Terminology & Concepts UNITS 1-5 Flashcards
Transaction
Any sort of occurrence that has a financial effect
Bookkeeping
The process of recording transactions in the financial records of a business activity
Accounting
A process that identifies, organises, classifies, records, summarises and communicates information about economic events, usually in monetary terms
Who does accounting communicates to?
All parties interested in the business such as owners, managers, shareholders and governmental bodies.
What is an accounting period?
Also known as financial period, is the period of time for which financial results are prepared. This is different for financial and mangerial accounting
What is the accounting reference date?
Also knows and the closing date, is the date on which an annual accounting period ends. In the UK this can be any date
What is an income statement?
Also known as Profit & Loss account, it shows the costs deducted from total income to calculate the profit and loss for an entity of a financial period
Which are the main financial statements, also called set of accounts ?
Income statement Balance sheet Cash flow statement
What does MIS stand for ?
Management information system, which provides information to manage the business efficiently and support the decision making process. AIS is one important component of MIS
What does AIS stand for?
Accounting Information System, which processes accounting data and turns them into informal, in the form of financial statements or management accounts. Also used to define accounting specific software.
What are the reasons for and objectives of accounting ?
Stewardship - an obligation on the business stewards to produce financial information related to the resources they control but not own Accountability - for the stewards who will need to show they are acting responsibly and that are able to justify their actions and decisions Planning and decision making - how to allocate and use resources Control - monitoring activities and operations shows wether operation are proceeding according to plan
What are the main characteristics of financial accounting ?
Production of the financial reports by managers Report on the stewardship of resources Helps interested parties make decisions Prepared annually and sometimes at regular intervals Legally required, regulated and conventionalised Gives information about past performance
What are the main characteristics of managerial accounting ?
Production of information used by managers to plan and control activities Internal to the company Normally prepared on a mostly basis Not legally required or regulated Comparative and up to date
Define profit
When total income exceeds total costs. For non profit organisations is called surplus
Define loss
When total costs exceed total income. For non profit organisation is called deficit
What are assets ?
Assets are resources controlled by a business as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the business
What are the differences between tangible and intangible assets ?
Tangible assest have a physical form (buildings, machinery, vehicles) while intangible assets don’t (patents, trademarks, copyrights)
What are non-current assets ?
Also called fixed assets, they are for long term use, generally for more than one year. Capital expenditures that have been capitalised appear as non current assets
Define Costs
A cost is an expenditure on goods and services required to carry out the operations of an entity. Sometimes, when not directly involved in generating sales they are called expenditure
Define Current Assets
Current assets are assets which remain with the business only a short time or change over time (cash, raw materials, inventory, receivables)
What are trade receivables ?
Also called receivables, they are sums of money owed by customers rom whom a business has sold goods or services. Sometimes also called trade debtors
What are trade payables ?
Also called payables or trade creditors, are sums of money owed to persons or entities who/which have supplied foods of services to a business.
What are liabilities ?
Liabilities are present obligations of a business arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in a outflow from the business of resources embodying economic benefit.
What are non current liabilities ?
Also called long term liabilities, these are sums of money owed which are due for payment more than a year after the end of an accounting period
Define current liabilities
Sums of money owed by a business to others which are payable within a year or less at the end of an accounting period
What is a horizontal format ?
A format of presenting balance sheets in which all assets are listed on the left hand side and liabilities and capital are painted on the right hand side
What are the vertical format and the net asset approach ?
Formats to present balance sheets. In the vertical format assets are shown in the top half and capital and liabilities in the bottom half. In the net asset approach, the top half shows assets less liabilities to derive net assets, which is then the same as total capital shown in the bottom half. Opinion vary wether non current liabilities should be treated as capital and not as liabilities
What is capital ?
The money, resources or assets put into the business by owners, also called owner’s interest or equity
What is a cash flow statement ?
A statement which shows the inflows and outflows of cash and cash equivalent (everything easily convertible to known amounts of cash usually within a three months period) over a business financial period
Define Business
An entity designed to provide goods and/or services to consumers
How can business organisations be classified ?
Reference to their primary activity Reference to their legal form Reference to their profit aims Reference to ownership and control
What does SIC stand for ?
Standard Industrial Classification, used by the London Stock Exchange to determine the main activity of a company by assigning the same numerical code to companies which provide the same goods/services
What is a Balance Sheet ?
A statement of the total assets and liabilities of an entity at a particular date, usually the last day of an accounting period. Total assets will always equal total liabilities. Also called statement of financial position.
What are the differences in a company legal form given by ?
By the way a particular business organisation raises finances, the nature of its activities, it size, how it pays taxes and the legal and accounting regulations it must abide by
What are sole traders characteristics ?
Owned by one person Finances are own or raised Personal liability Tend to me small No legal requirement to have an audit and no specific format required Called sole practitioner if offer is purely service based
What are the characteristics of GENERAL partnerships ?
Two or more persons invest and work together An agreement is often written up but no need to have a document as oral agreement is fine Governed by Partnership Act 1890 Partners personally liable and have joint and several responsibility for debts Majority vote is sufficient in decision making except for maters deemed extraordinary
What are the characteristics of Limited Liability Partnerships or LLCs ?
Liability of partners is restricted to the amount of capital they invested Personal assets are not at risk Governed by Limited Liability Partnership Act 2000 (England, Wales and Scotland) and 2002 (Northern Ireland)
What are the characteristics of Limited Partnerships ?
Similar to general but also includes limited partners Limited partners only liable in proportion to their registered investment No management authority Very rare as LLPs are available
What regulations govern partnerships ?
Partnership act 1890 Limited partnership act 1907 Limited liability partnership act 2000 Limited liability partnership act 2002 (NI)
Define company
A particular form of corporate body which has specific legal meaning denoting people acting together in a particular way, usually to make profit but not exclusively
What are the characteristics of Chartered Companies ?
Created by royal charter from the crown Nowadays only granted to non profit charitable and educational companies
What are statutory companies ?
Companies established by a UK act of Parliament for public purposes
What are registered companies?
Companies registered by a government delegates public official, like the Registrar of Companies, who has authority granted by the parliament to incorporate bodies, on application, following certain specified steps
What are the characteristics of a company limited by shares ?
Shareholders contribute to the capital on shrewd units called shares Shares can be of nominal value, also called par of paper value, or non par value Shareholders liability to creditors is limited to the capita invested It has legal personality Can be private or public
What is a nominal value share ?
Also called par or paper value, it the minimal value under which a share can’t be issues. Decided when a company is incorporated
When are non par value shares issues ?
When the overall value of the capita to be raised is stated but the value of individual shares is determined by the directors. Non allowed in the UK
What is share premium ?
The positive difference paid by a shareholder for a share and its nominal value. Must be recorded separately in a share premium account.
What are the characteristics of private limited companies ?
Can only issue shares privately Doesn’t have to disclose as much information as public companies Required to have suffix LTD or INC
What are the characteristics of public companies ?
Can issue shares to the general public Legally obliged to disclose information about its operations and activities Must use the suffix PLC
What are companies limited by guarantee ?
In UK, Australia and Irwland they are alternatives types of corporations used primarily for non profit organisations that require a legal personality. Does not usually have share capital Guarantors guarantee a nominal amount if the company has inadequate funds upon cessation of business Clubs, memberships organisation, unions and associations
What are the characteristics of community interest companies ?
They operate for the benefit of the community and not the owners Can be limited by shares or guarantee Asset lock prevents assets and profits being distributed in unlawful manner Can’t support political activities hence can’t be a charity though charities can apply for subsidiaries CICS
What are CICs ?
Community interest companies
What are the characteristics of unlimited companies ?
Does not offer shareholders limited liability Conceptually a partnership Doesn’t have to make disclosure public and private companies do Used when the company doesn’t trade, where limited liability is not permitted, need for secrecy
What regulations govern companies ?
Those linked to Companies Act 2006 Financial Reporting Standards International Financial Reporting Standards
What do FRSs and IFRs stand for ?
Financial reporting standards International Financial Reporting Standards
What are unincorporated associations and their characteristics ?
Associations of persons who are not incorporated or in a partnership They have no profit motive They look after the particular interests of their members Raise money by levying joining fees Subject to no regulations governing the production of financial statements
What are the characteristics of trusts ?
Formal arrangement set up by a trust deed Assets of money are transferred by a settlor for trustees to manage for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries Non active business entities
What are the characteristics of branches and divisions ?
They are subsidiary parts of a larger entity They are not separate legal entities Financial result audited with those of the larger body