AccountingQA Latest Questions

A_Team
A_Team
In: >

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

    Definition Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable. Bad debts will be treated in the following ways : On the debit side of the profit and loss account. In the curreRead more

    Definition

    Bad debts are a debt owed to an enterprise that is considered to be irrecoverable or we can say that it is owed to the business that is written off because it is irrecoverable.

    Bad debts will be treated in the following ways :

    On the debit side of the profit and loss account.

    In the current assets side of the balance sheet, these are deducted from sundry debtors.

    For example loans from banks are declared as bad debt, sales made on credit and amounts not received from customers, etc.

    Now I will show you an extract of the profit and loss account and balance sheet   

    Current assets are defined as cash and other assets that are expected to be converted into cash or consumed in the production of goods or the rendering of services in the ordinary course of business.

    For example,  debtors exist to convert them into cash i.e., receive the amount from them, bills receivable exist again for receiving cash against it, etc.

     

    Current liabilities are defined as liabilities that are payable normally within 12 months from the end of the accounting period or in other words which fall due for payment in a relatively short period.

    For example bills payable, short-term loans, etc.

     

    Accounting treatment

    Now let me try to explain to you the accounting treatment for bad debts which is as follows :

    • Balance sheet
      • In the balance sheet either it can be shown on the asset side under head current assets by reducing from that specific assets.
      • For example, if credit sales are made to a customer who says it’s not recoverable or is partially recoverable then the amount is bad debt. It’s a loss for the business and credited to the personal account of debtors or we can say reduced from debtor those are current assets of the balance sheet.

     

    • Profit and loss account
      • Bad debts are treated as an expense and debited to the profit and loss account.
      • For example, as I have explained above, but before transferring to the balance sheet, bad debt will be debited to the profit and loss account as an expense.

     

    Reasons for bad debts

    There are several reasons why businesses may have bad debts some of them are as follows:-

    • Offered credit to customers who were unable to pay them back, or they may have been the victim of fraud.

     

    • When there is conflicts or dispute arise with respect to product size, color, quality, delivery, credit term, price, etc therefore debts becomes bad.

     

    • Debtors have poor financial management or they are not able to pay debts on time.

     

    • Debtors’ unwillingness to pay is also a reason for debts to become bad.

     

    • Or there can be more cases where debtors are unable to collect debts and debts turns out to be bad.

     

    Accounting methods

    There are two methods for accounting for bad debts which are mentioned below:-

    • First, is the direct written-off method which states that bad debts will be directly treated as expenses and expensed to the income statement, which is called the profit and loss account.

     

    • Second, is the allowance method which means we create provisions for doubtful debts accounts and the debtor’s account remains as it is since the debtor’s account and provision for doubtful debts account are two separate accounts.

     

      • Debts that are doubtful of recovery are provided estimating the debts that may not be recovered .amount debited to the profit and loss account reduces the current year’s profit and the amount of provision is carried forward to the next year.
      • Next year, when debts actually become bad debts and are written off, the amount of bad debts is transferred ( debited ) to the provision for doubtful debts account.
      • The amount of bad debts is not debited to the profit and loss account since it was already debited in earlier years.
      • Provision for doubtful debts is shown in the debit side of the profit and loss account as well as shown as a deduction from sundry debtors in the assets side of the balance sheet. 

     

    Related terms

    So there are a few related terms whose meanings you should know

    • Further bad debts :
      • It means the amount of sundry debtors in the trial balance is before the deduction of bad debts. in this situation, entry for further bad debts is also passed into the books of account.
      • That is bad debts are debited and the debtor’s account is credited. And the accounting treatment for them is the same as bad debts which I have shown you above.

     

    • Bad debts recovered :
      • It may happen that the amount written off as bad debts is recovered fully or partially.
      • In that case, the amount is not credited to the debtor’s (personal) account but is credited to the bad debts recovered account because the amount recovered had been earlier written off as a loss.
      • Thus amount recovered is a ‘gain’  and is credited to the profit and loss account.

     

    See less
    • 0
Simerpreet
SimerpreetHelpful
In: >

  2. Karishma
    This answer was edited.

    A profit and loss account is a financial statement which shows the net profit or net loss of an enterprise for an accounting period.  It reports all the indirect expenses and indirect income including gross profit or loss derived from trading accounts for an accounting period. When the total revenueRead more

    A profit and loss account is a financial statement which shows the net profit or net loss of an enterprise for an accounting period.  It reports all the indirect expenses and indirect income including gross profit or loss derived from trading accounts for an accounting period.

    When the total revenue i.e. credit side of profit and loss a/c is more than the total of expenses i.e. the debit side of profit and loss a/c, it results in net profit whereas when the total revenue is less than the total of expenses, it results in a net loss.

    The debit balance of the profit and loss account is the net loss incurred during the accounting period by an enterprise. It is transferred to a capital account thereby reducing the capital or can be shown as a debit balance on the asset side.

    Accounting entry for loss transferred is as follows :

    Capital A/c   …Dr.

    To Profit & Loss A/c

    (being net loss transferred to capital account)

     

    Example

    A Business has a total income of $50,000 in an accounting year and has expenses amounting to $60,000 in that particular year. The profit and loss account will show a net loss of $10,000 ($60,000-50,000). Net loss will be transferred to capital A/c. Capital of the business will be reduced by $10,000. This loss can also be shown on the asset side of the balance sheet.

    Extract of a Profit and loss a/c showing net loss is as under:

    Profit and loss A/c for the year ended …..

    Particulars Amount (Dr.) Particulars Amount (Cr.)
    To gross loss b/d xxx By gross profit b/d xxx
    To salaries xxx By bank interest xxx
    To office rent xxx By commission received xxx
    To printing and stationery xxx By rent received xxx
    To insurance xxx By dividend xxx
    To audit fees xxx By profit on sale of asset xxx
    To electricity chares xxx By Net Loss xxx
    To depreciation xxx
    To bad debts xxx
    To bank charges xxx
    To miscellaneous expenditure xxx
    To interest on loans xxx
    Total xxx

    The debit balance for a non-corporate entity is shown as a reduction from the capital account

    Extract of the Balance sheet showing the debit balance of Profit & Loss A/c is as under :

    Balance Sheet as on…

    Liabilities Amount
    Equity and liabilities
    Capital

    Less: Profit & Loss A/c

    While the Debit balance of profit and Loss A/c of a corporate entity is shown as a reduction in Reserves and surplus. If the business doesn’t have reserves then the debit balance is shown on the asset side.

    Extract of the Balance sheet showing the debit balance of Profit & Loss A/c is as under :

    Balance Sheet as on..

    Liabilities Amount
    Equity and liabilities
    Reserves And Surplus

    Less: Profit & Loss A/c

    Conclusion:  Debit balance of profit and loss a/c represents that expenses are more than the income of a business in an accounting period. Debit balance of profit and loss a/c indicates that company need to increase its income or cut down on unnecessary expenses.

    The business needs to find out the reason of excessive expenses because accumulated losses are not good for the health of the company.

    See less
    • 0
Nistha
Nistha
In: >

Debit Balance
  2. Pooja_Parikh Aspiring Chartered Accountant
    This answer was edited.

    A Profit and Loss (P&L) statement is a financial statement that records a summary of all expenses and incomes of a business during a period of time. It helps in determining the financial performance of the business. After recording all transactions in an account, if the debit side is greater thaRead more

    A Profit and Loss (P&L) statement is a financial statement that records a summary of all expenses and incomes of a business during a period of time. It helps in determining the financial performance of the business.

    After recording all transactions in an account, if the debit side is greater than the credit side, then the account is said to have a debit balance. Similarly, if the credit side is greater than the debit side, then the account has a credit balance.

    In a P&L account, when the expenses (debit) are greater than the incomes (credit), the business is said to be in a net loss. This loss is what we call the debit balance of a Profit and Loss account. A P&L account with a debit balance can be subtracted from Capital or be shown on the asset side of the Balance Sheet.

    As you can see above, the net loss is shown on the right side of the P&L account. This represents the debit balance of P&L. Once it is transferred to the balance sheet, it is either subtracted from capital or shown on the asset side as shown in the second image. However, they cannot be shown on both sides of the balance sheet at the same time.

    However, if the credit side is greater, that is if income is greater than expenses, then the P&L account shows a credit balance which is also known as net profit. This profit is added with Capital to show the final balance in the Balance Sheet.

    Debit balance of Profit & Loss account is not preferable for a business. Hence they should put in efforts to either reduce costs or increase their income to gain profits.

    See less
    • 0
Bonnie
BonnieCurious
In: >

  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom
    This answer was edited.

    A balance sheet of a company is a financial statement that depicts the assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity of the company at a point of time, usually at the end of the accounting year. A balance sheet of a company is reported in a vertical format which is different from that of a partnershiRead more

    A balance sheet of a company is a financial statement that depicts the assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity of the company at a point of time, usually at the end of the accounting year. A balance sheet of a company is reported in a vertical format which is different from that of a partnership where the horizontal format is used.

    COMPONENTS OF A BALANCE SHEET

    The three main components of a balance sheet are Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders’ equity.

    • Assets: They are divided into two main categories that are current assets and non-current assets. If an asset is expected to be realised within 12 months or is primarily held for being traded, or is cash or cash equivalent, then those assets are termed as current assets. All assets that are not current assets are grouped under non-current assets. They are normally realised after 12 months.
    • Liabilities: They are categorised as current liabilities and non-current liabilities. If the amount owed by the company to an outside party is due to be settled in 12 months, then it can be termed as a current liability. The rest of the liabilities are referred to as non-current liability.
    • Shareholders’ Equity: This is the money owed to the owners of the company, that is shareholders. It is also called net assets since it is equal to the difference between total assets and total liabilities. Their main categories are Shareholders’ Capital and Reserves and Surplus.

    FORMAT OF BALANCE SHEET

    As per the Companies Act 2013, the following format should be used for preparing a balance sheet.

    From the above Balance sheet, we should get:

    Assets = Liabilities + Shareholders’ Equity

    Relevant notes for each component should also be prepared when necessary.

    See less
    • 0
Sandy
Sandy
In: >

Fictitious AssetsFinancial Statements
  2. Nistha Pursuing B.COM H (B&F) and CMA
    This answer was edited.

    Fictitious assets can be defined as those fake assets which save revenue for the company. These do not exist physically but also do not qualify as intangible assets. These are merely the expenses or losses that are not fully written off in the accounting period in which they are incurred. These expeRead more

    Fictitious assets can be defined as those fake assets which save revenue for the company. These do not exist physically but also do not qualify as intangible assets. These are merely the expenses or losses that are not fully written off in the accounting period in which they are incurred. These expenses are amortized over a period of time.

    These assets do not have any realizable value except for the cash outflow. These are created to delay the recognition of the expense and defer it to future periods.

    Fictitious assets actually qualify as an expense but are treated as assets only for the fact that they are expected to give returns over a course of more than one year. Examples are Advertisement expenses, preliminary expense, etc.

    Treatment

    Fictitious assets are shown on the assets side of the balance sheet under the head miscellaneous expenditure. A part of these expenses are shown in the profit and loss statement and the remaining amount is carried forward to the following years.

    For example, a company Timber Ltd. incurs expenses relating to advertisement of its products worth 8,000,000 and this advertisement campaign can earn revenue for the company for around 10 years. Hence, such expense of 8,000,000 would be amortized over a period of 10 years.

    For the first year, an amount of 800,000 (8,000,000/10) would appear in the profit and loss statement as expense and the rest 7,200,000 would appear as advertisement expense under the Miscellaneous expenditure on the assets side of the balance sheet.

    For the second year, an amount of 800,000 (8,000,000/10) would appear in the profit and loss statement as expense and the rest 6,400,000 would appear as advertisement expense under the Miscellaneous expenditure on the assets side of the balance sheet. And so on.

    We can say that fictitious assets are deferred revenue expenditures as well as intangible assets. But goodwill, etc are not fictitious assets. Hence, all fictitious assets are intangible assets but all intangible assets are not fictitious assets.

    Common fictitious assets that could generally be seen are:

    • Advertisement expenses
    • Preliminary expenses
    • Discount allowed on the issue of shares
    • Loss incurred on issue of debentures
    • Underwriting Commission
    See less
    • 0
Anushka Lalwani
Anushka Lalwani
In: >

  2. Kajal
    This answer was edited.

    Profit refers to the excess of total revenue over total expenses. According to the rule "Debit all expenses and losses, Credit all incomes and gains", expenses are recorded on the debit side while revenues are recorded on the credit side. There is profit when Total revenue > Total expenses, whichRead more

    Profit refers to the excess of total revenue over total expenses. According to the rule “Debit all expenses and losses, Credit all incomes and gains”, expenses are recorded on the debit side while revenues are recorded on the credit side.

    There is profit when Total revenue > Total expenses, which means the balance of the credit side > the balance of the debit side. Since, in accounting Dr. side is always equal to the credit side, a balancing figure (representing profit or loss) is shown on the shorter side, to make both sides equal.

    When Credit side > Debit side, Profit(balancing figure) is shown on the Dr. side so that both sides are equal. 

     

    PROFIT

    Profit refers to the excess of total revenue over the total expenses of the business for an accounting year. In simple words, it shows how much extra the firm earned after deducting all the expenses it incurred during the year.

    Profit = Total Revenue – Total Expenses

    Suppose, the firm earned a total revenue of $10,000 for the accounting year 2022-23. Also, it incurred total expenses of $6,000 during the year. So, Profit for the AY 2022-23 is $4,000.

     

    ASCERTAINING PROFIT

    To ascertain profit earned or loss incurred by the firm during an accounting year, it prepares two accounts.

    • Trading A/c
    • Profit and Loss A/c

     

    Points to be noted:

    • Both accounts are Nominal Account which follows the rule “Debit all expenses and losses, Credit all incomes and gains”
    • The debit side records expenses while the Credit side records incomes.
    • Both are balanced accounts, which means its Dr. side is always equal to its Cr. side.
    • If they are not balanced, then a balancing figure is added to the shorter side which represents profit or the loss depending on which side is greater.
    • If Dr. side > Cr. side, it means expenses are more than the incomes and thus, there is a loss.
    • If Cr. side > Dr. side, it means there are more incomes than expenses and thus, there is Profit.

     

    TRADING ACCOUNT

    It is the first final account prepared for calculating gross profit or gross loss during the year because of the trading activities of the firm.

    Trading activities are related to the buying and selling of goods. In between buying and selling a lot of activities are there like transportation, warehousing, loading, unloading, etc. All expenses that are directly related to buying and selling as well as manufacturing of goods are known as Direct expenses and are also recorded in the trading accounts.

    Items included on the debit side:

    • Opening stock
    • Purchases
    • Direct expenses like wages, import duty, royalty, manufacturing expenses, etc.
    • Gross Profit

     

    Items included on the credit side:

    • Sales
    • Closing stock
    • Gross loss

     

    Gross Profit is when Cr. side (incomes) > Dr. side (expenses). It is recorded on the debit side as a balancing figure.

     

    PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT

    A businessman incurs a lot of expenses during the year which may be directly related or indirectly related to the business.

    As the Trading account only considers direct expenses, the businessman prepares the P&L A/c which considers all the expenses incurred during a year to ascertain net profit or loss.

    Items written on the Debit side

    • Gross loss (transferred from the trading a/c)
    • Office and administrative expenses (like employee’s salary, office rent, office lighting bills, legal charges, printing expenses, etc.)
    • Selling and distribution expenses (like advertisement fees, commission, carriage outward, packaging charges, etc.
    • Miscellaneous expenses (like interest on loan, interest on capital, repair, depreciation, etc.)
    • Net Profit

     

    Items written on the Credit side

    • Gross Profit (transferred from trading a/c)
    • Other incomes and gains (Like income from investments, interest received, rent received, etc.)
    • Net loss

     

    Net Profit is when the Cr. side (incomes)> Dr. side(expenses). It is recorded on the Debit side as a balancing figure.

    See less
    • 0
Aadil
AadilCurious
In: >

A. For a certain given period B. At a particular point of time C. After a fixed date D. None of the above

  2. Ayushi Curious Pursuing CA

    The correct option is Option (b) at a particular point of time. A balance sheet discloses the financial position of an entity at a particular point of time. The particular point of time is generally the last date of an accounting year. Most of the business concerns follow an accounting year ending oRead more

    The correct option is Option (b) at a particular point of time.

    A balance sheet discloses the financial position of an entity at a particular point of time. The particular point of time is generally the last date of an accounting year. Most of the business concerns follow an accounting year ending on 31st March and prepare their balance sheet as at 31st March.

    By financial position, it means the value of assets and liabilities of the entity. As an entity may enter into monetary transactions every day, the values of the assets and liabilities may also vary every day. Hence, to prepare the balance sheet of an entity, a particular point of time is to be chosen which is generally the last date of an accounting year

    Option (a) for a given period of time is incorrect.

    It is because the values of assets and liabilities of concern may differ daily, a balance sheet cannot be prepared to disclose the financial position of an entity for a given period of time.

    The statement of profit or loss is prepared for a given period of time as it discloses the overall performance of an entity for a given period of time.

    Option (c) after a fixed date is also incorrect.

    The phrase, “after a fixed date” does not indicate a particular point of time. It may mean any day after a fixed date. For example, if there is an instruction to prepare a balance sheet that discloses the financial position of a concern after 30th March, it may mean 31st March, 1st April or any day thereafter.

    As we know that a balance can be prepared for a particular point of time, this option seems wrong.

    Option (d) None of these is incorrect too as Option (b) is the correct one.

    See less
    • 1
Anushka Lalwani
Anushka Lalwani
In: >

  2. AbhishekBatabyal Helpful Pursuing CA, BCOM (HONS)

    Interest on capital is the interest provided on the capital invested in the business. It is calculated as a percentage on the capital invested. Interest on capital is provided if there is any rule established by the owner of the capital. Otherwise, it is not provided. We generally encounter ‘InteresRead more

    Interest on capital is the interest provided on the capital invested in the business. It is calculated as a percentage on the capital invested. Interest on capital is provided if there is any rule established by the owner of the capital. Otherwise, it is not provided.

    We generally encounter ‘Interest on capital’ in partnership accounting but a sole proprietorship can also provide interest on capital.

    Interest on capital is charged or appropriated from the profits of the firm. Hence, it appears on the debit side of the profit and loss account.

    The journal entry is as follows:

    The partners, in case the firm makes profit, are provided interest on their capital balance apart from their share of profit if provision of interest on capital is mentioned in the partnership deed.

    Hence, interest on capital is an appropriation of profit in partnership accounting. The journal in case of partnership account is as follows:

    The Interest on capital is credited to the capital/ partners’ capital account thereby increasing the capital balance.  The journal is as follows:

    In the balance sheet it is shown as an addition to the capital account.

    Numerical example

    P, Q and R are partners. Their firm reported a net profit of ₹ 20,000. Their capitals are ₹30,000, ₹45,000 and ₹60,000. It is in their partnership deed to provide the partners 4% interest on capital and a salary of ₹5,000 per annum for Q. Calculate the interest on capital.

    Solution:

    Interest on capital to be provided to the partners:

    P – ₹30,000 x 6% = ₹1,800

    Q – ₹45,000 x 6% = ₹2,700

    R – ₹60,000 x 6% = ₹3,600

    This interest will be credited to the partners’ capital. The journals are as follows:

    See less
    • 0
Astha
AsthaLeader
In: >

Balance SheetMiscellaneous Expenditure
  2. Simerpreet Helpful CMA Inter qualified
    This answer was edited.

    Miscellaneous expenditure in the balance sheet The expenses that are written off in the current financial year are shown on the debit side of the profit and loss account. However, those that are not written off during the current financial year are shown in the balance sheet on the Assets Side as MiRead more

    Miscellaneous expenditure in the balance sheet

    The expenses that are written off in the current financial year are shown on the debit side of the profit and loss account. However, those that are not written off during the current financial year are shown in the balance sheet on the Assets Side as Miscellaneous expenditure.

    Miscellaneous expenditure are those expenses that are not categorized as Operating expenses i.e. these are not classified as manufacturing, selling, and administrative expenses.

    For example, BlackRock has spent 5,00,000 which will be written of in 5 consecutive years as an Advertisement expense. During the current financial year, only 1,00,000 will be written off and the rest will be carried to the next year and year thereafter.

    Treatment in the first year:

    • 1,00,000 which is written off during the current financial year will be shown on the debit side of the Profit and Loss account.
    • 4,00,000 which is carried forward will be shown on the assets side of the balance sheet as miscellaneous expenditure because all assets and expenses have a debit balance.

    Treatment in the second year:

    • 1,00,000 which is written off during the current financial year will be shown on the debit side of the Profit and Loss account.
    • 4,00,000 which is carried forward will be shown in the assets side of the balance sheet as a miscellaneous expenditure.

    The same will be done in the third, fourth, and fifth years.

    Conclusion

    Deferred revenue expenditure is also a long-term expenditure the benefit of which cannot be derived within the same year. So the amount that is written off during the current year is shown on the debit side of the profit and loss account and the amount which is not written off during the current financial year is shown on the assets side under the head Miscellaneous expenditure.

    See less
    • 0
Ayushi
AyushiCurious
In: >

  2. Rahul_Jose Aspiring CA currently doing Bcom
    This answer was edited.

    When a manager provides services to a company, he is expected to receive some kind of compensation. This is given in the form of managerial remuneration. Section 197 of the Companies Act allows a maximum remuneration of 11% of the net profit of the company to the directors, managing directors and whRead more

    When a manager provides services to a company, he is expected to receive some kind of compensation. This is given in the form of managerial remuneration. Section 197 of the Companies Act allows a maximum remuneration of 11% of the net profit of the company to the directors, managing directors and whole-time directors etc. This section is applicable for public companies and not private companies

    Yes, a company can pay managerial remuneration in case of inadequacy of profits or losses, provided they follow the condition in Schedule V of the Companies Act 2013.

    Conditions

    In order to pay remuneration while the company is at a loss, it has to comply with the following:

    • Pass a resolution at the board meeting
    • The company has not defaulted in payments to any Banks, non-convertible debenture holders or any secured creditors. But in case of default, the company has obtained prior approval from such creditors or banks before obtaining approval from their general meeting.
    • Ordinary resolution or special resolution (if the limit is exceeded)

    The limit mentioned above refers to the maximum limit of Rs 60 lakhs when the effective capital is negative or less than Rs 5 Crore. Such remuneration can also only be paid if such a manager does not have any interest in the company and also possesses special knowledge and expertise along with a graduate-level qualification.

    Effective capital is the aggregate of paid-up share capital, share premium, reserves and surplus, long term loans and deposits and after subtracting Investments, accumulated losses and preliminary expenses not written off.

    Percentage of Remuneration

    When the Company earns adequate profits, they are allowed to provide remuneration up to a certain per cent. The percentage of remuneration depends on whether the directors are working whole-time or part-time according to the Companies Act.

    See less
    • 0

Most Helping Users

Astha

Astha

Leader
Simerpreet

Simerpreet

Helpful
AbhishekBatabyal

AbhishekBatabyal

Helpful