Preview

What Are Aasets and Balance Sheets

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
463 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Are Aasets and Balance Sheets
Assessment activity 4
PART 1
A.In financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset. Simply stated, assets represent value of ownership that can be converted into cash (although cash itself is also considered an asset).The balance sheet of a firm records the monetary value of the assets owned by the firm. It is money and other valuables belonging to an individual or business. Two major asset classes are tangible assets and intangible assets. Tangible assets contain various subclasses, including current assets and fixed assets. Current assets include inventory, while fixed assets include such items as buildings and equipment.
B. In financial accounting, a liability is defined as an obligation of an entity arising from past transactions or events, the settlement of which may result in the transfer or use of assets, provision of services or other yielding of economic benefits in the future. A liability is defined by the following characteristics:
• Any type of borrowing from persons or banks for improving a business or personal income that is payable during short or long time;
• A duty or responsibility to others that entails settlement by future transfer or use of assets, provision of services, or other transaction yielding an economic benefit, at a specified or determinable date, on occurrence of a specified event, or on demand;
• A duty or responsibility that obligates the entity to another, leaving it little or no discretion to avoid settlement; and,
• A transaction or event obligating the entity that has already occurred.
Liabilities in financial accounting need not be legally enforceable; but can be based on equitable obligations or constructive obligations. An equitable obligation is a duty based on ethical or moral considerations. A constructive obligation is an obligation that is

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Beechy6eVol2 SM Ch12

    • 6352 Words
    • 54 Pages

    A financial liability exists when one company has a liability and another entity has a financial asset. Non-financial liabilities are all other liabilities; no corresponding financial asset arises on the books of the counter-party. Examples include liabilities for environmental remediation, lawsuits and warranties. [Other examples are acceptable.] Liabilities must be probable of payment (>50% probability) to be recognized. Amounts are…

    • 6352 Words
    • 54 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Text Questions 6

    • 317 Words
    • 1 Page

    Liabilities are the amounts of money due to others that need to be paid now.…

    • 317 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hsm/260

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Liabilities- Obligations of a company or an organization. Amounts owed to lenders and suppliers. Liabilities often have the word. http://www.accountingcoach.com/terms/L/liabilities.html…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Basics of Accounting

    • 655 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Assets: often defined as an economic resource which is owned by the corporation and is expected to provide future benefits to its operation. Accounting rules allow assets to take two forms: Tangible Assets, which have a physical form such as a building or a piece of machinery. Intangible Assets, which usually involve a legal right or claim such as a patent.…

    • 655 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    | Jake and his friends are war veterans that have received accolades for their services.…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hawkins, David F., Miller, Gregory S. and Narayanan, V. G., Kim Park (B): Liabilities (July 27, 2009). HBS Case No. 110-018; Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1499211…

    • 1402 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Acct 496 CH 5

    • 587 Words
    • 2 Pages

    • A present obligation that is not recognized because (1) it is not probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation or (2) the amount of the obligation cannot be measured with sufficient reliability.…

    • 587 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Other entrants under a contract, the duties owed to them that were depended on the terms of the contract.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ch12 Solutions

    • 7012 Words
    • 34 Pages

    A financial liability exists when one company has a liability and another entity has a financial asset. Non-financial liabilities are all other liabilities; no corresponding financial asset arises on the books of the counter-party. Examples include liabilities for environmental remediation, lawsuits…

    • 7012 Words
    • 34 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Estimated Liabilities

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Estimated liabilities are a known obligation that is of an uncertain amount but that can be reasonable estimated. Common examples are employee benefits such as pensions, heath care and vacation pay, and warranties offered by a seller (Fundamental Accounting Principles, Chapter 11, Pg 437).…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Incorporating a Business In order to mention all the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating a business, first I should try to explain what a corporation is. In 1819, Chief Justice Marshall of the United States Supreme court said: " A corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of the law." In the Webster's College Dictionary corporation is defined as "an association of individuals, created by law and having an existence apart from that of its members as well as distinct and inherent powers and liabilities.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    promising to do something that the promisee has no prior legal duty to do (e.g., promising to pay money for the promisor’s goods); Regular consideration…

    • 2312 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    (ii) any right, title, privilege, obligation or liability, acquired, accrued or incurred, thereunder or any release or discharge already granted of or from any debt, penalty, obligation, liability, claim or…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Contingent Liabilities

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “In order to record a liability, the cause of the uncertainty must exist at the balance sheet date. Therefore, no liability will exist for obligations that do not currently exist but, instead represent potential future liabilities from exposure to general business risk.” (Whalen).…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A liability is a present obligation of the enterprise arising from the past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the enterprise of resources embodying economic benefits whereas An environmental liability is an obligation to pay future expenditures to remedy environmental damage that has occurred because of past events or transactions, or to compensate a third party that has suffered from the damage. An environmental liability exists when there is a requirement, based on statute, regulation, or legal agreement to perform cleanup (i.e., removal, containment, disposal) from federal operations that resulted in hazardous waste. Environmental liabilities must be recognized on the financial statement for probable and measurable future outflows or expenditure of resources for environmental cleanup, closure, and/or disposal actions. Obligation based on the principle that a polluting party should pay for any and all damage caused to the environment by its activities. In some countries, this is a strict liability if the damage can be attributed to a specific party. The principle of liability applies to environmental damage and imminent threat of damage resulting from occupational activities, where it is possible to establish a causal link between the damage and the activity in question. The essential characteristic of a liability is that the enterprise has a present obligation. Therefore , an environmental liability is probable if for example :…

    • 285 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays