AccountingQA Latest Questions

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  2. Ishika Pandey Curious ca aspirant
    This answer was edited.

    Definition Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable. Bad debts will be treated in the following ways : On the debit side of the profit and loss account. In the curreRead more

    Definition

    Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable.

    Bad debts will be treated in the following ways :

    On the debit side of the profit and loss account.

    In the current assets side of the balance sheet, these are deducted from sundry debtors.

    For example loans from banks are declared as bad debt, sales made on credit and amounts not received from customers, etc.

    Now I will show you an extract of the profit and loss account and balance sheet   

    Current assets are defined as cash and other assets that are expected to be converted into cash or consumed in the production of goods or the rendering of services in the ordinary course of business.

    For example,  debtors exist to convert them into cash i.e., receive the amount from them, bills receivable exist again for receiving cash against it, etc.

     

    Current liabilities are defined as liabilities that are payable normally within 12 months from the end of the accounting period or in other words which fall due for payment in a relatively short period.

    For example bills payable, short-term loans, etc.

     

    Accounting treatment

    Now let me try to explain to you the accounting treatment for bad debts which is as follows :

    • Balance sheet
      • In the balance sheet either it can be shown on the asset side under head current assets by reducing from that specific assets.
      • For example, if credit sales are made to a customer who says it’s not recoverable or is partially recoverable then the amount is bad debt. It’s a loss for the business and credited to the personal account of debtors or we can say reduced from debtor those are current assets of the balance sheet.

     

    • Profit and loss account
      • Bad debts are treated as an expense and debited to the profit and loss account.
      • For example, as I have explained above, but before transferring to the balance sheet, bad debt will be debited to the profit and loss account as an expense.

     

    Reasons for bad debts

    There are several reasons why businesses may have bad debts some of them are as follows:-

    • Offered credit to customers who were unable to pay them back, or they may have been the victim of fraud.

     

    • When there is conflicts or dispute arise with respect to product size, color, quality, delivery, credit term, price, etc therefore debts becomes bad.

     

    • Debtors have poor financial management or they are not able to pay debts on time.

     

    • Debtors’ unwillingness to pay is also a reason for debts to become bad.

     

    • Or there can be more cases where debtors are unable to collect debts and debts turns out to be bad.

     

    Accounting methods

    There are two methods for accounting for bad debts which are mentioned below:-

    • First, is the direct written-off method which states that bad debts will be directly treated as expenses and expensed to the income statement, which is called the profit and loss account.

     

    • Second, is the allowance method which means we create provisions for doubtful debts accounts and the debtor’s account remains as it is since the debtor’s account and provision for doubtful debts account are two separate accounts.

     

      • Debts that are doubtful of recovery are provided estimating the debts that may not be recovered .amount debited to the profit and loss account reduces the current year’s profit and the amount of provision is carried forward to the next year.
      • Next year, when debts actually become bad debts and are written off, the amount of bad debts is transferred ( debited ) to the provision for doubtful debts account.
      • The amount of bad debts is not debited to the profit and loss account since it was already debited in earlier years.
      • Provision for doubtful debts is shown in the debit side of the profit and loss account as well as shown as a deduction from sundry debtors in the assets side of the balance sheet. 

     

    Related terms

    So there are a few related terms whose meanings you should know

    • Further bad debts :
      • It means the amount of sundry debtors in the trial balance is before the deduction of bad debts. in this situation, entry for further bad debts is also passed into the books of account.
      • That is bad debts are debited and the debtor’s account is credited. And the accounting treatment for them is the same as bad debts which I have shown you above.

     

    • Bad debts recovered :
      • It may happen that the amount written off as bad debts is recovered fully or partially.
      • In that case, the amount is not credited to the debtor’s (personal) account but is credited to the bad debts recovered account because the amount recovered had been earlier written off as a loss.
      • Thus amount recovered is a ‘gain’  and is credited to the profit and loss account.

     

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Bonnie
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  2. Radhika
    This answer was edited.

    A cash flow statement is a statement showing the inflow and outflow of cash and cash equivalents during a financial year. Cash Flow Statements along with Income statements and Balance Sheet are the most important financial statements for a company. The Cash Flow Statement provides a picture to the sRead more

    A cash flow statement is a statement showing the inflow and outflow of cash and cash equivalents during a financial year. Cash Flow Statements along with Income statements and Balance Sheet are the most important financial statements for a company.

    The Cash Flow Statement provides a picture to the shareholders, government, and the public of how the company manages its obligations and fund its operations. It is a crucial measure to determine the financial health of a company.

    The Cash Flow Statement is created from the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet. While Income Statement shows money engaged in various transactions during the year, the Balance Sheet presents information about the opening and closing balances.

    The primary objective of a Cash Flow Statement is to present a record of inflow and outflow of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities through various activities of a company.

    Various activities in a company can be broadly classified into three parts or heads:

    • Cash Flow from Operating Activities: it represents how money from regular business activities is derived and spent. It includes Net Profit from Income Statement after adjusting for tax and extra-ordinary activities. Items included in Operating Activities are adjustments in Working Capital. If current liabilities are paid or current assets are bought it means outflow of cash, hence it is deducted and if liabilities are increased or assets are sold it means the inflow of cash, hence it is added. Operating Activities take into account taxation, dividend, depreciation, and other adjustments.
    • Cash Flow from Investing Activities: it represents aggregate inflow or outflow of cash due to various investments activities that the company was engaged in. Purchase and sale of non-current assets like fixed assets and long-term investments are considered under this head. If there is an investment made, it means outflow of cash, hence it is deducted and if there is an investment sold it means the inflow of cash, and hence it is added.
    • Cash Flow from Financing Activities: it represents the activities that are used to finance a company’s operations, like, issue of cash or debentures, paying dividends and interest, long-term borrowing taken by a company, etc. If these are paid, it means outflow of cash and is hence deducted and if they are acquired, it means the inflow of cash and hence ae added.

    Cash Flow Statements also present a picture of the liquidity of the company and are therefore used by the management of a company to take decisions with the help of the right information.

    Cash Flow Statements are a great source of comparison between a company’s last year’s performance to its current year or with other companies in the same industry and hence, helps shareholders and potential investors to make the right decisions.

    It also helps to differentiate between non-cash and cash items; incomes and expenditures are divided into separate heads.

     

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AbhishekBatabyal
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  2. ShreyaSharma none
    This answer was edited.

    Land in the balance sheet The land is an asset and hence it is shown on the asset side of the balance sheet. On the asset side of the balance sheet, the land is stated under the heading long-term assets. Balance Sheet (for the year…) Explanation The land is a fixed asset and is supposed not to be caRead more

    Land in the balance sheet

    The land is an asset and hence it is shown on the asset side of the balance sheet.

    On the asset side of the balance sheet, the land is stated under the heading long-term assets.

    Balance Sheet (for the year…)

    Explanation

    The land is a fixed asset and is supposed not to be cashed, consumed, last, sold, or written off within one accounting year and is purchased for long-term use. The fixed assets are also called non-current assets and the reason behind it is that current assets are easily converted into cash within one year and they are not.

    • The sole purpose of buying fixed assets like the land is that they are planned to be used for the long term in order to generate income.
    • Examples of fixed assets – Land, buildings, furniture, plants & equipment, etc.
    • Also called non-current assets and capital assets.

     

    Why is it shown on the asset side?

    The land is an asset, although it is not depreciable it is still considered to be an asset because just like other assets the business spends its own money to acquire it, and it gives them a long-term benefit while reselling it.

    Therefore, the land is shown on the asset side under the fixed asset heading.

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Final AccountsLoose Tools
  2. Vijay Curious M.Com
    This answer was edited.

    Let me begin by giving a small explanation of what loose tools are before we dive into their accounting treatment. Loose tools are assets that are used in various steps of the production process and therefore are vital for the conversion of raw materials into finished goods. They are considered as cRead more

    Let me begin by giving a small explanation of what loose tools are before we dive into their accounting treatment.

    Loose tools are assets that are used in various steps of the production process and therefore are vital for the conversion of raw materials into finished goods. They are considered as current assets of the business as their useful life is limited. They have a small monetary value (cost-efficient) and high turnover. Examples of loose tools include screwdrivers, hammers, etc.

    One may say loose tools like screwdrivers and hammers can be used for more than one year and therefore should be classified as non-current assets. But unlike fixed assets, these loose tools have a high probability of being misplaced or lost. Hence they are classified as current assets.

    Since loose tools are treated as an asset for the business, they are shown as a debit balance in the trial balance.

    The cost of loose tools consumed for the year will be shown on the debit side of the Profit & Loss A/c as an expense. In the balance sheet, loose tools are shown on the Assets side under the head Current Assets and sub-head Inventories. Since they aid the production process, loose tools are shown as a part of the inventory of the business.

    Let us take an example,

    XYZ Ltd. at the beginning of the year had loose tools worth 5,000. During the year they purchased loose tools worth 500. At the end of the year, the company valued its loose tools at 4,500.

    Now let us find the cost of loose tools consumed. The formula for finding the cost of loose tools consumed is as follows:

    Cost of loose tools consumed  = Opening inventory of loose tools + Purchases of loose tools – Closing inventory of loose tools

    Cost of loose tools consumed = 5,000 + 500 – 4,500 = 1,000

    So, the cost of loose tools consumed (1000) will be shown on the debit side of the P&L A/c as follows:

    The closing inventory of loose tools worth 4,500 will be shown on the assets side of the balance sheet under the head current assets and sub-head inventory in the following manner:

    One thing to remember here is there is an exception to loose tools. While calculating liquidity ratios like the Current ratio, Quick ratio, etc. loose tools are excluded from current assets. The reason for this is loose tools cannot be easily converted into cash i.e. they are less liquid. The purpose of calculating the current ratio is to check the liquidity of a company. Including loose tools (which cannot be easily converted into cash) in current assets defeats the purpose of calculating the ratio.

     

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Simerpreet
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  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom

    Preliminary expenses are those expenses that are incurred before the company’s business commences. These expenses are written off annually which does not involve any flow of cash. Therefore, in the cash flow statement, preliminary expenses are added back to net profit before tax and extraordinary itRead more

    Preliminary expenses are those expenses that are incurred before the company’s business commences. These expenses are written off annually which does not involve any flow of cash. Therefore, in the cash flow statement, preliminary expenses are added back to net profit before tax and extraordinary items under the head operating activities (indirect method).

    A cash flow statement is a financial statement that summarises the cash and cash equivalents entering and leaving the company. They can be classified into operating activities, investing activities and financing activities.

    Reason for Treatment

    Operating activities refer to those sources or usage of cash that relates to business activities.
    As per the indirect method, the cash flow statement for operating activities begins with net profit before tax and extraordinary items. Since the company records non-cash expenditures also, they should add these back to net profit to find out the true cash flows. This is why preliminary expenses are added to net profit in the indirect method.

    As per the direct method, all cash receipts are added and all cash expenses are subtracted to get cash flow from operating activities. Since preliminary expenses are a non-cash activity, they do not require any treatment in the direct method.

    Preliminary expenses do not fall under the head investing activities as investing activities involve the acquisition or disposal of long term assets or investments. They do not fit in financing activities either as financing activities relate to change in capital or borrowings of the company.

    Example

    If the balance in preliminary expenses for the year 2019 was Rs.5,000 and its balance in 2020 reduced to 3,000, then its treatment in the cash flow statement would be:

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  2. Bonnie Curious MBA (Finance)
    This answer was edited.

    As per the Golden Rules As per the golden rules of accounting, a trading account is a nominal account. To ensure that financial statements accurately reflect a business's financial position and performance, the golden rules of accounting guide the preparation of financial statements. The point to noRead more

    As per the Golden Rules

    As per the golden rules of accounting, a trading account is a nominal account. To ensure that financial statements accurately reflect a business’s financial position and performance, the golden rules of accounting guide the preparation of financial statements.

    The point to note is that it is almost impossible to apply the rules of debit and credit with certain accounts such as Trading A/c, Profit & Loss A/c, etc.

     

    As per the Modern Rules

    The purpose of a trading account is to record transactions related to the purchase and sale of goods for a business. In other words, it serves as a recording and reporting mechanism for business income and expenses.

    An accounting period, like a month, quarter, or year, is the time when a trading account is prepared. It is used to calculate the business’s net profit or loss. Other financial statements, such as the balance sheet, are prepared using the information in a trading account.

    In summary, a trading account is a type of income statement account that is used to track and report on the income and expenses from a business’s buying and selling activities

     

    Rules of Debit and Credit

    There are three main types of accounts according to the legacy rules of debit and credit: personal accounts, real accounts, and nominal accounts. A personal account is one that is related to an individual or entity owing the business money (e.g. a customer), or owing the business money (e.g. a supplier).

    A real account is one that relates to assets such as cash, inventory, and property.

    Nominal accounts are accounts that relate to income and expenses, such as a “trading account”.

    To summarize, a trading account is a nominal account used to record and report the business’s income and expenses resulting from its buying and selling activities.

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prashant06
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DrawingsIncome Statement
  2. Radha M.Com, NET
    This answer was edited.

    Whenever the proprietor/owner of a business withdraws cash or goods from the business for his/her personal use, we call it drawings. For example, Alex, proprietor of a soap manufacturing company, takes 50 pack of soaps costing 30 each for his personal use. So, 1,500 (50*30) will be considered as draRead more

    Whenever the proprietor/owner of a business withdraws cash or goods from the business for his/her personal use, we call it drawings. For example, Alex, proprietor of a soap manufacturing company, takes 50 pack of soaps costing 30 each for his personal use. So, 1,500 (50*30) will be considered as drawings of Alex. One important thing to note here is whenever goods are withdrawn for personal use they are valued at cost.

    Drawings are not an asset/liability/expense/income to the business. The drawings account is a contra-equity account. A contra-equity account is a capital account with a negative balance i.e. debit balance. It reduces the owner’s equity/capital.

    Drawings being a contra-equity account has a debit balance, reducing the owner’s capital in the business. This is because withdrawals for personal use represent a reduction of the owner’s equity in the business.

    Drawings are not shown in the Income Statement as they are neither an expense nor an income for the business. However, the following journal entries are passed to record drawings for the year:

    Drawings A/c is debited because it reduces the owner’s capital. Cash/Purchases A/c is debited as a withdrawal reduces the assets of the business.

    At the end of the year, drawings A/c are closed by transferring it to the owner’s capital A/c. We post the following entry to close the drawings A/c at the end of the year:

    In the balance sheet, drawings are shown by deducting it from the owner’s capital A/c.

    Let us take our earlier example of Alex. He withdrew soaps worth 1,500. At the end of the year, his capital was worth 5,500. The journal entry for recording the drawings is as follows:

    In the balance sheet, drawings worth 1,500 are shown as follows:

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Simerpreet
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  2. Radhika
    This answer was edited.

    The profits earned by a company are distributed to its shareholders monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly in the form of dividends. The dividend payable by the company is transferred to the Dividend Account and is then claimed by the shareholders. If the dividend is not claimed by the members aRead more

    The profits earned by a company are distributed to its shareholders monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly in the form of dividends. The dividend payable by the company is transferred to the Dividend Account and is then claimed by the shareholders.

    If the dividend is not claimed by the members after transferring it to the Dividend Account, it is called Unclaimed Dividend. Such a dividend is a liability for the company and it is shown under the head Current Liabilities.

    The dividend is transferred from the Dividend Account to the Unclaimed Dividend Account if it is not claimed by the shareholders within 37 days of declaration of dividend.

    For the Cash Flow Statement, unclaimed dividend comes under the head Financing Activities. 

    Items shown under the head Financing Activities are those that are used to finance the operations of the company. Since, money raised through the issue of shares finances the company, any item related to shareholding or dividend is shown under the head Financing Activities.

    However, there are two approaches to deal with the treatment of Unclaimed Dividend:

    First, since there is no inflow or outflow of cash, there is no need to show it in the cash flow statement.

    Second, the unclaimed dividend is deducted from the Appropriations, that is, when Net Profit before Tax and Extraordinary Activities is calculated.

    Then, it is added under the head Financing Activities because the amount of dividend that has to flow out of the company (that is Dividend Paid amount which has already been deducted from Financing Activities) remained in the company only since it has not been claimed by the members.

    The second approach to the treatment of an Unclaimed Dividend is used when the company has not transferred the unclaimed dividend amount from the Dividend Account to a separate account. 

     

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Bonnie
BonnieCurious
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  2. SidharthBadlani CA Inter Student
    This answer was edited.

    Net credit sales can be defined as the total sales made by a business on credit over a given period of time less the sales returns and allowances and discounts such as trade discounts. Net Credit Sales = Gross Credit Sales – Returns – Discounts – Allowances. Credit sales can be calculated from the ARead more

    Net credit sales can be defined as the total sales made by a business on credit over a given period of time less the sales returns and allowances and discounts such as trade discounts.

    Net Credit Sales = Gross Credit Sales – Returns – Discounts – Allowances.

    Credit sales can be calculated from the Accounts receivable/ Bills Receivable/ Debtors figure in the Balance Sheet. It will be normally shown under the Current Assets head in the Balance Sheet.

    Credit sales = Closing debtors + Receipts – Opening debtors.

    Alternatively, you may observe the bills receivable ledger account to locate the figure of credit sales.

     

    Net Credit Sales and related terms

    Before we try to understand the concept of net credit sales with an example, let us discuss the term sales return. Sales return means the goods returned by the customer to the seller. It may be due to defects or any other reasons.

    Now let us take an example. John is a retail businessman. He sells smartphones. He buys 100 smartphones from Vivo on credit. The smartphones are worth ₹1.5 lahks. He then returns smartphones worth 20,000 rupees to Vivo. He also gets an allowance of rupees 5,000 from Vivo.

    In the above example, the credit sales of Vivo are of rupees 1.5 lakh. The net credit sales is of

    1.5 lakh – 20,000 – 5, 000 = 1.25 lakh rupees.

    Importance of Net Credit Sales

    • Net Credit Sales figure together with the accounts receivable figure acts as an indicator of the credit policy of the company.
    • It offers insights into the ability of the company to meet short-term cash obligations.
    • The credit policy also affects the total current assets that the company has in the manifestation of Accounts Receivable

    Advantages and Disadvantages of Credit Sales.

    Advantages 

    • Increased Sales – The credit Policy facilitates increased sales for the company. The company can attract more customers with a liberal credit policy. For example, Apple got more customers when it started to sell its products on an EMI basis.
    • Customer Loyalty / Retention- Regular customers can be retained and made to feel honored by offering them more liberal credit terms.

    Disadvantages 

    • Delay in Cash Collection – Credit Sales imply that the company would get cash on a delayed basis. This money could have otherwise been put to use for some other profitable venture or could have borne interest for the company
    • Collection Expenses– The company had to incur additional expenditures for collecting money from debtors.
    • Risk of Bad Debts – With credit sales, there is always the risk that the buyer may become bankrupt and may not be able to pay the money due to the seller.
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Aadil
AadilCurious
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A. Trading Account B. Profit & Loss Statement C. Balance Sheet D. Cash Book

  2. Vijay Curious M.Com
    This answer was edited.

    The correct answer is C. Balance Sheet. A Balance Sheet is a financial statement prepared to know the financial position of a company at any particular point in time. Hence, the answer to your question is the balance sheet. It is also known as Position Statement (as it shows financial position) or SRead more

    The correct answer is C. Balance Sheet.

    A Balance Sheet is a financial statement prepared to know the financial position of a company at any particular point in time. Hence, the answer to your question is the balance sheet.

    It is also known as Position Statement (as it shows financial position) or Statement of Affairs (when it is prepared under the Single Entry System of accounting).

    The balance sheet shows the assets and liabilities of a firm at any specific point in time. It is a summary of the assets held by a firm and the liabilities owed to outsiders.

    As the name suggests, a balance sheet must always be balanced i.e, the total of assets should always be equal to the total of liabilities on any single day. To put it simply,

    Assets = Liabilities + Capital

    In the case of a sole proprietorship or partnership, capital means the amount invested by the proprietor/partners in the business. In the case of a company, capital means the funds contributed by the shareholders in the form of shares.

    Here is a link for the official balance sheet format as per the Companies Act 2013 (page 260 of the pdf),

    https://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/CompaniesAct2013.pdf

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