Sat.Jul 08, 2023

article thumbnail

The difference between margin and markup

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Revenue Management Revenue Recognition The difference between margin and markup is that margin is sales minus the cost of goods sold , while markup is the the amount by which the cost of a product is increased in order to derive the selling price. A mistake in the use of these terms can lead to price setting that is substantially too high or low, resulting in lost sales or lost profits, respectively.

article thumbnail

W-2 contractor definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Human Resources Guidebook Optimal Accounting for Payroll Payroll Management What is a W-2 Contractor? A W-2 contractor is an individual who is issued a Form W-2 by a temporary work agency, but who works as a contractor for a client of the agency. In the work environment, a person can be classified as an employee or a contractor. An employee is a person who is supervised within a business and is subject to its work rules; the employer deducts taxes from the employee's pay, matches

Payroll 75
professionals

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Contra accounts definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accountants’ Guidebook Bookkeeping Guidebook The Balance Sheet What are Contra Accounts? A contra account offsets the balance in another, related account with which it is paired. Contra accounts appear in the financial statements directly below their paired accounts. Sometimes the balances in the two accounts are merged for presentation purposes, so that only a net amount is presented.

article thumbnail

Financial analysis definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Business Ratios Guidebook Financial Analysis The Interpretation of Financial Statements What is Financial Analysis? Financial analysis is the examination of financial information to reach business decisions. This analysis typically involves an examination of both historical and projected profitability , cash flows , and risk. It may result in the reallocation of resources to or from a business or a specific internal operation.

article thumbnail

Elevating Accounting Practices: The Power of Outsourcing and Automation in the Digital Age

Speaker: Nancy Wu, Head of Sales and Customer Success at SkyStem

Join us for an enlightening webinar as we delve into the transformative realm of modern accounting practices. In today's digital age, the convergence of outsourcing and automation has revolutionized how businesses manage their financial operations. In this webinar we will explore the synergistic potential of these two strategies to streamline processes, enhance accuracy, save cost and drive strategic decision-making.

article thumbnail

Voucher definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Optimal Accounting for Payables Payables Management How is a Voucher Used in Accounting? A voucher is an internal document describing and authorizing the payment of a liability to a supplier. It is most commonly used in a manual payment system, where it is part of the system of controls. A voucher is created following the receipt of an invoice from a supplier.

article thumbnail

How to reconcile an account

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accountants’ Guidebook Bookkeeper Education Bundle Bookkeeping Guidebook When you reconcile an account, you are proving that the transactions that sum to the ending account balance for the account are correct. This means you can prove one of the following two assertions: That the transactions included in a revenue, expense, gain, or loss account belong in that account, and so should not be shifted into an account that more closely matches the nature of the transaction; or That th

More Trending

article thumbnail

How to account for cash dividends

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accountants' Guidebook Bookkeeping Guidebook The Balance Sheet When a cash dividend is declared by the board of directors , debit the retained earnings account and credit the dividends payable account, thereby reducing equity and increasing liabilities. Thus, there is an immediate decline in the equity section of the balance sheet as soon as the board of directors declares a dividend, even though no cash has yet been paid out.

article thumbnail

How to calculate sales margin

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Business Ratios Guidebook Financial Analysis The Interpretation of Financial Statements Sales margin is the amount of profit generated from the sale of a product or service. It is used to analyze profits at the level of an individual sale transaction , rather than for an entire business. By analyzing sales margins, one can identify which products being sold are the most (and least) profitable.

article thumbnail

Joint venture definition

Accounting Tools

What is a Joint Venture? A joint venture is a business arrangement in which two or more parties contribute resources in order to achieve a goal. They can be organized in the ways noted below. In all of these types of joint venture, there are two or more venturers that are bound by a contractual agreement that establishes joint control over the entity.

article thumbnail

Just-in-time manufacturing definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Operations Management What is Just-in-Time Manufacturing? Just-in-time manufacturing requires the creation of goods when customer orders are received. The intent behind this system is to avoid the waste that would otherwise arise from the excessive storage of inventory and the overproduction of goods. The result is a streamlined system that minimizes the investment in working capital , while also minimizing inventory obsolescence and production scrap.

40
article thumbnail

Predictions You Can Rely On: How Data Drives Successful Financial Forecasting

Speaker: Robbie Bhathal, Founder & CEO, and Matthew Acalin, Head of Credit Intelligence

In today's volatile financial environment, how confident are you in your company’s financial forecasting? To get the most accurate cash predictions that will lead to long-term financial survival, real-time data is critical. Innovative cash management strategies can lead to better credit opportunities, more sustainable growth, and long-term financial prosperity.

article thumbnail

Mutual fund definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Corporate Cash Management Corporate Finance Investing Guidebook What is a Mutual Fund? A mutual fund is a portfolio of securities that is owned by many investors, where each investor owns shares in the portfolio. The fund is operated by money managers, who invest funds with the target of increasing the return to investors, either from income or capital gains.

article thumbnail

Management control system definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting Controls Guidebook Accounting Procedures Guidebook What is a Management Control System? A management control system maintains a detailed level of oversight over the use of resources within a business. The system assigns responsibility for resource consumption to various individuals, whose performance is judged based on their ability to manage resources in the most effective manner possible.

article thumbnail

Straight line amortization definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accounting for Intangible Assets Fixed Asset Accounting How to Audit Fixed Assets What is Straight Line Amortization? Straight line amortization is a method for charging the cost of an intangible asset to expense at a consistent rate over time. This method is most commonly applied to intangible assets, since these assets are not usually consumed at an accelerated rate, as can be the case with some tangible assets.

article thumbnail

Monopoly definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Managerial Economics What is a Monopoly? A monopoly occurs when one producer controls the supply of goods and services to customers. The monopoly is more effective when there is a restriction on the ability of new competitors to enter the market. This situation most commonly arises when there are regulations blocking new entrants. It may also occur on a temporary basis when a business is granted a patent on a key product, so that competitors cannot sell the same product for a per

article thumbnail

Your New & Improved Month-End Close Process Is Not So Far Out of Reach!

All accounting teams know what it is like to dread the inevitable month-end scaries. If there was a way to feel less burdened and maybe even a little enthusiastic to work on your month-end close and reconciliation process, would you do it? No, don't answer that, of course you would! Automate your month-end close process by up to 40% with SkyStem's ART and see how much more alive you feel!

article thumbnail

Risk manager job description

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Business Insurance Fundamentals Enterprise Risk Management What is a Risk Manager? The risk manager position is responsible for the monitoring and mitigation of all risks within a company. The position usually reports to the chief financial officer , but may also work closely with many parts of the company, including engineering, human resources, legal and accounting, production, safety and health, and security.

article thumbnail

Managed earnings definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Fraud Examination Fraud Schemes How to Audit for Fraud What is Managed Earnings? Managed earnings occur when the managers of a business falsely manipulate reported profit levels. The manipulation is usually designed to increase profits, perhaps to improve the stock price of the business or to qualify it for a loan. Earnings may also be adjusted downward in order to reduce the tax burden of the business.

article thumbnail

Spending variance definition

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Cost Accounting Fundamentals What is a Spending Variance? A spending variance is the difference between the actual and expected (or budgeted) amount of an expense. Thus, if a company incurs a $500 expense for utilities in January and expected to incur a $400 expense, there is a $100 unfavorable spending variance. This concept is commonly applied to the areas noted below.

article thumbnail

Business entity concept

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Accountants' Guidebook Bookkeeper Education Bundle Bookkeeping Guidebook What is the Business Entity Concept? The business entity concept states that the transactions associated with a business must be separately recorded from those of its owners or other businesses. Doing so requires the use of separate accounting records for the organization that completely exclude the assets and liabilities of any other entity or the owner.

article thumbnail

The Definitive Guide to Spend Management

The status quo for AP in small and mid-market companies is broken. It consists of messy tech stacks of siloed solutions that give rise to manual work, a lack of control, wasted spend, and unnecessary risks. The benefits of shifting to spend management are tangible, measurable, and are felt across the whole organization. Spend management is a different way of thinking and an innovation whose time has come.

article thumbnail

Examples of capital expenditures

Accounting Tools

Related Courses Capital Budgeting Fixed Asset Accounting How to Audit Fixed Assets A capital expenditure refers to the expenditure of funds for an asset that is expected to provide utility to a business for more than one reporting period. Examples of capital expenditures are as follows: Buildings (including subsequent costs that extend the useful life of a building) Computer equipment Office equipment Furniture and fixtures (including the cost of furniture that is aggregated and treated as a sin