The process of preparing financial statements is called financial accounting. Its purpose is to report the financial position and performance of a company to the general public. It differs from management accounting, which focuses on preparing detailed reports for managers. Most companies prepare quarterly or annual financial statements and make them publicly available. There are four basic financial statements used to report the financial performance of a company. Let’s look at each of them and their importance.
Double-entry approach
A double-entry approach to accounting and financial statements involves recording each transaction in two different accounts. The accounts are used to reflect the flow of assets and liabilities throughout a business. These assets and liabilities are credited and debited, and these accounts are used to determine revenues and expenses. In this method, a single transaction is recorded as an increase or decrease in the value of the assets or liabilities. Similarly, an asset that increases in value is recorded as an increase in the owner’s equity.
Income statement
An income statement summarizes the company’s revenue, costs of goods sold, and operating expenses. This report is also used to evaluate the financial health of an organization and to determine future cash requirements. Operating expenses include costs related to payroll, rent, and non-capitalized equipment. Non-operating expenses are separate from operating revenues because they are not related to the core business activities. The Indiana University income statement presents the operating portion of the income statement.
Balance sheet
The Balance sheet is a document that provides detailed information on the assets and liabilities of a business. These assets include cash, property, and inventory. The liabilities list is the amount of money owed to others. The liabilities may include short-term debts and long-term debts. A small privately held company may have only its owner or a company bookkeeper prepare the balance sheet. Large private firms typically hire outside accountants to prepare the balance sheet, but it may be prepared internally.
Also Read : How to Get Started With Yahoo Finance
Taxes
Understanding taxes is important for business owners. While the new tax law is supposed to make taxes easier to understand, the complexity of accounting for taxes still exists. For private companies, it can be particularly challenging. Thankfully, there are several accounting books that can help. Here are a few examples. The first is Deloitte’s Roadmap Income Taxes. This guide provides insight into the new ASC 740 standard and its implications.
Financial instruments
As an accounting term, financial instruments refer to contracts that are based on a underlying component. These instruments can be either cash or securities, or they can be debt instruments that are traded on the market. Cash instruments include deposits and loans, while debt instruments are assets that are exchanged for other types of assets. In addition to cash, financial instruments can also include debt and equity securities. For example, equity options are contracts in which the owner receives the right to buy or sell shares of a company. The value of an equity option contract changes with the price of the stock.
