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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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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