upon the retention ratio and dividend payout ratio of a company.  The retention ratio is the opposite of the dividend payout ratio.

    The formula of dividend pay-out ratio = Dividend payable/Net Income

    And retention ratio = 1 – (Dividend payable/Net Income)

    If the retention ratio is more than the dividend payout ratio, the accumulated profit remains positive.

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Simerpreet
SimerpreetHelpful
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A. Events B. Transactions C. Journals D. None of These

  2. AbhishekBatabyal Helpful Pursuing CA, BCOM (HONS)
    This answer was edited.

    The correct option is Option C: Journal Entries. Journal entries are the primary entries in the books of accounts and they are passed when any transaction or event takes place. Every journal entry has a dual effect i.e. two or more accounts are affected. For example, When cash is introduced in the bRead more

    The correct option is Option C: Journal Entries.

    Journal entries are the primary entries in the books of accounts and they are passed when any transaction or event takes place. Every journal entry has a dual effect i.e. two or more accounts are affected.

    For example, When cash is introduced in the business, the journal entry passed is:

    Cash A/c    Dr.      ₹10,000

    To Capital A/c  ₹10,000

    The accounts affected here are Cash A/c and Capital A/c.

    Cash A/c gets debited by ₹10,000,

    and Capital A/c get credited by ₹10,000.

    All the processes of accounting are conducted in an ordered manner known as the accounting cycle.

    The first step in an accounting cycle is to identify the transactions and events which are monetary in nature.

    The second step is to record the identified transactions in form of journal entries.

    And the third step is to make postings in the general ledger accounts as per the journal entries.

    Hence, the preparation of the ledger is the third step in the accounting cycle and is prepared from the journal entries.

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A_Team
A_Team
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  2. Mitika

    Non-current assets are long-term investments that are not easily converted into cash within an accounting year. They are required for the long term in the business. They have a useful life of more than an accounting year. Non-current assets can be fixed assets and intangible assets. Fixed assets areRead more

    Non-current assets are long-term investments that are not easily converted into cash within an accounting year. They are required for the long term in the business. They have a useful life of more than an accounting year.

    Non-current assets can be fixed assets and intangible assets. Fixed assets are tangible assets that can be seen and touched. Whereas, intangible assets are those assets that can not be seen and touched.

     

    You can correlate examples of  Non-Current Assets with tangible and intangible assets as mentioned below:

    Land and building – They are fixed assets that will give long-term benefits and will be classified as noncurrent assets.

    Plant and Machinery ­– They are tangible assets will give future benefits and are thus mentioned under noncurrent assets.

    Office Equipment – They are tangible assets that will give future economic benefits to the company, and comes under noncurrent assets.

    Vehicles – They are tangible assets that will give long-term benefits, and will be classified as noncurrent assets.

    Furniture – They are also tangible assets that will give future benefits and are classified as non-current assets.

    Trademarks – These are intangible assets that will not be easily converted into cash and will be classified as noncurrent assets.

    Goodwill – They are intangible assets that can’t be easily converted into cash, and are classified as non-current assets.

    Patents – They are intangible assets that will not be converted into cash within an accounting period, and are classified as non-current assets.

    Copyrights – They are intangible assets that will not be converted into cash within an accounting period, and are classified as non-current assets.

    Long-term Investments – They are long-term investments that will not be easily converted into cash within an accounting period and are classified as non-current assets.

     

     

    Non-current Assets = Total Liabilities – Current Assets

     

    Current Assets are the assets that will be converted into cash within an accounting year. They include cash, bank, debtors, etc.

     

    BALANCE SHEET

    		  
    LIABILITIES ASSETS
    Capital xxx Fixed Assets  
    Reserves and Surplus xxx Land and Building xxx
        Vehicle xxx
    Current Liabilities   Furniture xxx
    Accounts Payable xxx    
    Bank Overdraft xxx Intangible Assets  
    Outstanding Expenses xxx Goodwill xxx
      Trademarks xxx
         
      Long-term Investments xxx
           
      Current Assets  
      Cash xxx
      Debtors xxx
      Others xxx
      xxx   xxx

     

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