Accounting 201 Midterm Flashcards
Consistency
The use of similar accounting procedures either over time for the same company, or across companies at the same point in time.
Corporation
An entity that is legally separate from its owners.
Cost effectiveness
Financial accounting information is provided only when the benefits of doing so exceed the costs.
Decision usefulness
The ability of the information to be useful in decision making.
Dividends
Cash payments to stockholders. Distributions by a corporation to its stockholders.
Economic entity assumption
All economic events with a particular economic entity can be identified.
Ethics
A code or moral system that provides criteria for evaluating right and wrong behavior.
Expenses
Costs of providing products and services.
Faithful representation
Accounting information that is complete, neutral, and free from material error.
Financial accounting
Measurement of business activities of a company and communication of those measurements to external parties for decision-making purposes.
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
An independent, private body that has primary responsibility for the establishment of GAAP in the United States.
Financial statements
Periodic reports published by the company for the purpose of providing information to external users.
Financing activities
Transactions involving external sources of funding.Includes cash transactions resulting from the external financing of a business.
Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
The rules of financial accounting.
Going concern assumption
In the absence of information to the contrary, a business entity will continue to operate indefinitely.
Income statement
A financial statement that reports the company’s revenues and expenses over an interval of time.
International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)
An international accounting standard-setting body responsible for the convergence of accounting standards worldwide.
Investing activities
Transactions involving the purchase and sale of (1) long-term resources such as land, buildings, equipment, and machinery and
(2) any resources not directly related to a company’s normal operations. Includes cash transactions involving the purchase and sale of long-term assets and current investments.
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
The standards being developed and promoted by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Liabilities
Amounts owed to creditors.
Materiality
The impact of financial accounting information on investors’ and creditors’ decisions.
Monetary unit assumption
A unit or scale of measurement can be used to measure financial statement elements.
Net income
Difference between revenues and expenses. Difference between all revenues and all expenses for the period.
Operating activities
Transactions involving the primary operations of the company, such as providing products and services to customers and the associated costs of doing so, like utilities, taxes, advertising, wages, rent, and maintenance. Includes cash receipts and cash payments for transactions relating to revenue and expense activities.
Partnership
Business owned by two or more persons.
Periodicity assumption
The economic life of an enterprise (presumed to be indefinite) can be divided into artificial time periods for financial reporting.
Relevance
Accounting information that possesses confirmatory value and/or predictive value.
Retained earnings
Cumulative amount of net income earned over the life of the company that has not been distributed to stockholders as dividends. Represents all net income, less all dividends, since the company began.
Revenues
Amounts earned from selling products or services to customers.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 and commonly referred to as SOX ; the act established a variety of new guidelines related to auditor-client relations and internal control procedures.
Sole proprietorship
A business owned by one person.
Statement of cash flows
A financial statement that measures activities involving cash receipts and cash payments over an interval of time. A summary of cash inflows and cash outflows during the reporting period sorted by operating, investing, and financing activities.
Statement of stockholders’ equity
A financial statement that summarizes the changes in stockholders’ equity over an interval of time. Summarizes the changes in the balance in each stockholders’ equity account over a period of time.
Stockholder’s equity
Stockholders’, or owners’, claims to resources, which equal the difference between total assets and total liabilities.
Timeliness
Information being available to users early enough to allow them to use it in the decision process.
Understandability
Users must understand the information within the context of the decision they are making.
Verifiability
A consensus among different measurers.
Accounting
A system of maintaining records of a company’s operations and communicating that information to decision makers.
Accounting equation
Equation that shows a company’s resources (assets) equal creditors’ and owners’ claims to those resources (liabilities and stockholders’ equity).
Assets
Resources owned by a company.
Auditors
Trained individuals hired by a company as an independent party to express a professional opinion of the accuracy of that company’s financial statements.
Balance sheet
A financial statement that presents the financial position of the company on a particular date.
Business Activities to Measure?
Business Activities
1) Transactions in primary operations of business.
2) Financing activities = funding from external sources.
3) purchase and sale of long-term resources.
Comparability
The ability of users to see similarities and differences between two different business activities.
Define “communicating through financial statements” and what four statements are used?
- a. Financial statements are periodic reports published by the company for the purpose of providing information to external users.
- a. Income Statement
- b. Statement of Stockholder’s Equity
- c. Balance Sheet
2d. Statement of Cash Flows
Define an “Income Statement” what it tells, and what it determines.
- a. Financial statement that reports thecompany’s revenues and expenses overan interval of time. 2.a. Shows whether the company was able togenerate enough revenue to cover theexpenses of running the business.
- a. If Revenues > Expenses then Net IncomeIf Revenues < Expenses then Net Loss.
Define “Statement of Stockholder’s Equity” what it tells and what two elements Stockholder’s Equity consists of:
- a. Financial statement that summarizes the changes in stockholders’ equity over an interval of time.
- a. Common Stock + Retained Earnings
Define a “Balance Sheet” and Summarize the basic accounting equation:
- a. Financial statement that presents the financialposition of the company on a particular date.
- a. Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders’ Equity
Define a “Statement of Cash Flow” and what three categories they can be classified as:
- a. Financial statement that measures activities involving cash receipts and cash payments over an interval of time.
- a. Operating cash flows
- b. Investing cash flows
- c. Financing cash flows
What is the “Importance of Financial Accounting” and break down the processing of the information:
- a. Financial accounting information is essential to making good business decisions.
- a. Investors and creditors review the information then decide whether to invest their money into Company A or Company B.
Define “GAAP” and it’s role or rule:
- a. GAAP = Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
- b. Investors & Creditors make their decisions based on Financial Accounting Information, Should be based on formal standard: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (GAAP).
- Break down a career in Public Accounting and your role as a Public Accountant: Then:
- Break down a career as a Private Accountant and your role as a Public Accountant:
- a. Public Accounting Clients are : (Big 4 and Non - Big 4) = Corporations, Governments, Nonprofit Organizations, Individuals.
- b. Traditional roles: Auditors, Tax preparers/planners, Business consultants.
- a. Private Accounting: Clients: Your employer.
- b. Traditional roles: Financial accountants, Managerial accountants, Budget analysts, Internal auditors, Tax preparers, Payroll managers.
True or False?
Investors and creditors of business firms are two groups who need accounting information.
T
True or False?
Transactions that can be measured in dollars and cents are recorded in the financial accounting information system.
T
True or False?
The purchase of office equipment is an economic event recorded by the financial accounting information system.
T
True or False?
Management of a business enterprise is the major external user of information.
F
True or False?
Accounting communicates financial information about a business enterprise to both internal and external users.
T
True or False?
External users of financial statements include labor unions, management and regulatory agencies.
F
True or False?
Financial statements are the major means of communicating accounting information to interested parties.
T
True or False?
Bookkeeping and accounting are one and the same because the bookkeeping function includes the accounting process.
F
True or False?
The origins of accounting are attributed to Leonardo DiVinci, a famous mathematician.
F
True or False?
The study of accounting will be useful only if a student is interested in working for a corporation.
F
Accountants refer to an economic event as a
a. purchase.
b. sale.
c. transaction.
d. change in ownership.
C
The process of recording transactions has become more efficient because:
a. fewer events can be quantified in financial terms.
b. computers are used in processing business events.
c. more people have been hired to record business transactions.
d. business events are recorded only at the end of the year.
B
Communication of economic events is the part of the accounting process that involves:
a. identifying economic events.
b. quantifying transactions into dollars and cents.
c. preparing accounting reports.
d. recording and classifying information.
C
Which of the following events is not an accounting transaction?
a. Purchasing an office building.
b. Selling a delivery truck.
c. Paying income taxes.
d. Hiring a payroll clerk.
D
Which of the following would be considered an internal user of accounting data for the Raintree Company?
a. Staff accountant for the Securities Exchange Commission
b. Production manager
c. Credit analyst for Bank
d. President of the employees’ labor union
B
Which of the following would be considered an external user of accounting data for the Raintree Company?
a. Internal Revenue Service Agent
b. Vice-president of finance
c. Production supervisor
d. Cost accountant
A
Which of the following would not be considered internal users of accounting data for a company?
a. The president of a company
b. The controller of a company
c. Creditors of a company
d. Salesmen of the company
C
The private sector organization involved in developing financial accounting principles is the:
a. Securities Exchange Commission.
b. Internal Revenue Service.
c. Financial Accounting Standards Board.
d. Accounting Principles Board.
C
The SEC and FASB are two organizations that are primarily responsible for establishing generally accepted accounting principles. It is true that:
a. they are both governmental agencies.
b. the SEC is a private organization of accountants.
c. the SEC often mandates guidelines when no accounting principles exist.
d. the SEC and FASB rarely cooperate in developing accounting standards.
C
GAAP stands for:
a. Generally Accepted Auditing Procedures.
b. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
c. Generally Accepted Auditing Principles.
d. Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures.
B
Ample Company has total assets of $100,000 and total liabilities of $60,000. The company’s stockholders’ equity is
a. $40,000.
b. $60,000.
c. $100,000.
d. $160,000.
A
The basic accounting equation may be expressed as:
a. Assets = Equities.
b. Assets – Liabilities = Stockholders’ Equity.
c. Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders’ Equity.
d. all of these.
D
Liabilities are:
a. are future economic benefits.
b. are existing debts and obligations.
c. possess service potential.
d. are things of value used by the business in its operation.
B
Best Enterprises reports total assets of $200,000, total liabilities of $125,000 and stockholders’ equity of $75,000. The company’s accounting equation can be stated all of the following ways except:
a. $200,000 = $125,000 + $75,000
b. $200,000 – $75,000 = $125,000.
c. $75,000 + $125,000 = $200,000.
d. $200,000 + $125,000 = $325,000.
D
If Carmine Company purchases goods on account for $4,000, then:
a. assets and liabilities both decrease by $4,000.
b. stockholders’ equity increases by $4,000.
c. assets increase by $4,000 and liabilities decrease by $4,000.
d. assets and liabilities both increase by $4,000.
D
What is the basic understanding of Accounting?
Accountants communicate information to people, people make decisions about companies, companies report information to accountants. Full Circle.
Account
A summary of the effects of all transactions related to a particular item over a period of time.
Chart of accounts
A list of all account names used to record transactions of a company.
External transactions
Transactions the firm conducts with a separate economic entity.
General ledger
All accounts used to record the company’s transactions.
Internal transactions
Events that affect the financial position of the company but do not include an exchange with a separate economic entity.
Journal
A chronological record of all transactions affecting a firm.
Posting
The process of transferring the debit and credit information from the journal to individual accounts in the general ledger.
T-account
A simplified form of a general ledger account with space at the top for the account title and two sides for recording debits and credits.
Roles of Financial Accounting
1) Measure business activities of the company.
2) Communicate those measurements to external parties for decision-making purposes.
List the purpose of a Trial Balance:
a) A trial balance is a list of all accounts and their balances at a particular date, showing that total debits equal total credits.
b) Another purpose of the trial balance is to assist us in preparing adjusting entries (for internal transactions).
c) It is not a published financial statement to be used by external parties, there is no required order for listing accounts in the trial balance.
d) The trial balance is used for internal purposes only and provides a check on the equality of the debits and credits.
Which of the following transactions will increase total assets?
A) Provide services to customers on account. B) Purchase supplies for cash.
C) Collect cash from customer for services provided on account last month.
D) Pay dividends to current stockholders.
A
Which of following transactions represents an external transaction?
A) Prepaid rent is used up through the passage of time.
B) Depreciation for office equipment is recorded.
C) Stockholders are paid a quarterly dividend.
D) Supplies purchased last month are used up.
C
Which of the following decreases total stockholders’ equity?
A) Issuing common stock.
B) Purchasing equipment for cash.
C) Purchasing supplies on account.
D) Paying employees current month wages and salaries.
D
Which of the following accounts is increased by a credit? A) Accounts Receivable. B) Cash. C) Accounts Payable. D) Salaries Expense.
C
Which of the following shows a chronological record of all transactions? A) The general ledger. B) The chart of accounts. C) The trial balance. D) The general journal.
D
A credit to Service Revenue will: A) Increase stockholders' equity. B) Decrease stockholders' equity. C) Increase liabilities. D) Decrease assets.
A
Which of the following accounts normally has a credit balance? A) Cash. B) Accounts Receivable. C) Dividends. D) Retained Earnings.
D
Measuring external transactions typically involves: A) Four steps. B) Five steps. C) Six steps. D) Seven steps.
C
Which of the following correctly describes a list of accounts and their balances, showing that debits equal credits? A) General ledger. B) Trial balance. C) Journal. D) Chart of accounts.
B
Which of the following mistakes would cause the accounting equation NOT to balance?
A) Increase in expenses, increase in cash.
B) Increase in assets, increase in liabilities.
C) Decrease in assets, decrease in liabilities. D) Increase in assets, increase in stockholders’ equity.
A
What is the ultimate effect of recording expenses on stockholders’ equity?
A) Stockholders’ equity increases.
B) Stockholders’ equity decreases.
C) Stockholders’ equity is not affected.
D) The effect on stockholders’ equity depends on whether or not cash is paid.
B
When a company provides services to a customer for cash, which of the following would be recorded? A) Debit Cash. B) Debit Service Revenue. C) Credit Service Revenue. D) Both a and c.
C
Trial balance
A list of all accounts and their balances at a particular date, showing that total debits equal total credits.
Accrual-basis accounting
Record revenues when earned (the revenue recognition principle) and expenses with related revenues (the matching principle).
Accrued expense
When a company has incurred an expense but hasn’t yet paid cash or recorded an obligation to pay.
Accrued revenue
When a company has earned revenue but hasn’t yet received cash or recorded an amount receivable.
Adjusted trial balance
A list of all accounts and their balances after we have updated account balances for adjusting entries.
Adjusting entries
Entries used to record events that occur during the period but that have not yet been recorded by the end of the period.
Cash-basis accounting
Record revenues at the time cash is received and expenses at the time cash is paid.
Classified balance sheet
Balance sheet that groups a company’s assets into current assets and long-term assets and that separates liabilities into current liabilities and long-term liabilities.
Closing entries
Entries that transfer the balances of all temporary accounts (revenues, expenses, and dividends) to the balance of the Retained Earnings account.
What involves Revenue Recognition Principle:
Recognize revenue when it is earned.
Matching Principle is when:
Expenses are reported with the revenues they help to generate
What elements are involved with “Point of Difference”?
Revenue Recognition
recording Expenses
GAAP
What elements are involved with “Accrual Basis.”
When revenue is earned
with related revenues
Part of GAAP
What elements are involved with “Cash Basis.”
When Cash is Received
When Cash is Paid
Not Part of GAAP.
Contra account
An account with a balance that is opposite, or “contra,” to that of its related accounts.