Accumulated profit is the amount of profit left after the payment of dividends to the shareholders. It is also known as retained earnings. It is the profit that is not distributed as dividends to shareholders, hence called retained earnings. This accumulated profit is an important source of internalRead more
Accumulated profit is the amount of profit left after the payment of dividends to the shareholders. It is also known as retained earnings. It is the profit that is not distributed as dividends to shareholders, hence called retained earnings. This accumulated profit is an important source of internal finance for a company. Accumulated profit or retained earnings can be ascertained using the following formula:
Accumulated profit = Opening balance of accumulated profit + Net Profit/Loss (loss being in the negative figure) – Dividend paid
Accumulated profit can be put to the following uses:
- To reinvest into the business in form of capital assets or working capital.
- To repay the debt of the company.
- To pay dividends in future.
- To set off the net loss made by the company.
Accumulated profit and reserves are often considered the same. But in substance, they are not. The reserves are actually part of the accumulated profit, but the converse is not true. They are created by transferring amounts from the accumulated profit. While reserves are created for purpose of strengthening the financial foundation of a firm, the accumulated profit’s main purpose is to make reinvest in the business to increase its growth.
The amount of accumulated profits depends upon the retention ratio and dividend payout ratio of a company. The retention ratio is the opposite of the dividend payout ratio.
The formula of dividend pay-out ratio = Dividend payable/Net Income
And retention ratio = 1 – (Dividend payable/Net Income)
If the retention ratio is more than the dividend payout ratio, the accumulated profit remains positive.
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Introduction Often cash is withdrawn by the owner or proprietor of a business for his or her personal use. Such withdrawal of cash is an outflow of capital from business and it is known as drawings. The accounting treatment of cash withdrawn for personal use is expressed in the accounting equation aRead more
Introduction
Often cash is withdrawn by the owner or proprietor of a business for his or her personal use. Such withdrawal of cash is an outflow of capital from business and it is known as drawings.
The accounting treatment of cash withdrawn for personal use is expressed in the accounting equation as shown in the example below:
It is shown as a negative figure under both assets and capital heading. I will be explaining why it is so.
Accounting Equation
The accounting equation represents the relationship between assets, liabilities, and capital of an entity whether profit oriented or not, according to which, the total assets of a business equals to the sum of its total capital and total liabilities.
Assets = Liabilities + Capital
This equation holds good in every monetary transaction or event like the event given in the question.
Cash withdrawn for personal use
We know every transaction affects two accounts. In this case, too, the ‘cash withdrawn for personal use’ affects two accounts. Cash withdrawn for personal use is known as drawings.
Let’s see the journal entry for drawings of cash from business:
Here the drawing account is debited because it is a contra-equity account i.e. it is a mirror image of the capital account or opposite of the capital account. Here the cash account is an asset account; hence it is credited as it is reduced.
As drawings represent the outflow of capital from the business, it is written off from the Capital account in the balance sheet.
Hence, in the accounting equation, the drawing amount is deducted from the Asset side and from the capital side, indicating a balance.
It does not appear in the statement of profit or loss despite having a debit balance because it is not an expense account.
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