Chapter 4 (Step 4) - Adjustments
Chapter 4 (Step 4) - Adjustments
Chapter 4 (Step 4) - Adjustments
The accounting period concept requires that Under the accrual basis, some of the accounts
revenues and expenses be reported in the need updating at the end of the accounting
proper period. period for the following reasons:
Matching concept/principle
Cash basis
- Tax purposes
Accrual basis
Prepaid expenses - are the advance payment of future expenses and are recorded as assets when cash is paid.
Ex.
Prepaid rent
Prepaid insurance
Supplies
Unearned revenues - are the advance receipt of future revenues and are recorded as liabilities when cash is received.
Ex.
Unearned rent
Unearned fees
Unearned services
ACCRUALS
Accrued revenues - are unrecorded revenues that have been earned and for which cash has yet to be received.
Ex.
Accounts receivable
Interest Receivable
Rent Receivable
Fees Receivable
Accrued expenses - are unrecorded expenses that have been incurred and for which cash has not yet been paid.
Ex.
Interest Payable
Salaries Payable
Utilities Payable
Rent Payable
DEPRECIATION
Fixed assets, or plant assets, (Property, plant and equipment) - are physical resources that are owned and used by a
business and are permanent or have a long life.
As time passes, a fixed asset loses its ability to provide useful services. This decrease in usefulness is called depreciation
Depreciation Expense
All fixed assets, except land, lose their usefulness and , thus, are said to depreciate.
As a fixed asset depreciates, a portion of its cost should be recorded as an expense.
This periodic expense is called depreciation expense.
The fixed asset account is not decreased (credited) when making the related adjusting entry. This is because
both the original cost of a fixed asset and the depreciation recorded since its purchase are reported on the
balance sheet.
Instead, an account entitled Accumulated Depreciation is increased (credited).
Accumulated depreciation accounts are called contra accounts, or contra asset accounts.
PROVISION FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE
Uncollectible Receivables
Regardless of how careful a company is in granting credit, some credit sales will be uncollectible.
The operating expense recorded from uncollectible receivables is called:
- bad debt expense,
- uncollectible accounts expense, or
- doubtful accounts expense.
direct write-off method - accounting for uncollectible receivables records bad debt expense only when an account is
determined to be worthless
allowance method - records bad debt expense by estimating uncollectible accounts at the end of the accounting period.
Estimating Uncollectibles
The allowance method requires an estimate of uncollectible accounts at the end of the period.
Methods used to estimate the amount debited to Bad Debt Expense.
The purpose of the adjusted trial balance is to verify the equality of the total debit and credit balances before the
financial statements are prepared.