Accounting Vocabulary – Flashcards

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account
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a device for recording the changes (increases or decreases) in the fundemental accounting elements
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account balance
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the difference between the total debits and the total credits in an account
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accountant
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one who is concerned with the design of the system of records, the preparation of reports based upon the recorded data, and the interpretation of the reports
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accounting
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a language of business employed to communicate financial information based upon analyzing, recording, classification, summarization, reporting, and interpretation of financial data
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accounting cycle
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the process involved in journalizing, posting to the ledger, taking a trail balance, preparing statements, making adjusting and closing entries, and preparing a post-closing trail balance, which is repeated each fiscal period
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accounting equation
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A = L + OE assets=liabilities+owener's equity
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account payable
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an unwritten promise to pay creditors for property such as merchandise, supplies or equipment purchased on credit, or for services received on credit
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account receivable
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an unwritten promise by a customer to pay at a later date for goods sold or services rendered
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accounts receivable turnover
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measures how many times per year receivables are collected. -net credit sales divided by Average Accounts receivable -average receivable (Beginning Accounts Receivable minus (-) ending accounts receivable) divided by 2
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accrual accounting
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recording in each fiscal period applicable expenses, whether paid or not, and income earned
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accrued expense
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an expense incurred in operating a business during an accounting period but not yet paid
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accrued income
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income actually earned during an accounting period but which will not be received until a future period
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acid test ratio/quick ratio
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quick assets divided by current liabilites
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activity analysis
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measures how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets
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adjusted trail balance
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a trail balance taken after adjusting entries have been recorded
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adjusting entries
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entries made at the conclusion of a fiscal period to bring accounts up to date
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age of accounts receivable
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measures the average time required to collect receivables -365 divided by accounts receivable turnover
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age of inventory
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measures the average time required to sell inventory - 365 divided by Inventory turnover
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allowance for doubtful accounts (allowance for bad debts)
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a contra account utilized to accumulate totals against accounts recievable
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analyzing
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determining the fundamental significance of business transactions so that financial information may be properly processed
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assets
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property of monetary value owned by a business
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bad debts expense/uncollectible accounts expense/loss form uncollectible accounts
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accounts receivable that are uncollectible
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balance sheet (Statement of Financial Position; Statement of Financial Condition)
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a formal financial statement illustrating the assets, liabilities, and owner's equity of a business as of a specific date
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balance sheet common-size statements/percentage method
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express the major items in the balance sheet as a percent of the total assets and compare with previous fiscal periods
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balance sheet comparative forms
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record the balance sheet data for two or more comparable periods on the same form so that the information can be readily compared
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bank draft
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a check drawn by one bank on another bank in which it has funds on deposit
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back statement reconciliation
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the process by which the depositor verifies agreement between his checkbook balance and the bank statement balance
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bank statement
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an itemized listing prepared by the bank of additions to and subtractions from a depositor's account
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bankers method/360 day method
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a method of computing interest based on the assimption that there are 360 days in a year
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blank endorsement
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the handwritten signature of the payee on the back of the check
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bookkeeper/information processor
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one who is involved in the process of recording financial information in a prescribed manner
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bookkeeping
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a recording of financial information in a prescribed manner
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book value/undepreciated cost
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the cost of a fixed asset less its accumulated depreciation
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budget
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a formal written statement, which may be based upon adjusted historical data, of management's plans for the future expressed in financial terms
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business papers (source documents)
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the first record of a business transaction, such as check stubs, receipts, sales invoices, purchase invoices, cash register tapes, etc
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calender year
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a twelve month period beginning Jan 1st and concluding on Dec 31st
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cancelled check
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a check that has been paid by the bank and returned to the drawer for recordkeeping
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capital (net worth; owner's equity; proprietorship)
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the amount by which the total assets exceed the total liabilities of a business; an owner's financial interest in a business
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cash
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coins, currency (paper money), checks, credit card receipts, and money orders received from other, as well as money deposited in the bank
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cash basis accounting
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an accounting practice in which revenue is not recognized in the accounting records until received and in which expenses are not recognized until paid
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cash discounts
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discounts from quoted prices as an inducement for prompt payment of invoices
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cash payments journal
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a book of orginal entry in which only cash disbursements are recorded
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cash payments/cash disbursements
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money and money substitutes paid
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cash receipts journal
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a book of original entries in which only cash receipts are recorded
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cash short and over
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a special ledger account that is used to keep track of unexplained shortages or overages of cash
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cashiers check
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a check drawn by a bank on its own funds and signed by an officer of the bank
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certified check
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a check that carries the guarantee of the bank that sufficient funds are avaiable to pay the check when it is presented
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Certified Public Accountant/C.P.A
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an individual possessing a college education,having practical experience in accounting and who has passed a comprehensive state examination in order to be certified to practive public accounting in that state
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check
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a piece of commercial paper drawn on funds in a bank account and payable on demand
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chart of accounts
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a list of all the account titles and the account numbers assigned to them
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check stub
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a form on which information is recorded by the drawer of a check concerning the check drawnl; a source of document
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chronological
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in accounting, to record in order of time
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classifying
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the sorting of the many business transactions in on orderly and systematic manner
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closing entries
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entries made at the end of each reporting period to transfer the balances of the temporary owner's equity accounts to the permanent owner's equity account and to reduce the balance in the temporary owner's equity accounts to zero in preparation for the next accounting period
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combination journal
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a book of orignal entry which combones into one journal the features of two column general journal and a special journal
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compound journal entry
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an accounting entry that involves more than two accounts
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centra account
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an account designed to accumulate totals to offset a related account
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credit
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the right side of a standard account
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CR
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the abbreviation for credit
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credit balance
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a condition that occurs when the total of the credits in an account is larger than the total of the debits in that account
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credit memorandum
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a source document that grants credit to a buyer for purchase return or purchase allowance
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creditor
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a business or individual to whom a debt is owed
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cross referencing
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a process of entering the journal page number in the ledger and the ledger account number in the journal
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current assets
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cash or other assets that will be converted into cash or consumed within one year
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current asset ratio
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current assets divided by current liabilities
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current liabilities
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debts of a business that are generally paid within one year
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current ratio
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current assets divided by current liabilities
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data entry (recording)
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the committing of a business transaction and the events surrounding such into writing
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debit
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the left side of a standard account
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debit balance
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a condition that occurs when the total of the debits in an account is larger than the total of the credits in that account
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debit memorandum
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items the bank deducts from the account balance
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debtor
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the business or individual who owes a debt
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deposits in transit
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deposits that have been made and added to depositor's checkbook, but which have not yet been listed on the bank statement
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deposit ticket/deposit slip
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a bank form which lists those cash items (currency and coin) and individual checks to be deposited
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depreciation
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the loss in value of a fixed asset due to wear and tear and the passage of time;or a method of matching the cost of a fixed asset against the revenues that the fixed asset will help produce during its useful life
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depreciation expense
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that portion of the orignal cost of a fixed asset that is assigned as an expense to the reporting period expected to benefit from it use
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disbursement
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a payment
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discount period
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a specific number of days during which a discount is available if the account is paid
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dishonored check
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a check not paid by the bank when properly presented
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double entry accounting/double entry bookkeeping
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a process of recording equal debits and credits for a single business transaction
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Dr.
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the abbreviation for debit
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drawee
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a person or concern, usually a bank, that has been ordered to make a payment of a check or draft
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drawer
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a person (depositor) who signs a check, ordering a payment made
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drawing account/owner withdrawl
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a separate owner's equity accoung in which withdrawls of cash or other assets by the owner for personal use are recorded
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employee
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one who is under the control and direction of an employer with regard to the performance of employment
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endorsement (indorsement)
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the signature of the payee or other holder placed on the back of a check or other negotiable instrument
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endorser
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a person or company whose name is written on the back of a check
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E.O.M
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end of month
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expense
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a decrease in assets, other than withdrawls by the owner, which result from efforts to produce revenues
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face of note
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the principle sum the maker of a note promises to pay
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federal income tax withholding
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the amount that an employer must withhold from an employee's pay for income tax purposes
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federal insurance contributions act
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the federal act which requires most employers and employees to pay taxes to support the federal social security program
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federal umemployment tax act
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the federal act imposed upon each employer for the purpose of financing the administration costs of the federal and the state unemployment compensation programs
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F.I.C.A
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abbreviation for Federal Insurance Contributions Act
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final processing/reporting
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the process of communicating the results achieved during an accounting period to others
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fiscal period
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a period of time covered by an income statement
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fixed assets/long term assets
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property of a relatively permanent nature used in the operation of a business and not intended for resale
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fixed liabilities/long term liabilities
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liabilities that are not due and payable within one year
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footing/pencil footing
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a total, written in small pencil figures, under the last entry in a column of an account
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F.U.T.A
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Federal Umemployment Tax Act
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general journal
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a book of original entry in which business transactions are recorded in chronological order
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general ledger
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the book of accounts
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gross earnings/gross pay
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income before any deductions have been made
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gross profit/gross margin
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net sales minus the cost of goods
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gross profit percentage
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gross profit divided by net sales
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in balance
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a condition in which the total of the debits and the total of the credits are equal in an account
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income/revenue
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an inflow of assets as a result of selling a product or providing a service
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Income Statement Common-Size Statements/ Percentage Method
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express the major items in the Income Statement as a percent of Net Sales and compare with previous fiscal periods
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Income Statement Comparative Forms
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record the income statement data for two or more Comparable periods of the same form so that the information can be readily compared
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Income Statement/ Profit and Loss Statements/ Statement of Operations/Operating Statement
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a formal financial statement which presents the income, expenses, and resulting net profit or net loss for a given period
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Income Tax
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a tax levied on the earnings of individuals and businesses by Federal, state, and local governments
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Independent Contractor
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any person who agrees to perform a service for a fee and who is not subject to the control of those for whom the service is performed
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information processor
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bookkeeper
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intangible assets
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those assets that cannot be touched or grasped (examples include patents, copyrights and goodwill)
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interest
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money paid for the use of money
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interpreting
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explaining the significant events or developments that occur, usually taking the form of analysis and comparisons
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inventory turnover
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the number of times the average inventory has been sold or used up (turned over) during a period. Calculatin: 365/cost of goods sold for period/average inventory. Note: average inventory=(beginning inventory+ending inventory) divided by 2
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inventory
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a source of document showing quantity, description, prices of items, total amount of purchase and the terms of payment
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inventory (merchandise)
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good purchased for resale at a profit
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invoice
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a source of document showing quantity, description, prices of items, total amount of purchase and the terms of payment
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journal
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see general journal
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journalizing
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the process of recording business transactions in a journal
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ledger
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a book of accounts
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liabilities
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any debts that a business owes
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liquidity analysis
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measures the ability of the firm to meet its current obligations
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long term assets
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Fixed assets
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long term liabilities
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Fixed liabilities
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loss from uncollectible accounts
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bad debts expense
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maker
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an individual who promises to pay on a promissory not' an individual who signs a promissory note
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maturity date
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the date on which payment is due on a promissory note
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merchandise/inventory
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goods purchased for resale at a profit
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mortgage payable
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a long term liability; a written promise that pledges real property as security for payment of a debt
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N.S.F
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not sufficient funds
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net income/net profit
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the difference between gross profit and expenses when gross profit is larger
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net loss
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the difference between gross profit and expenses when expense is larger
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net pay/net earnings
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gross pay less payroll deductions;employees take home pay
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net purchases
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purchases minus purchase returns and allowances minus purchase discounts
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net sales
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sales minus sales returns and allowances minus sales discount
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net worth
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capital
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note payable
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a written promise to pay a creditor a certain amount in the future
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note receivable
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a written promise of a customer to pay the business a sum of money at a future date
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operating expenses/overhead
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expenses incurred in the normal operation of a business
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operating statement
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income statement
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original cost basis
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the amount originally paid for a depreciable asset
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other expenses
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expenses incurred that are not the direct result of regular trading activities of a business
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other income
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income received that is not the direct result of regular trading activities of a business
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outstanding checks
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checks that have been drawn and subtracted from the depositor's checkbook, but which have not yet been presented to the bank for payment
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overdraft
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issuance of a check without sufficient funds in the account when it is presented for payment
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overhead
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operating expenses
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owner's equity/net worth/capital/proprietorship
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the amount by which the total assets exceed the total liabilities of a business; an owner's financial interest in a business
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owner withdrawls
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drawing account
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payee
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a person or company who will receive payment on a promissory note, check, draft or money order
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pencil footing
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footing
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petty cash fund
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a fund of currency and coin established for the payment of small amounts of money
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petty cash voucher
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a form used to reflect payments from the petty cash fund
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post-closing trail balance
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a work paper prepared after all the owner's temporary equity accounts have been closed and all permanent accounts have been balanced and ruled, proving the equality of the debits and credits
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postdated check
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a check dated subsequent to (following) its date which will become expenses when consumed or expired
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posting
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the transferal of data from the journal to the ledger
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prepaid expenses
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items that are considered to be assets when acquired, but which will become expenses when consumed or expired
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principal
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the face value of a promissory note upon which interest is computed
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profit margin
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net income divided by bet sales
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profitability analysis
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provides evidence concerning the earnings potential of a company and how effectively the firm is being managed
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profit and loss statement
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income statement
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promissory note
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a written promise made by a person or business to pay a certain sum of money to another person or business at a specified time in the future
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proprietorship
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capital
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proving the journal
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a process which examines each page of a journal, confirming that the debit entries equal the credit entries on each page
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proving cash
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the process of determining whether the amount of cash, both on hand and in the bank, is the same as that which is indicated in the accounting records
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purchase invoice
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a source document prepared by the seller listing the items shipped, their cost and the method of shipment (from the buyer's viewpoint)
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purchase order
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a written order by a buyer for merchandise or other property specified in the purchase requisition
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purchase requisition
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a form used to request the responsible person or department to purchase merchandise or other property
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purchases
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a temporary owner's equity account used to record the buying of merchandise for resale
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purchase discount
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a temporary owner's equity contra account used to record discounts taken on inventory purchases; the amount of any discounts granted by suppliers to encourage prompt payment of their invoices
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purchase journal
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a book of original entry used to record purchases of merchandise on credit only
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purchases returns and allowances
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a temporary owner's equity contra account utilized to record of merchandise to the manufacturer or supllier as the result of material defects in workmanship and/or inferior product quality
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quarterly
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a three-month period
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quick assets
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cash, marketable securites,a ccounts,a nd notes receivable
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quick ratio
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acid test ratio
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rate
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the annual percentage rate used to compute interest
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recording/data entry
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the commiting of a business transaction and the events surrounding such into writing
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reporting
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final processing
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restrictive endorsement
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an endorsement that limits the use of funds to the purpose stated -ex: "For Deposit Only"
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retail sales tax
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a tax imposed on tangible personal property sold at retail
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revenue
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income
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salary
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generally considered to be compensation for managerial or administrative services expressed in terms of a month or year
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sales
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a temporary owner's equity account used to record the earning of revenue
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sales discount
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a temporary owner's equity contra account used to record discounts given to customers as an incentive for prompt payment
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sales invoice
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a source document prepared by the seller that lists the items shipped, their cost and the method of shipment (from the seller's viewpoint)
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sales journal
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a book of original entry used for the recording of sales of merchandise on credit only
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sales returns and allowances
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a temporary owner's equity contra account used to record credit given to a customer for shortages damaged goods
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salvage value
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the estimated value of a fixed asset at the end of its useful life
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source document/business paper
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the first record of a business transaction (examples include check stubs, receipts, sales invoices, cash register tapes, etc)
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special journal
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a special journal designed to accumulate date about only one kind of business transaction
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statement of account
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a report sent to each other customer, usually at the end of the month, which indicates the status of their account
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statement of financial condition/statement of financial position
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balance sheet
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statement of operation
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income statement
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statement of owner's equity/statement of net worth
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a formal financial statement which summarizes all of the changes in owner's equity during a specified period of time
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straight line depreciation
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a method in which the depreciable cost basis )original cost basis less salvage value) of asset is apportioned equally over its estimated useful life expressed in terms of months or years
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stop payment order
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an order by a depositor requesting a bank not to pay on a check previously issued
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summarizing
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bringing accounting data together in a way that will further enhance its usefulness, usually by means of reports and statements
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supplies
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a type of asset that will be consumed as it used (examples supplies and office supplies)
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S.U.T.A
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State Unemployment Tax Act
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T account
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a skeleton form of an account used for instructional purposes
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take home pay/net pay
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the amount of pay after deductions (income taxes, FICA taxes, etc) have been subtracted
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tangible assets
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those assets that can be appraised by value or seen or touched
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temporary owner's equity accounts
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accounts utilized to accumulate income, expenses and owner's withdrawls for one accounting period only
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time/term of note
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the period of time from the date of the note to the maturity date
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transaction analysis
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the effect of transactions on the accounting elements
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transaction
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any activity of a business enterprise that involves the exchange of values
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transposition error
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an amount written with the digits in incorrect order
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trail balance
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a work paper proving the equality of the debit and credit balances in the ledger
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uncollectible accounts expense
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bad debts expense
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UCF
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uncollectible funds
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undepreciated cost
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book value
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useful life
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the estimated life of a fixed asset
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W-2 form
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wage and tax statement; a report furnished by the employer for each employee indicating gross earnings and deductions for income and FICA taxes
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W-4 form
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Employees' Withholding Allowance Certificate
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wage
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a form of compensation usually for skilled and unskilled labor, expressed in terms of hours, weeks or pieces completed
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worksheet
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an expanded trail balance utilizing for computing, classifying, and sorting account balances before preparing the formal financial statements
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basic accounting theory is based on
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double entry
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the difference between the tow sides of an account
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account balance
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debts that are not due and payable within a year
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fixed liabilities
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the difference between net sales and cost of goods sold
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gross margin
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the process of recording information in the ledger
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posting
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the primary purpose of a business
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profit
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another name for Profit and Loss Statement is
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income statement
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the cost of operating a business
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overhead
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credit side of the T-account
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right side
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accounting equation
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-assests=liabilities+owners equity -assets-liabilities=owners equity
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