AccountingQA Latest Questions

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  2. Saurav

    Accruals are not the same as provisions both are totally different from each other. Accruals and provision both are vital parts of accounts but work differently   Accrual Accrual expense means the transaction that takes place in a particular period must be accounted for in that period only irreRead more

    Accruals are not the same as provisions both are totally different from each other. Accruals and provision both are vital parts of accounts but work differently

     

    Accrual

    Accrual expense means the transaction that takes place in a particular period must be accounted for in that period only irrespective of the fact when such an amount has been paid.

    An accrual of the expenditure which is not paid will be listed in the books of accounts. These accruals can be further divided into two parts

     

    Accrual Expense

    Accrual Expense means any transaction that takes place in a particular period but the amount for it will be paid on a later period.

    For example- 10,000 for the month of March was paid in April month then this rent will be accounted for in the books in March

    These are the following accrued expense

    • Accrual Rent– Accrual rent means the amount for using the land of the landlord is paid at a later period than the period when it is put into use.
    • Insurance– Accrual insurance means the amount paid as a premium to the insurance company paid on a later period than the period when it is due
    • Expense- Acrrual expense means the amount for any expense paid on a later period then the period when it pertains to be paid
    • Wages- Accrual wages means the amount which is paid to employees on a later period than the period when the wages get due

     

    Accrual Revenue

    Accrual Revenue means any transaction that takes place in a particular period but the amount for it will be received on later period. For example- If interest of 10,000 on bonds for the period of March is received in April months then this amount will be accounted for in March. These are the following accrued revenue

    • Accrual Rent– Accrual rent means the amount for using the land of an entity by another party is received on a later period than the period when it was put into use.
    • Accrued Interest– Accrued interest means the amount of interest received on a later period than the period when it pertains to receive

     

    PROVISIONS

    Provision refers to making a provision/allowance against any probable future expense that the company might incur in the near future. This amount is uncertain and difficult to predict its surety.

    However, as per the prudence concept of accounting a company needs to anticipate the losses that will incur in the near future due to which provision is made.

    For example- A company has debtors of 10,000 but as per the company’s previous records company anticipates that 1% of debtors will become bad debts. So in this case company will make a provision of 1% that is 100 on it.

    There are various types of provisions which are-

    • Provision on Depreciation– Provision for Depreciation means a provision for future depletion of assets has been already created
    • Provision for Doubtful Debts– Provision for Doubtful Debts means a provision created against debtors that doesn’t seem to be recovered in the near future
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Anushka Lalwani
Anushka Lalwani
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  2. Kajal

    All expenses whose benefits are received over the years or the expenses or losses that are to be written off over the years are classified as Deferred revenue expenses. It includes fictitious expenses like preliminary expenses, loss on issue of debentures, advertising expenses, loss due to unusual oRead more

    All expenses whose benefits are received over the years or the expenses or losses that are to be written off over the years are classified as Deferred revenue expenses. It includes fictitious expenses like preliminary expenses, loss on issue of debentures, advertising expenses, loss due to unusual occurrences like loss due to fire, theft, and research and development expenses, etc. 

     

    DEFERRED REVENUE EXPENSES

    There are certain expenses which are revenue in nature (i.e. expenses incurred to maintain the earning capacity of the firm and generate revenue) but whose benefits are received over a period of years generally between 3 to 7 years. It means its benefit is received not only in the current accounting period but over a few consecutive accounting periods.

    CHARACTERISTICS

    • Revenue in nature
    • Benefits received for more than one accounting period.
    • Huge expenditure (large amount is involved)
    • Affects the profitability of the business (since a large amount is involved if charged in the same accounting period, then it will decrease the profitability for the year)
    • Written off over the years either partially or entirely.
    • Fictitious asset It doesn’t result in the creation of any asset but is shown as an asset (fictitious asset) on the Balance Sheet till fully written off.

     

    EXAMPLES

     

    ADVERTISING EXPENSES refers to the expenses incurred for promoting the goods or services of the firm through various channels like TV, Social media, Hoardings, etc.

    As the benefit of advertising is not received not only in the period when such expenses were incurred but also in the coming few years, it is classified as Deferred revenue expense.

    For example – Suppose the company incurred $10 lakh on advertising to introduce a new product in the market and estimated that its benefit will last for 4 years. In this case, $250,000 will be written off every year, for 4 consecutive years.

     

    EXCEPTIONAL LOSSES are losses that are incurred because of some unusual event and don’t happen regularly like loss from fire, theft, earthquake, flood or any other natural disaster, confiscation of property, etc.

    Since these losses can’t be written off in the year they occurred they are also treated as Deferred revenue expenditure and are written off over the years.

     

    RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES are expenses incurred on researching and developing new products or improving the existing ones. Its benefits are received for many years and thus are classified as Deferred revenue expenses.

    For example – Expenses incurred on the creation of intangible assets like patents, copyrights, etc.

     

    PRELIMINARY EXPENSES are those expenses which are incurred before the incorporation and commencement of the business. It includes legal fees, registration fees, stamp duty, printing expenses, etc.

    These expenses are fictitious assets and are written off over the years.

     

    TREATMENT

    It is debited to the P&L amount (amount written off that year) and the remaining amount on the Aeest side of the Balance Sheet.

    In the above example of advertising expenses, in Year 1, $250,000 will be debited in the P&L A/c and the remaining amount of $750,000 is shown on the Asset side of the Balance Sheet.

    In Year 2, $250,00 in P&L A/c and the remaining $500,000 in Balance Sheet.

    In Year 3, $250,000 in P&L A/c and the remaining $250,000 in the Balance Sheet and in the last Year 4, only the remaining amount of $250,000 in P&L A/c and nothing in the Balance Sheet.

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

    Definition Prepaid expenses are those expenses whose payments are done in advance which can be for the goods or services whose benefit will accrue in the subsequent accounting period. A prepaid expense is a current asset. prepaid expenses are classified under the head current assets in the balance sRead more

    Definition

    Prepaid expenses are those expenses whose payments are done in advance which can be for the goods or services whose benefit will accrue in the subsequent accounting period.

    A prepaid expense is a current asset. prepaid expenses are classified under the head current assets in the balance sheet.

    This is because they provide future economic benefits to the company. As such, they are assets that can be used to generate revenue in the future.

    For example prepaid rent, prepaid insurance, etc.

     

    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 rendering of services in the normal course of business.

    Or in other words, we can say that the expected realization period is less than the operating cycle period although it is more than the period of 12 months from the date of the balance sheet.

    For example, goods are purchased with the purpose to resell and earn a profit, 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 liabilities that are payable generally 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.

     

    Why current assets and not a  current liability?

    Now let me try to explain to you that prepaid expenses are classified as current assets  and not as a current liability which is as follows :

      • we can say that the expected realization period is less than the operating cycle period although it is more than the period of 12 months from the date of the balance sheet.
      • expected to be converted into cash or consumed in the production of goods or rendering of services in the normal course of business.
      • In the business prepaid expense are treated as an asset which we can see on the asset side of the balance sheet.
      • Or in other words, we can say that it is initially recorded as a prepaid expense as an asset in the balance sheet and subsequently its value is expensed over time in the profit and loss account.

     

    Example

    Now let us take an example for explaining prepaid expenses which are mentioned below.

    An insurance premium of Rs 50000 has been paid for one year beginning (previous year). The financial year ends on 31st  march YYYY.

    It means the premium for 6 months i.e., 1st April, YYYY(current year) to 30th September, YYYY(current year) amounting to Rs 25000 is paid in advance.

    Thus, of premium paid in advance (Rs 25000)  is a Prepaid Expense. It will be accounted as an expense in the financial year ending  31st  march next year. In the balance sheet as of 31st march YYYY ( current year ) it will be shown as Current Asset.

    Here is an extract of the profit /loss account and balance sheet of the above example:

     

    Key points

    There are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with prepaid expenses.

    • First, is that the expenses are actually prepaid. This means that the expenses were paid for before they were used.

     

    • Second, it is essential to track the number of prepaid expenses that have been used. That is to make sure that the prepaid expenses are not overstated on the company’s financial statements. This can happen if the company pays for more goods or services than it actually

     

    • Last but not least it is important to keep in mind that changes in the value of prepaid expenses can impact the company’s net income. For example, if the company’s prepaid insurance increases in value, this will increase the company’s net income.

     

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Jasmeet_Sethi
Jasmeet_SethiCurious
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CreditorsDebtorsDifference BetweenGainProfit
  2. Karan B.com and Pursuing ACCA
    This answer was edited.

    Debtors and Creditors Points of Distinction Debtors Creditors Meaning A debtor is a person or entity that owes money to the other party (the other party is also known as the creditor). A creditor is a person or entity to whom money is owed or who lends money. Nature The debtors will have a debit balRead more

    Debtors and Creditors

    Points of Distinction Debtors Creditors
    Meaning A debtor is a person or entity that owes money to the other party (the other party is also known as the creditor). A creditor is a person or entity to whom money is owed or who lends money.
    Nature The debtors will have a debit balance. The creditors will have a credit balance.
    Receipt of payment The payment or amount owed is received from the debtor. The payment of the amount owed is made to the creditors.
    Nature of account Debtors are account receivables. Creditors are accounts payable.
    Status They are shown under assets in the balance sheet under the head current assets. They are shown as an asset because the amount is receivable from them. They are shown under liabilities in the balance sheet under the head current liabilities. They are shown as a liability because the amount is payable to them.
    Credit / Loan period Debtors are the one who takes a loan or purchase goods on credit and has to pay the money in the agreed time period, with or without interest. Creditors are the ones who provide loans or extend the duration of the credit period.
    Discounts They are the ones who receive discounts. They can offer discounts to debtors.
    Provision for doubtful debts Provision for doubtful debts is created for debtors. No such provision is created for creditors.

     Example:

    Mr. A purchases raw materials from its supplier Mr. D on credit.

    Here for Mr. D, Mr. A will be a debtor because the amount is receivable from him.

    Similarly, for Mr. A, Mr. D will be his creditor because the amount is payable to him.

    Profit and Gain

    Points of Distinction Profit Gain
    Meaning The excess of revenue of a period over its expenses is termed as profit.

    Profit = Total Income-Total Expenses

    		 Gain means profit that arises from incidental events and transactions, such as capital gain.
    Generation It is generated within the operations of a business. It is generated outside the business operation.
    Nature of account Profit calculated will appear in the Profit and Loss A/c. The gain will appear in the income statement.
    Types Gross profit

    Net profit

    Operating profit

    		  

    Capital gain

    Long term capital gain

    Short term capital gain

     

    Example: A company’s sales for the period are $60,000 and expenses incurred are $40,000. Here the profit calculated will be $20,000 because revenue exceeds expenses.

    Profit = Total Income-Total Expenses

    = 60,000 – 40,000

    = $20,000

    Mr. X owned land worth $10,00,000 and after 10 years he sold it at a current market value of $14,00,000. So the gain he earned is $4,00,000. This gain of $4,00,000 will be termed as a capital gain since land is a capital asset.

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Rahul_Jose
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  2. Radhika
    This answer was edited.

    An asset is a resource in the name of the company or controlled by the company that holds economic value and will provide it future benefits. A company invests in various kinds of assets for manufacturing purposes and investment purposes as well. Some examples of assets are: Plant and Machinery InveRead more

    An asset is a resource in the name of the company or controlled by the company that holds economic value and will provide it future benefits.

    A company invests in various kinds of assets for manufacturing purposes and investment purposes as well. Some examples of assets are:

    • Plant and Machinery
    • Investments
    • Inventory
    • Cash and Cash Equivalents, etc.

    Assets can be broadly divided into two categories based on their physical existence:

    • Tangible Assets
    • Intangible Assets

    Tangible Assets can be further divided into two categories based on their life and role in the operating cycle:

    • Non-Current Assets
    • Current Assets

    Since the company derives benefit from the asset, an asset account is debit in nature. If an asset account has a credit balance, it would fundamentally make it a liability. However, there are certain exceptions to it.

    In the case of Bank Overdraft, which means a company withdraws more from the bank than it has deposited in its account, Bank Account can also be shown having a credit balance.

    Contra Assets Accounts are the accounts that are contrary to the basic nature of an assets account, that is it is contrary to the debit nature of the assets account and hence are credit in nature.

    Examples of Contra Assets Account are:

    Accumulated Depreciation Account which is essentially Plant Assets Account also has a credit balance as it is used to depreciate the asset, or in other words, reduce the value of the assets, hence it also has a credit balance.

    When there are balances in the Account Receivables Account that are not paid to the company or have a very low probability of being paid, they are recorded in a separate account called Bad Debts Account, which is also credit in nature.

     

     

     

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

    Fictitious assets are the expenses and losses which are yet to be written off, so they appear in the Asset side of the balance sheet of the relevant financial year because expenses and losses have a debit balance. They are not assets in substance. Examples: Business loss ( debit balance of Profit anRead more

    Fictitious assets are the expenses and losses which are yet to be written off, so they appear in the Asset side of the balance sheet of the relevant financial year because expenses and losses have a debit balance. They are not assets in substance.

    Examples:

    1. Business loss ( debit balance of Profit and loss A/c )*
    2. Prepaid expenses
    3. Discount on the issue of debentures.
    4. Huge promotional expenditure.

    *business loss is shown as a negative figure under the head Reserve and Surplus, when the balance sheet is prepared as per Schedule III of The Companies Act, 2013.

    Deferred revenue expenditures are the expenses incurred for which the benefits are expected to flow to the enterprise beyond the current year. Such expenses are huge and are not written off completely in a financial year. The part of the expenditure which is not written off is shown on the assets side of the balance sheet.

    Examples:

    1. Huge advertisement expense.

    As you can see, there is some similarity between the two. Deferred revenue expenditure can be called a type of fictitious asset as it is shown in the asset side of the balance sheet but it isn’t an asset.

     

    The term ‘fictitious asset’ has a broader meaning than deferred revenue expenditure and also includes the losses such as discounts on the issue of debenture and business loss.

    The difference between fictitious assets and deferred revenue expenditure are as follows:

    Fictitious Assets Deferred Revenue Expenditure
    1 These are no real assets but expenses and losses that are not completely written off in an F.Y. These are expenses incurred from which benefits are expected to flow for more than one accounting period.
    2 It has a broader meaning. It has a narrower meaning.
    3 Examples:- business loss, discount on issue of debentures, prepaid expenses etc. Examples:- huge promotional expenditure etc.
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  2. GautamSaxena Curious .
    This answer was edited.

    Fixed Working Capital Permanent working capital is also known as fixed working capital. Working capital is the excess of the current assets over the current liability and further, it is classified on the basis of periodicity, into two categories, permanent working capital, and variable working capitRead more

    Fixed Working Capital

    Permanent working capital is also known as fixed working capital.

    Working capital is the excess of the current assets over the current liability and further, it is classified on the basis of periodicity, into two categories, permanent working capital, and variable working capital.

    Permanent working capital means the part of working capital that is permanently locked up in current assets to carry business smoothly and effortlessly. Thus, it’s also known as fixed working capital.

    The minimum amount of current assets which is required to conduct a business smoothly during the year is called permanent working capital. The amount of permanent working capital depends upon the nature, growth, and size of the business.

    Fixed working capital can further be divided into two categories:

    • Regular working capital: It is the minimum amount of capital required by a business to fund its day-to-day operations of a business. E.g. payment of wages, salary, overhead expenses, etc.
    • Reserve margin working capital: Apart from day-to-day activities, additional working capital may also be required for contingencies that may arise at any time like strike, business depression, etc.

     

    Whereas, on the other hand, variable working capital, also known as temporary working capital refers to the level of working capital that is temporary and keeps fluctuating.

     

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Karan
Karan
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  2. PriyanshiGupta Graduated, B.Com
    This answer was edited.

    The profits earned by a company are mainly divided into two parts: Dividend, and Retained Earnings The part of profit distributed to its shareholders is called a dividend. The part of the profit that the company holds for future expansion or diversification plans is called retained earnings. As theRead more

    The profits earned by a company are mainly divided into two parts:

    • Dividend, and
    • Retained Earnings

    The part of profit distributed to its shareholders is called a dividend. The part of the profit that the company holds for future expansion or diversification plans is called retained earnings.

    As the name suggests, retained earnings are the profit that is retained in the company. Retained earnings can be used for various purposes:

    • To distribute as dividends to shareholders
    • Expansion of business
    • Diversification
    • For an expected merger or acquisition

    As the profits of the company belong to shareholders, retained earnings are considered as profits re-invested in the company by the shareholders.

    The formula to calculate the cost of retained earnings is:

    (Expected dividend per share / Net proceeds) + growth rate

    • Expected dividend is the dividend an investor expects for his investment in the company’s shares based on the last year’s dividend, trends in the markets, and financial statements presented by the company.
    • Net proceeds is the market value of a share, that is, how much an investor would get if he sells his shares today.
    • Growth rate represents growth of company’s revenue, dividend from previous years in the form of a percentage.

    The expected dividend per share is divided by net proceeds or the current selling price of the share, to find out the market value of retained earnings.

    The growth rate is then added to the formula. It’s the rate at which the dividend grows in the company.

    For example:

    The net proceeds from share is Rs 100, expected dividend growth rate is 2% and expected dividend is 5.

    Cost of retained earnings

    = (Expected dividend per share / Net proceeds) + Growth rate

    = (5 / 100) + 0.02

    = 0.07 or 7%

     

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  2. SidharthBadlani CA Inter Student
    This answer was edited.

    Bad debts mean the money owed by customers who have gone bankrupt or the likelihood of who's ever returning the money is significantly low. Bad debt is a nominal account. A nominal account is an account that records the business transactions belonging to a certain category of income, expense, profitRead more

    Bad debts mean the money owed by customers who have gone bankrupt or the likelihood of who’s ever returning the money is significantly low. Bad debt is a nominal account.

    A nominal account is an account that records the business transactions belonging to a certain category of income, expense, profit or loss. The balances on nominal accounts are normally written off at the end of each financial year. For example, sales A/c, purchases A/c, interest income, loss from the sale of assets etc.

    Why are bad debts A/c classified as a nominal account?

    First of all, let us understand the other two types of accounts – personal accounts and real accounts.

    Personal accounts deal with the records of the business’ transactions with a particular person or entity. For example Mukesh A/c, Mahesh A/c, Reliance A/c, Suresh and Co. A/c etc.

    Real accounts deal with transactions and records related to assets. The balance in these accounts is normally carried forward from one period to another. For example “Furniture A/c “, ” Building A/c ” etc.

    Now that we have understood the basic definitions of all three types of accounts, we can discuss the reason behind the classification of bad debts as nominal accounts.

    A bad debt is a loss that the company has incurred. It may be due to bankruptcy of customers, customer fraud etc. The company isn’t going to receive that money. The bad debts are written off at the end of the year by transferring them to profit and loss A/c.

    Thus, bad debts relate to loss and are normally not carried forward from one period to another. Hence, they are classified as nominal accounts.

    Treatment of Bad Debts

    Bad debts are written off at the end of each year by debiting them to the profit and loss A/c. The amount of bad debts is reduced from the amount of debtors that the company has.

    A company may also choose to create a provision for bad debts for the balance amount of debtors that the company has after adjusting for bad debts. This provision represents a rough estimate of the amount due to debtors that the business expects to not receive. In other words, it is an estimate of customer bankruptcy that the business expects.

    Conclusion

    We can conclude that

    • There are primarily three types of accounts – real, personal and nominal.
    • Bad debts are a nominal account.
    • Bad debts is a loss that the business has incurred
    • It may be due to bankruptcy of customers, fraud etc
    • Bad debts are written off each year by transferring them to the income statement
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