AccountingQA Latest Questions

Astha
AsthaLeader
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Capital
  2. Simerpreet Helpful CMA Inter qualified
    This answer was edited.

    As per Wiki, it is also called construction in progress. Capital work in progress is a non-current asset of an entity. It is also known as CWIP in short. CWIP is the work which is not yet completed but the amount for which has already been paid. Suppose, at the time of preparing a balance sheet, ifRead more

    As per Wiki, it is also called construction in progress. Capital work in progress is a non-current asset of an entity. It is also known as CWIP in short.

    CWIP is the work which is not yet completed but the amount for which has already been paid.

    Suppose, at the time of preparing a balance sheet, if an asset is not completed, all the costs incurred on that asset up to the balance sheet date are to be transferred to an account called capital work in progress.

    Example 1: A machinery under installation.

    There are several expenses incurred while installing machinery, expenses such as labor charges, Initial delivery and handling costs, Assembly and installation cost, etc are included in CWIP and when the asset is completed and is ready to use, all the costs are transferred to the relevant accounts.

    To make it simpler, let me show journal entries relating to this example.

    When an expense is incurred/paid:

    Journal entry for capital work in progress when an expense is incurred

    When an asset is complete and put to use:

    Journal entry for capital work in progress when asset is complete and put to use

    Example 2: A Contractor is constructing a building. The following expenditures are being incurred to date:

    i) Raw materials – 5,00,000

    ii) Payment to Architect – 3,50,000

    iii) Advance for Equipments – 1,50,000

    Following accounting entries will be passed to record the expenditure on CWIP assets:

    capital work in progress journal entries example

    The following accounting entry will be passed once assets are ready to use:

    entry to show cwip when asset is complete

    Disclosure in the Balance sheet

    CWIP account is shown separately in the balance sheet below the fixed asset.

    we cannot depreciate capital work in progress. It can only be depreciated when the asset is put to use.

    Capital work in progress shown in balance sheet

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Radha
Radha
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  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom

    The term set off in English means to offset something against something else. It thereby refers to reducing the value of an item. In accounting terms, when a debtor can reduce the amount owed to a creditor by cancelling the amount owed by the creditor to the debtor, it is termed as set off. It is coRead more

    The term set off in English means to offset something against something else. It thereby refers to reducing the value of an item. In accounting terms, when a debtor can reduce the amount owed to a creditor by cancelling the amount owed by the creditor to the debtor, it is termed as set off.

    It is commonly used by banks where they seize the amount in a customer’s account to set off the amount of loan unpaid by the customer.

    Types

    There are various types of set-offs as given below:

    • Transaction set-off – This is where a debtor can simply reduce the amount he is owed from the amount he owes to the creditor.
    • Contractual set-off – Sometimes, a debtor agrees to not set off any amount and hence he would have to pay the entire amount to the creditor even if the creditor owed some amount to the debtor.
    • Insolvency set-off – These rules are mandatory and have to be followed under the Insolvency rules 2016.
    • Bankers set-off – Here, the bank sets off the amount of a customer with another account of the customer.

    Example

    Let’s say Divya owes Rs 20,000 to Sherin for the purchase of goods. But, Sherin owed Rs 6,000 to Divya already for use of her Machinery. Therefore, the amount of 6,000 can be set off against the 20,000 owed to Sherin and hence Divya would effectively owe Sherin Rs 14,000.

    This helps in reducing the number of transactions and unnecessary flow of cash.

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

    Fictitious assets On seeing or hearing ‘fictitious’, the words which come to our mind are ‘not true, ‘fake’ or ‘fantasy’. So, fictitious assets are those items that appear on the assets side of the balance sheet but are actually not assets. In substance, fictitious assets are the expenses and lossesRead more

    Fictitious assets

    On seeing or hearing ‘fictitious’, the words which come to our mind are ‘not true, ‘fake’ or ‘fantasy’. So, fictitious assets are those items that appear on the assets side of the balance sheet but are actually not assets.

    In substance, fictitious assets are the expenses and losses that are not completely written off in a financial year and are required to be carried forward to the next financial year.

    The examples of fictitious assets are as follows:

    1. Deferred Advertisement expense
    2. Loss on the issue of debentures.
    3. Debit balance of Profit and Loss account ( Net loss )*
    4. Preliminary expenses.

    Fictitious assets appear on the asset side of the balance sheet as expenses and losses have a debit balance.

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

    Intangible Assets

    Intangible assets mean the assets which don’t have any physical existence. They cannot be seen or touched but are assets because they do provide future economic benefits to the business. Like tangible assets (like machinery and building), they can be also created, purchased or sold.

    Like tangible assets are depreciated, intangible assets are gradually written over by amortization over their useful lifespan to account for the economic benefits provided by them.

    Following are the examples of intangible assets:

    1. Goodwill
    2. Brand name
    3. Trademark
    4. Patents
    5. Copyrights

    Intangible assets which are created by the business-like goodwill or brand recognition do not appear in the balance sheet.

    Only acquired intangible assets can be shown in the balance sheet. Like purchased goodwill, patents, trademarks etc.

    Intangible assets also face impairment if their fair value is less than their carrying value after deducting amortization expense. The difference between carrying value and fair value is shown in the Profit and loss A/c as impairment charge and the asset is valued at fair value in the balance sheet.

     

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

    Introduction  Working capital refers to the capital which is required by an enterprise to smoothly run its daily operations. It is the measure of the short-term liquidity of a business.  Working capital is the total of the current assets of a business, net of its current liabilities. Working capitalRead more

    Introduction 

    Working capital refers to the capital which is required by an enterprise to smoothly run its daily operations.

    It is the measure of the short-term liquidity of a business. 

    Working capital is the total of the current assets of a business, net of its current liabilities.

    Working capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities 

    The working capital consists of cash, accounts receivable and inventory of raw materials and finished goods fewer accounts payable and other short-term liabilities.

    Without a proper level of working capital, a business cannot maintain regular production and pay its creditors and expenses.

    Hence, for proper management of working capital, it is divided into types:

    • Permanent working capital 
    • Temporary working capital 

    I have discussed them below:

    Permanent Working Capital 

    It is the fixed level or minimum level of working capital that an enterprise needs to maintain to ensure production at the normal capacity and pay for its daily expenses. It is independent of the level of production.

    It is also known as fixed working capital.

    By ‘permanent’,  it does not mean that it will forever remain at the same level or amount but it may change if the overall production capacity changes. But such changes in permanent working capital are not often.

    Temporary Working Capital 

    It is the level of working capital that depends upon the level of production of a business. It is the excess working capital over the permanent capital that is required to meet seasonal high demand.

    It is also known as fluctuating working capital because it tends to change often depending on the level of production.

    Temporary working capital is required when high production is required to meet seasonal demands. 

    For example, a bakery will need more working capital to meet the increased demand for cakes and pastry during Christmas season 

    Graph showing permanent and temporary working capital

    Here, the temporary working capital is fluctuating whereas the permanent working capital is gradually increasing with time.

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AbhishekBatabyal
AbhishekBatabyalHelpful
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  2. Radhika
    This answer was edited.

    Capital maintenance is a principle that states profit should not be recorded until its cost or capital has been maintained. In other words, profit should not be recognized unless net assets have been maintained. Capital maintenance states that profit recognized is the increase in the value of net asRead more

    Capital maintenance is a principle that states profit should not be recorded until its cost or capital has been maintained. In other words, profit should not be recognized unless net assets have been maintained.

    Capital maintenance states that profit recognized is the increase in the value of net assets. However, there are two exceptions to it:

    • Cash increased because of sale of stock to shareholders
    • Cash decreased because of dividend payout to its shareholders

    It is important because:

    • It protects the interest of shareholders
    • It protects the interest of creditors
    • Accurately analyzing the performance of the company

    Capital maintenance is of two types:

    • Financial Capital Maintenance

    It is measured by the value of assets at the beginning and end of the financial year.

    • Physical Capital Maintenance

    It is measured by the production capacity at the beginning and end of the financial year.

    Capital maintenance is concerned with keeping proper account balances of assets and not the physical assets.

    Inflation is the increase in the economic value of goods due to the lower purchasing power and not an actual increase in the value of assets. So, if the value of an asset is increased due to inflation it does not depict the right picture for the company.

    Hence, if the value of assets increases due to inflation, companies need to adjust the value of assets to assess if capital maintenance has occurred. 

     

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

    Definition Debit balance may arise due to timing differences in which case income will be accrued at the year's end to offset the debit. The amount is shown in the record of a company s finances, by which its total debits are greater than its total credits. The account which has debit balances are aRead more

    Definition

    Debit balance may arise due to timing differences in which case income will be accrued at the year’s end to offset the debit.

    The amount is shown in the record of a company s finances, by which its total debits are greater than its total credits.

    The account which has debit balances are as follows:

    • Assets accounts
    Land, furniture, building machinery, etc

    • Expenses accounts
    Salary, rent, insurance, etc

    • Losses
    Bad debts, loss by fire, etc

    • Drawings
    Personal drawings of cash or assets

    • Cash and bank balances
    Balances of these accounts

    In class 11th, we learned about all these accounts that have debit balances.
    Where the total of the debit side is more than the credit side therefore the difference is the debit balance and is placed credit side as “ by balance c/d “

    Here are some examples showing the debit balances of the accounts :

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Simerpreet
SimerpreetHelpful
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Impairment
  2. Astha Leader Pursuing CA, BCom (Hons.)
    This answer was edited.

    What is Impairment of Assets? Impairment of assets means a decline in the value of assets due to unforeseen circumstances. Assets are impaired when the carrying value of assets increases its market value or “realizable value”. Impairment can be caused due to factors that are internal or external toRead more

    What is Impairment of Assets?

    Impairment of assets means a decline in the value of assets due to unforeseen circumstances. Assets are impaired when the carrying value of assets increases its market value or “realizable value”.

    Impairment can be caused due to factors that are internal or external to the firm. Internal factors such as physical damage, obsolescence or poor management and external factors such as a change in legal or economic circumstances, increased competition or reduction in asset’s fair value in the market result in impairment.

    Impairment Vs Depreciation

    Asset impairment is often confused with asset depreciation, which is rather a recurring and expected event, unlike impairment that reflects an abrupt decrease in the value of the asset.

    Impairment Loss

    Impairment is always treated as a loss in accounting. It is the amount by which the carrying value or the asset’s book value exceeds its fair market value.

    Before recording Impairment loss, a company must determine the recoverable value of the asset which is higher of the asset’s net realizable value or value in use. Then it is to be compared with the book value of the asset.

    If the carrying value exceeds the recoverable value then the impairment loss is to be recorded at the exceeding value i.e. difference of carrying value and realizable value.

    Example

    Suppose a company Royal Ltd. has an asset with a carrying value of 50,000, which has suffered physical damage. According to the company’s calculation, the asset has a net realizable value of 30,000 and a value in use of 25,000.

    Then, the recoverable value would be higher of the asset’s net realizable value or value in use, i.e., 30,000 which is still lower than the carrying amount of 50,000. Therefore, Royal ltd. will have to record 20,000 (50,000-30,000) as impairment loss.

    This is will increase Royal Ltd’s expenses by 20,000 and decrease the asset’s value by the same amount.

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

    The term ‘contra’ means opposite or against. In financial accounting, we encounter the term ‘contra’ in: Contra accounts Contra entries The meaning of contra in the above mention terms is also the same as their general meaning. Contra accounts mean the account which is opposite of the account it corRead more

    The term ‘contra’ means opposite or against. In financial accounting, we encounter the term ‘contra’ in:

    • Contra accounts
    • Contra entries

    The meaning of contra in the above mention terms is also the same as their general meaning. Contra accounts mean the account which is opposite of the account it corresponds to.

    Contra entries are entries of the debit and credit aspects related to the same parent account.  Let’s discuss them in detail.

    Contra accounts

    Any account which is created with the purpose of reducing or offsetting the balance of another account is known as a contra account.

    A contra account is just the opposite of the account to which it relates. The most common examples are the sales discount account and sales return account which is the contra account of the sales account.  They are just the opposite of the sales accounts.

    Contra Entries

    Contra entries refer to the entries which show the movement of the amount within the same parent account. Here, the debit and credit entry is posted on the debit and credit side respectively of a single parent account.  Mainly, contra entries are the entries involving cash and bank accounts.

    The following transactions are recorded as contra entries:

    • Cash to Bank transactions: Deposit of cash into the bank account by the entity.
    • Bank to Cash transactions: Withdrawal of cash from the bank.
    • Cash to cash transactions: Transfer of cash to the petty cash account.
    • Bank to Bank transactions: Transfer of amounts from one bank account to other bank accounts of the same entity.

    Contra entries are marked by the letter ‘C’ beside the postings in the ledger. Deposit of cash in to bank will be posted in cashbook as below:

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Bonnie
BonnieCurious
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  2. Ayushi Curious Pursuing CA
    This answer was edited.

    No, capital account is not a real account. Capital account represents the amount of money invested by the owner/owners of the business along with the retained earnings net of drawings or dividends. Capital account has a natural credit balance because it is an internal liability of the business. CapiRead more

    No, capital account is not a real account.

    Capital account represents the amount of money invested by the owner/owners of the business along with the retained earnings net of drawings or dividends. Capital account has a natural credit balance because it is an internal liability of the business.

    Capital account is a personal account because, as discussed above, it represents the investment of the owner or owners. Personal account represents person or persons.

    Whereas a real account represents the material assets of a business. Example:-  Cash A/c, Fixed assets A/c etc. That’s why the capital account is not a real account.

    Being a personal account, the following golden rule of accounting applies to capital account:-

    “Debit the receiver and credit the giver”

    Here, as the owner gives an amount as an investment into the business (owner and the business are separate entities), the capital account has a credit balance.

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Anushka Lalwani
Anushka Lalwani
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  2. GautamSaxena Curious .
    This answer was edited.

    Sundry debtor refers to either a person or an entity that owes money to the business. If someone buys some goods/services from the business and the payment is yet to be received, a group of such individuals or entities is called sundry debtors. Sundry debtors are also referred to as trade receivableRead more

    Sundry debtor refers to either a person or an entity that owes money to the business. If someone buys some goods/services from the business and the payment is yet to be received, a group of such individuals or entities is called sundry debtors. Sundry debtors are also referred to as trade receivables or account receivables.

    The term ‘Sundry’ means various or several, referring to a collection of miscellaneous items combined under one head. Sundry debtors typically arise from core business activities such as sales of goods or services. The business treats them as an asset.

     

    Example

    Suppose you run a business, ABC Ltd. Mr. Y bought goods from you on credit. Therefore, Mr. Y will be recorded as Debtor (current asset) in your books of accounts. Similarly, a collection of such debtors is viewed as sundry debtors from the business’ point of view.

    Journal Entry

    Rules

    As per the golden rules of accounting, we ‘debit the receiver and credit the receiver’. That’s how in this journal entry we’ll be debiting the sundry debtor’s account. Also, ‘debit what comes in and credit what goes out.’ That’s why sales a/c is credited and cash a/c is debited.

    As per the modern rules of accounting, ‘debit the increase in asset and credit the decrease in asset’. That’s why we debit sundry debtors and cash a/c. And credit sales a/c when goods are sold and inventory decreases.

     

    Why debtor is an asset?

    As we know, a debtor refers to a person or entity who owes money to the business which means, the money is to be received by them in the future, making them an asset. On the other hand, creditors are a liability to the firm as we owe them money and it is to be paid by us in the near future, making it an obligation for the firm.

     

    Sundry Debtors in Balance Sheet

    Sundry debtors are shown under the current asset heading on the balance sheet. They are often referred to as account receivables.

     

    Balance Sheet (for the year ending….)

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