AccountingQA Latest Questions

Radha
Radha
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  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.

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Aadil
AadilCurious
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  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom

    When a firm grants an extra amount of reward to its employees based on their performance, it is termed a bonus. An accrued bonus is contingent on performance. Bonus accruals are recorded in the books so that inaccuracies can be avoided in the financial statements. Such bonuses may be given as a singRead more

    When a firm grants an extra amount of reward to its employees based on their performance, it is termed a bonus. An accrued bonus is contingent on performance. Bonus accruals are recorded in the books so that inaccuracies can be avoided in the financial statements.

    Such bonuses may be given as a single flare amount or as a percentage of their salaries. These bonuses can be given quarterly or annually or in any manner in which the firm decides.

    If the bonus is accrued to its employees at 5% of their salary of Rs 30,000, then the accrual bonus can be shown in the journal as follows:

    The bonus expense account is debited because according to the modern rule of accounting “Increase in expense is debited”. Accrued bonus liability is credited because according to the rule of accounting, “Increase in liability is credited”.

    When it is time to pay such bonus amounts to its employees, then they can be journalised as:

    In this case, the accrued bonus liability is eliminated and hence debited because according to the rule of accounting, “ Decrease in liability is debited” whereas cash account is credited since “the decrease in the asset is credited.”:

    Failing to accrue these bonuses will lead to an overstatement of revenues in the financial statements and hence result in inaccurate data. If employees do not meet the required performance targets, then a bonus will not be given and hence the entries will be reversed.

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Simerpreet
SimerpreetHelpful
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  2. Ayushi Curious Pursuing CA
    This answer was edited.

    Introduction The term 'gain ratio' is related to partnership accounting. Gain ratio refers to the ratio in which existing partners of a partnership firm, divide among themselves, the share of profit and loss of the outgoing partners. There is a method of calculating this gain ratio. The method alongRead more

    Introduction

    The term ‘gain ratio’ is related to partnership accounting. Gain ratio refers to the ratio in which existing partners of a partnership firm, divide among themselves, the share of profit and loss of the outgoing partners.

    There is a method of calculating this gain ratio. The method along with the concept behind gain ration is discussed below.

    Concept behind gain ratio

    A partnership firm is a form of business organisation which is conducted and carried on by members known as partners. It requires at least two partners to start a firm and the maximum limit is 50.

    The partners share the profit and loss of a business in a ratio known as Profit and loss sharing ratio.

    For example, Amanda, Bill and Chang are partners, having a P/L sharing ratio of 3:2:1 i.e. Amanda is getting 3/6, Bill is getting  2/6 of the same and Chang is getting ⅓ of the profit and loss

    If the profit is $6,000 , then Amanda will get $3,000 (3/6 of $6,000) and Bill will get $2,000 (2/6 of $6,000) and Chang will get $1,000 (1/6 of $6,000).

     

    Now if Amanda retires from the firm, then naturally, Bill and Chang’s share of profit will increase.

    The profit and loss sharing ratio will now be 2:1 (earlier it was 3:2:1) and the share of profit of Bill will be $4,000 and of Chang will be $2,000.

     

     

    Calculation of gain ratio

    The formula for calculating gain ratio = New ratio – Old Ratio

    As per the  above case:

    • Gain ratio of Bill = 2/3 – 2/6 = 2/6
    • Gain ratio of Chang = 1/3 – 1/6 = 1/6

     

    Therefore the gain ratio in which Bill and Chang gained the share of profit of Amanda is 2/6 : 1/6 or simply 2:1

    This is how we can calculate the gain ratio. But one thing to notice is that the gain ratio is equal to the P/L sharing ratio of the partnership between Bill and Chang.

    Hence, whenever a partner retires and the existing partner keep the P/L sharing ratio unchanged among themselves then, the gain ratio will be equal to their P/L sharing ratio. In that case, there is no need to calculate the gain ratio from the formula given above.

    But, when the remaining partners change the P/L sharing ratio among themselves after a partner retires, then the gain ratio is to be calculated using the formula given above.

    Suppose, upon retirement of Amanda, Bill and Chang change the P/L sharing between them to from 2:1 to 3:2

     In that case,

    • The gain ratio of Bill = 3/5 – 2/6 = 8/30
    • The gain ratio of Chang = 2/5 – 1/6 = 7/30

     

     Therefore the gain ratio in which Bill and Chang will gain the share of profit of Amanda is 8/30 : 7/30 or simply 8:7

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A_Team
A_Team
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  2. Vishnu_K Nil
    This answer was edited.

    Shareholder's Equity Meaning - Shareholder's Equity is the amount invested into the Company. It represents the Net worth of the Company. It is also where the owners have the claim on the Assets after the Debts are settled. It Calculation of Shareholder's Equity Method 1 Shareholder's Equity = TotalRead more

    Shareholder’s Equity

    Meaning – Shareholder’s Equity is the amount invested into the Company. It represents the Net worth of the Company. It is also where the owners have the claim on the Assets after the Debts are settled. It

    Calculation of Shareholder’s Equity

    Method 1

    Shareholder’s Equity = Total Assets – Total Liabilities

    Method 2

    Shareholder’s Equity = Share Capital + Retained Earnings – Treasury Stock/Treasury Shares

    Components of the Shareholder’s Equity

    From the above Method 1,  it can be understood that shareholder’s equity comprises of

    Net Assets = Current Assets + Non-current Assets, reduced by

    Net liabilities = Current liabilities + Long-term liabilities

    where Long-term liabilities = Long-term debts + Deferred long-term liabilities + Other liabilities

     

    Also from the method 2,

    Share Capital = Outstanding shares + Additional Paid-up share capital

    Retained Earnings are the sum of the company’s earnings after paying the dividends

    Treasury stocks = Shares repurchased by the company

    Example of Shareholder’s Equity

     

    The shareholder’s Equity is represented in the Balance Sheet as below;

     

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

    Definition Gross profit is the excess of the proceeds of goods and services rendered during a period over their cost, before taking into account administration, selling, distribution, and financial expenses. When the result of this computation is negative it is referred to as gross loss Formula : ToRead more

    Definition

    Gross profit is the excess of the proceeds of goods and services rendered during a period over their cost, before taking into account administration, selling, distribution, and financial expenses.

    When the result of this computation is negative it is referred to as gross loss

    Formula :

    Total Revenues – Cost Of Goods Sold

    Net profit is defined as the excess of revenues over expenses during a particular period.

    When the result of this computation is negative it is called a net loss.

    Net profit may be shown before or after tax.

    Formula :

    Total Revenues – Expenses
    Or
    Total Revenues – Total Cost ( Implicit And Explicit Cost )

    The basic difference between gross profit and net profit is that gross profit estimates the profitability of a company whereas net profit is to show the performance of the company.

    Key points of Gross Profit

    Some of the key points of as for gross profits follows :

    • Stage of calculation: Gross Profit is calculated in the first stage of the Final Account.

    • Purpose of calculation: It is calculated to know the total profit earned during the particular accounting

    • Type of balance: Gross Profit shows the credit balance of the Trading Account.

    • Dimension: It is a narrow concept as it is a part of Net Profit.

    • Treatment: It is not treated directly in the balance sheet. It is transferred to the Profit And Loss Account.

    Key points of Net Profit

    Some of the key points of as for gross profits follows :

    • Stage of calculation: Net Profit is calculated in the second stage of the Final Account.

    • Purpose of calculation: It is calculated to know the net profit earned during the particular accounting

    • Type of balance: Net Profit shows the credit balance of the Profit And Loss Account.

    • Dimension: It is a wider concept as it includes Gross Profit.

    • Treatment: It is treated directly in the balance sheet by adding or subtracting from the capital.

    Examples

    Now let me explain to you by taking an example which is as follows :

    In a business organization there were the following data given as purchases made Rs 73000, inventory, in the beginning, was Rs 10000, direct expenses made were Rs 7000, closing inventory which was Rs 5000, revenue from operation during the period was Rs 100000.
    Then,
    COST OF GOODS SOLD = Purchases + Opening Inventory + Direct Expenses – Closing Inventory.
    = Rs ( 73000 + 10000+ 7000- 5000)
    = Rs 85000

    GROSS PROFIT = REVENUE – COST OF GOODS SOLD
    = Rs ( 100000 – 85000 )
    = Rs 15000

    Now from the above question keeping the gross profit same if the indirect expenses of the organization are Rs 2000 and the other income is Rs 1000.
    Then,

    NET PROFIT = GROSS PROFIT – INDIRECT EXPENSES + OTHER INCOMES
    = Rs ( 15000 – 2000 + 1000)
    = Rs 14000

    Conclusion

    So here I conclude that gross profit is the difference between revenues from sales and/or services rendered and its direct cost.

    Whereas net profit is after the deduction of total expenses from the total revenues of the enterprise.

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Aadil
AadilCurious
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  2. Mehak
    This answer was edited.

    To understand why we do not record self-generated goodwill in accounting, let us first understand what goodwill is and its accounting treatment. What is Goodwill? Goodwill is an intangible asset of a business.  It represents the reputation and brand value of a business built over time. It is a valueRead more

    To understand why we do not record self-generated goodwill in accounting, let us first understand what goodwill is and its accounting treatment.

    What is Goodwill?

    Goodwill is an intangible asset of a business.  It represents the reputation and brand value of a business built over time. It is a value over and above the tangible assets of the business.

    Goodwill often arises when a business purchases another business and pays a premium, which means a price higher than the fair value of the business.

    Characteristics of Goodwill

    Goodwill has the following characteristics:

    1. It is an Intangible asset, meaning it has no physical existence and cannot be seen or touched.
    2. It is generally recognized during transactions in mergers and acquisitions.
    3. It is the value attributed to the brand value and reputation of the business.
    4. It adds value to a business beyond its tangible assets.

    Example of Goodwill

    Let us take an example to understand the concept of goodwill better.

    Suppose there is a company ABC Ltd. It is planning to acquire XYZ Ltd. The fair value of the assets of XYZ is calculated to be 600,000. However, ABC has agreed to pay a sum of 650,000 to acquire the company. This difference of 50,000 is goodwill.

    Impact on Financial Statements

    Goodwill is shown under the assets side of the Balance Sheet.

    What is self-generated goodwill?

    Self-generated goodwill in simple words means the positive reputation or trust that a business earns over time through their own hard work and decisions. It’s not something bought or inherited but something built from scratch internally, like a brand’s reputation, loyal customers, strong relationships, or unique ideas.

    For example, a small business that goes the extra mile to offer great customer service or always delivers high-quality products over the years will naturally build goodwill.

    It is also known as internally generated goodwill.

    Why do we not record sef-generated goodwill?

    Self-generated goodwill is not recorded in the financial statements because of the following reasons:

    1. Measurement may not be reliable: The measurement of self-generated goodwill is majorly based on the judgment of the managers. It is based on the value creation because of a good reputation or consumer base of the business, which might not be measured accurately.
    2. Conservatism principle: As per the conservatism principle, a business shall not overstate its assets or liabilities. However, self-generated goodwill might be overstated.
    3. Lack of market transaction: There is a lack of a market transaction that ensures verification of the value of goodwill as in the case of purchased goodwill.
    4. Manipulation: There are higher chances of manipulation of financial statements through self-generated goodwill.

    Conclusion

    On a concluding note, self-generated goodwill is something that adds real value to a business, but it’s not something that can easily be measured or captured in financial statements. Accounting is all about providing clear, reliable information, and including goodwill would make things murky and open to manipulation. Even though it doesn’t show up on the books, you can still see its effects in a company’s reputation and success. Maybe in the future, businesses will find a way to highlight it better, but for now, leaving it out helps keep financial reports honest and straightforward.

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Simerpreet
SimerpreetHelpful
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Explain Business entity, money measurement concept, Going concern concept etc.

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

    Accounting Concepts Accounting concepts are the rules, assumptions and methods generally accepted by accountants in the preparation and presentation of financial statements of an entity. These concepts have been developed by the accounting profession for a long period. These concepts constitute theRead more

    Accounting Concepts

    Accounting concepts are the rules, assumptions and methods generally accepted by accountants in the preparation and presentation of financial statements of an entity. These concepts have been developed by the accounting profession for a long period.

    These concepts constitute the foundation of accounting and one has to be aware of them to maintain correct and uniform financial statements.

    I have listed and briefly explained the following accounting concepts.

    1. Entity Concept 
    2. Money Measurement concept 
    3. Going on concern 
    4. Periodicity concept 
    5. Accrual concept 
    6. Cost concept 
    7. Realisation concept 
    8. Matching concept 
    9. Dual aspect concept 
    10. Conservatism concept 
    11. Materiality concept 
    12. Consistency concept

     

    #1 Entity Concept 

    As per this concept, the business and its owner are separate entities from the point of view of accounting. It means the assets and liabilities of the business and owner are not the same. 

    However, in the eyes of law, the business and its owner may be a single entity.

     

    #2 Money measurement concept

    This concept states that the transaction which can be measured in terms of money shall only be recorded in the books of accounts.

    Any transaction which cannot be measured in terms of money shall not be recorded.

    #3 Going concern concept 

    Going concern concept is also a fundamental accounting assumption. It assumes that an enterprise will continue to be in business for the foreseeable future.

    It means its accounts will also be prepared to take such assumptions that the business will continue in future.

     

    #4 Periodicity concept 

    The periodicity concept states an entity needs to carry out accounting for a definite period, generally for a year known as the accounting period. The period can also be half-year or a quarter.

    The cycle of accounting restarts at the start of every accounting period.

     

    #5 Accrual concept 

    The word accrual comes from the word

    As per the accrual concept, the expense and incomes are recorded in the books of accounts in the period in which they are expected to incur whether payment in cash is made or cash is received or not.

    For example, the salary to be paid by a business is to be recorded as an expense in the year in which it is expected or liable to be paid.

     

    #6 Cost concept 

    It is concerned with the purchase of the assets of a business. As per the cost concept, a business shall record any asset in its books at the acquisition cost or purchase cost.

     

    #7 Realisation concept 

    This concept is concerned with the sale of assets. A business shall record the sale of the assets in its books only at the realised cost.

     

    #8 Matching concept 

    As per this concept, revenue earned during a period should be matched with the expenses incurred in that period. In short, an entity needs to record the income and the expenses of the same period.

     

    #9  Dual concept 

    This concept is the foundation of double-entry accounting. Dual concepts state that every transaction has two effects, debit and credit. 

    One or more accounts may be debited and other one or more accounts are credited so that the total amount of debit and credit equals.

     

    #10 Conservatism concept 

    The conservatism concept states that an entity has to account for expected losses and expenses but not for future expected profits and gains.

     

    #11 Materiality concept 

    As per this concept, only those items which are material should be shown in the financial statements of an entity. It says that items which are immaterial or insignificant in terms of value or importance to stakeholders can be ignored.

     

    #12 Consistency concept 

    It says that an entity should follow consistent accounting policies every accounting period so that a comparison can be made among the financial statements of different accounting periods.

     

    GAAP 

    Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or GAAP is a combination of authoritative standards which are set by policy boards and commonly accepted methods of recording and presenting accounting information. 

    GAAP or US GAAP is formulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or FASB  and almost state in the USA is compliant with GAAP. 

    The main goal of the GAAP is to ensure that the financial statements of an entity are complete, consistent and comparable.

    It can be said accounting concepts are part of GAAP.

     

    Ten key principles of GAAP

    #1 Principle of regularity

    It states that an accountant has to comply with GAAP regulations as a standard.

     

    #2 Principle of Consistency

    Accountants should be committed to applying the same set of standards throughout the accounting and reporting process, from one period to another. This is to be done to ensure comparability of financial statements between periods.  

    Also, the accountants have to fully disclose and explain the reason behind any changed or updated standards in the note of accounts of financial statements.

     

    #3 Principle of sincerity

    It states that the accountant should strive to provide an accurate and unbiased view of the financial situation of a company.

     

    #4 Principle of Permanence of Methods

    As per this principle, a company should be consistent in procedures used in financial statements so that it allows the comparison of the company’s financial information.

     

    #5 Principle of Non-Compensation

    Both negative and positive should be reported with full transparency. There should be no debt compensation i.e. debt should not be set off against any asset or expenses against revenue.

    #6 Principle of Prudence

    It states that financial data presentation should be fact-based. This principle is similar to the conservatism concept.

     

    #7 Principle of Continuity

    This is as same the going concern concept. It states that while valuing assets, it should assume that the business will continue for the foreseeable future.

     

    #8 Principle of Periodicity

    It is the same as the matching concept. It states that the revenue and expenses should be recorded in the period in which they occur.

     

    #9 Principle of Materiality

    Accountants should disclose all the financial information that is significant in the decision-making of the users of financial statements.

     

    #10 Principle of Utmost Good Faith

    It states that all parties to a transaction should act honestly and not mislead or hide crucial information from one another.

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

    Fictitious assets are not actually assets. They are expenses/losses not written off in the year in which they are incurred. They do not have any physical presence. Their expense is spread over more than one accounting period. A part of the expense is amortized/written off every year against the compRead more

    Fictitious assets are not actually assets. They are expenses/losses not written off in the year in which they are incurred. They do not have any physical presence. Their expense is spread over more than one accounting period.

    A part of the expense is amortized/written off every year against the company’s earnings. The remaining part (which is yet to be written off) is shown as an asset in the balance sheet. They are shown as assets because these expenses are expected to give returns to the company over a period of time.

    Here are some examples of fictitious assets:

    • Preliminary expenses.
    • Promotional expenses.
    • Loss incurred on the issue of debentures.
    • Underwriting commission.
    • Discount on issue of shares.

     

    To make it simple I’ll explain the accounting treatment of preliminary expenses with an example.

    The promoters of KL Ltd. paid 50,000 as consultation fees for incorporating the company. The consultation fee is a preliminary expense as they are incurred for the formation of the company. The company agreed to write off this expense over a period of 5 years.

    At the end of every year, the company will write off 10,000 (50,000/5) as an expense in the Profit & Loss A/c.

    The remaining portion i.e. 40,000 (50,000 – 10,000) will be shown on the Assets side of the Balance Sheet under the head Non – Current Assets and sub-head Other Non – Current Assets. 

    Here are the financial statements of KL Ltd.,

    Note: As per AS 26 preliminary expenses are fully written off in the year they are incurred. This is because such expenses do not meet the definition of assets and must be written off in the year of incurring.

    Source: Some fictitious assets examples are from Accountingcapital.com & others from Wikipedia.

     

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Naina@123
Naina@123
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  2. prashant06 B.com, CMA pursuing

    A cash discount is a discount allowed to customers when they make payments for the items they purchased. This type of discount is generally based on time. The early the payment is made by the debtors, the more discount they earn. To be more precise cash discount is given to simulate or encourage earRead more

    A cash discount is a discount allowed to customers when they make payments for the items they purchased. This type of discount is generally based on time. The early the payment is made by the debtors, the more discount they earn. To be more precise cash discount is given to simulate or encourage early payment by the debtors.

    Trade discount is a discount allowed by traders on the list price of the goods to the customer at specified rate. Unlike cash discount, trade discount is based on number of sale i.e, more the sale more the discount earned. This is mainly given on bulk orders by the customers.

    To understand trade discount and cash discount let me give you simple example

    Mr. X purchased goods from Mr. Y of list price Rs 10,000. Mr. Y allowed a 10% discount to Mr.X on the list price for purchasing goods in bulk quantity. Further, he was provided with cash discount of Rs 500 for making an immediate payment. Therefore the entry for the above transaction in the books of Mr. X would be

    Purchase A/c                                                        ……Dr 9,000
               To Cash A/c 8,500
               To Discount received 500
    (Being goods purchased from Mr. Y worth Rs. 10,000@ 10% trade discount and cash discount of Rs. 500)
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