These chapters cover the entire accounting cycle, which includes recording financial transactions, adjusting entries, preparing financial statements, and closing the books. The following steps will guide you through these processes.
What to know: You must be able to recognize and record various transactions in the general journal. Journal entries are used to record the financial effects of business transactions. Each entry will typically involve at least one debit and one credit.
Key Concepts:
Debits: Increase assets, decrease liabilities and equity.
Credits: Decrease assets, increase liabilities and equity.
Example:
Purchase of inventory:
Inventory (debit) 10,000
Accounts Payable (credit) 10,000
T-accounts are used to visualize the effects of transactions on individual accounts. For each journal entry, record the corresponding amounts in T-accounts to keep track of the balances.
How to Set Up:
Draw a "T" for each account.
Record the debits on the left and credits on the right.
Example:
For the journal entry above:
Inventory T-account:
Debit 10,000 (left side)
Accounts Payable T-account:
Credit 10,000 (right side)
What to know: Adjusting entries are necessary at the end of an accounting period to bring accounts up to date before preparing financial statements. Common adjustments include accruals, deferrals, depreciation, and allowances for uncollectible accounts.
Example: Adjusting for prepaid expenses:
Prepaid insurance is originally recorded as an asset, but as time passes, part of it is used up.
Insurance Expense (debit) 500
Prepaid Insurance (credit) 500
What to know: After the accounting period ends, closing entries are made to transfer balances from temporary accounts (revenues, expenses) to permanent accounts (retained earnings).
Steps:
Close revenues to Income Summary:
Debit revenue accounts and credit Income Summary.
Close expenses to Income Summary:
Credit expense accounts and debit Income Summary.
Close Income Summary to Retained Earnings:
The balance in Income Summary is transferred to Retained Earnings.
Close dividends to Retained Earnings:
Debit Retained Earnings and credit Dividends.
Example:
Closing revenue:
Service Revenue (debit) 5,000
Income Summary (credit) 5,000
The core financial statements prepared after journalizing, adjusting, and closing entries are:
The balance sheet shows the company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. It must balance, meaning assets = liabilities + equity.
Format:
Assets (Current Assets + Non-Current Assets)
Liabilities (Current Liabilities + Long-Term Liabilities)
Equity (Common Stock, Retained Earnings)
Example:
Assets = 100,000
Liabilities = 50,000
Equity = 50,000 (Assets = Liabilities + Equity)
The income statement summarizes a company’s revenues, expenses, and profits over a period.
Format:
Revenues: Total income from sales of goods or services.
Expenses: Costs incurred to generate revenue.
Net Income: Revenue - Expenses.
Example:
Revenue = 10,000
Expenses = 7,000
Net Income = 3,000
This statement shows changes in retained earnings over a period.
Format:
Beginning Retained Earnings + Net Income - Dividends = Ending Retained Earnings
Example:
Beginning Retained Earnings = 20,000
Net Income = 3,000
Dividends = 1,000
Ending Retained Earnings = 22,000
Issuing Common Stock:
When stock is issued at par value:
Cash (debit) Amount
Common Stock (credit) Par Value
When issued above par (at premium):
Cash (debit) Amount
Common Stock (credit) Par Value
Additional Paid-In Capital (credit) Premium
When treasury stock is purchased:
Treasury Stock (debit) Amount Paid
Cash (credit) Amount Paid
When treasury stock is resold:
Cash (debit) Amount Received
Treasury Stock (credit) Cost of Stock
If sold for more than cost:
Additional Paid-In Capital (credit) Excess
For cash dividends:
Retained Earnings (debit) Dividend Amount
Cash (credit) Dividend Amount
For stock dividends:
Retained Earnings (debit) Market Value
Common Stock (credit) Par Value
Additional Paid-In Capital (credit) Excess
Operating Activities: Cash inflows and outflows from operating activities
Receipts
Payment
net cash
Investing Activities: Cash inflows and outflows related to long-term assets (purchase/sale of property, equipment, investments).
Financing Activities: Cash inflows and outflows related to debt and equity (issuing stock, repaying debt).
Starts with Net Income and adjusts for:
net income
adjustments
adjusted net income
Non-cash expenses (e.g., depreciation, amortization)
Changes in working capital accounts (e.g., accounts receivable, inventory)
Gains or losses on asset sales.
Non-cash items: Depreciation, Amortization, Gains/Losses on sales of assets.
Changes in working capital accounts: Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory.
Operating Activities Example:
Net Income = 10,000
Add: Depreciation = 2,000
Add: Decrease in Accounts Receivable = 1,000
Net Cash from Operating Activities = 13,000
Current Ratio:
Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities
Measures the ability to pay short-term obligations.
Inventory Turnover:
Inventory Turnover = COGS / Average Inventory
Shows how many times inventory is sold and replaced during a period.
Days Inventory Outstanding:
DIO = 365 / Inventory Turnover
Measures how many days inventory sits before being sold.
Accounts Receivable Turnover:
Receivables Turnover = Net Credit Sales / Average Accounts Receivable
Measures how efficiently receivables are collected.
Debt Ratio:
Debt Ratio = Total Liabilities / Total Assets
Indicates the proportion of assets financed by debt.
Times-Interest-Earned Ratio:
TIE = EBIT / Interest Expense
Measures the ability to cover interest payments with operating income.
Return on Assets (ROA):
ROA = Net Income / Total Assets
Shows how well assets are used to generate profit.
Return on Equity (ROE):
ROE = Net Income / Shareholder's Equity
Measures profitability relative to shareholders' equity.