Table of of Contents Content s Defining Financial Statements
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Balance Sheet
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Types of Balance Sheet
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Standard Format of a Balance Sheet
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Sample Balance Sheet
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Income Statement
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Usefulness and limitations of Income Statement
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Items on an Income Statement
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Operating Section
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Non-Operating Section
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General format of an Income Statement
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Statement of Retained Earnings
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Cash flow Statement
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Cash flow Activities
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Sample cash flow statement
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Purpose of financial statements
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Government financial statements
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Audit and legal implications
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Standards and regulations
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Inclusion in annual reports
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Financial statements These are the formal records of a business' financial activities. In British English, including United Kingdom company law, financial statements are often referred to as accounts, although the term financial statements are also used, particularly by accountants.
Financial Financial statements statements give us a bird view of a business' business' financial financial condition in both short and long term. All the relevant financial information of a business enterprise presented in a structured manner and in a form easy to understand, is called the financial statements. There are four basic financial statements.
Balance sheet Income statement Statement of retained earnings Statement of cash flows Purpose of financial statements
Balance sheet In financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement statement of financial position is a summary of a person's or organization's balances. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year. A balance sheet is often described as a snapshot of a company's financial condition. Of the four basic financial statements, the balance sheet is the only statement which applies to a single point in time. A company balance sheet has three parts: assets, liabilities and ownership equity. The main categories of assets assets are usually listed listed first first and are followed by the liabilities. liabilities. The difference difference between the assets assets and
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the liabilities liabilities is known as equity or the net assets assets or the net worth of the company and according to the accounting equation, net worth must equal assets minus liabilities. Another way to look at the same equation is that assets equals liabilities plus owner's equity. Looking at the equation in this way shows how assets were financed: either by borrowing money (liability) or by using the owner's money (owner's equity). Balance sheets are usually presented with assets in one section and liabilities and net worth in the other section with the two sections "balancing." A business operating entirely in cash can measure its profits by withdrawing the entire bank balance at the end of the period, plus any cash in hand. However, many businesses are not paid immediately; they build up inventories of goods and they acquire buildings and equipment. In other words: businesses have assets and so they can not, even if they want to, immediately turn these into cash at the end of each period. Often, these businesses owe money to suppliers and to tax authorities, and the proprietors do not withdraw all their original capital and profits at the end of each period. In other words businesses also have liabilities.
Types of Balance Sheet Personal balance sheet US small business balance sheet Public Business Entities balance sheet structure
Format of a Standard Balance Sheet. 3
ASSETS •
current assets + cash in the bank ban k + petty cash = net cash (by totalling the previous three items);
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inventory + accounts receivable + net cash = total current assets
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fixed assets + land + buildings - depreciation = net land and buildings
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equipment - depreciation = net equipment
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total assets
LIABILITIES •
accounts payable + wages payable + taxes payable = total current liabilities
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long term loans + morgage = total long term liabilities
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total liabilities
EQUITY •
owners equity + owners draws + retained earnings + current earnings = total earnings
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total equity
COMPANY NAME IN BLOCK LETTERS Balance Sheet
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December 31, 20XX Assets
Liabilities and Owner’s Equity
Cash
$ xx,xxx
Liabilities
$ x x ,x x x
Accounts Receivable
xx,xxx
Notes Payable
xx,xxx
Inventory
xx,xxx
Accounts Payables
xx,xxx
Prepaid Insurance
xx,xxx
Total Liabilities
xx,xxx
Land
xx,xxx
Building
xx,xxx
Owner’s Equity
Equipments
xx,xxx
Person’s Capital
xx,xxx
Total Assets
$ xx,xxx
Total Liabilities and Owner’s Equity
$ x x ,xx x
ASSETS = LIABILITIES + EQUITY , then you've done it properly. At the end of your balance sheet, if ASSETS
Congratulations!
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Income statement Income statement , also called profit and loss statement (P&L), is a company's financial statement that
indicates indicates how the revenue (money received from the sale of products products and services services before expenses are taken out, also known as the "top line") is transformed into the net income (the result after all revenues and expenses have been accounted for, also known as the "bottom line"). The purpose of the income statement is to show managers and investors whether the company made or lost money during the period being reported. The important thing to remember about an income statement is that it represents a period of time. This contrasts with the balance sheet, which represents a single moment in time. Charitable organizations that are required to publish financial statements do not produce an income statement. Instead, they produce a similar statement that reflects funding sources compared against program expenses, administrative costs, and other operating commitments.
Usefulness and limitations of income statement Income statements should help investors and creditors determine the past performance of the enterprise, predict future performance, and assess the capability of generating future cash flows. However, information of an income statement has several limitations: •
Items Items that that might might be releva relevant nt but cannot be reliab reliably ly measur measured ed are not report reported ed (e.g. (e.g. brand brand recognition and loyalty).
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Some numbers depend on accounting methods used (e.g. using FIFO or LIFO accounting to measure inventory level).
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Some Some number numberss depend depend on judgme judgments nts and estima estimates tes (e.g. (e.g. depreci depreciati ation on expense expense depends depends on estimated useful life and salvage value)
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Items on income statement Operating section •
Revenue - Cash inflows or other enhancements of assets of an entity during a period from
delivering or producing goods, rendering services, or other activities that constitute the entity's ongoing ongoing major major operat operation ions. s. Usuall Usually y presen presented ted as sales sales minus minus sales sales discou discounts nts,, return returns, s, and allowances. •
Expenses - Cash outflows or other using-up of assets or incurrence of liabilities during a period
from delivering or producing goods, rendering services, or carrying out other activities that constitute the entity's ongoing major operations. o
Genera Generall and administr administrati ative ve expens expenses es (G & A) - repres represent ent expens expenses es to manage manage the business (officer salaries, legal and professional fees, utilities, insurance, depreciation of office building and equipment, office rents, office supplies)
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Sellin Selling g expense expensess - repres represent ent expense expensess needed needed to sell sell product productss (e.g., (e.g., sales sales salari salaries, es, commissions and travel expenses, advertising, freight, shipping, depreciation of sales store buildings and equipment)
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Selling General and Administrative expenses (SG&A or SGA) - consist of the combined payroll costs (salaries, commissions, and travel expenses of executives, sales people and employees), and advertising expenses a company incurs. SGA is usually understood as a major portion of non-production related costs, opposing production related costs such as raw material and (direct) labour
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R & D expenses - represent expenses included in research and development
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Depreciation - is the charge for a specific period (i.e. year, accounting period) with respect to fixed assets that have been capitalised on the balance sheet.
Non-operating section •
Other revenues or gains - revenues and gains from other than primary business activities (e.g.
rent, patents). It also includes unusual gains and losses that are either unusual or infrequent, but not both (e.g. sale of securities or fixed assets)
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p rimary business operations. Other expenses or losses - expenses or losses not related to primary
Following is the general format of income statement - INCOME STATEMENT BOND LLC For the year ended DECEMBER 31 2007 $ Revenues GROSS PROFIT (including rental income)
$ 496,397 --------
Expenses: ADVERTISING BANK & CREDIT CARD FEES BOOKKEEPING EMPLOYEES ENTERTAINMENT INSURANCE LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LICENSES PRINTING, POSTAGE & STATIONERY RENT RENTAL MORTGAGES AND FEES UTILITIES
6,300 144 3,350 88,000 5,550 750 1,575 632 320 13,000 74,400 491 -------(194,512) -------301,885 ========
TOTAL EXPENSES NET INCOME
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Statement of retained earnings The Statement of Retained Earnings (also known as Equity Statement Statement , Statement of Owner's Equity for a single proprietorship, Statement of Partner's Equity for partnership, and Statement of Retained Earnings and Stockholders' Equity for corporation) is one of the basic financial statements
as per Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and it explains the changes in a company's retained earnings over the reporting period. It breaks down changes affecting the account, such as profits or losses from operations, dividends paid, and any other items charged or credited to retained earnings. A retained earnings statement is required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) whenever comparative balance sheets and income statements are presented. It may appear in the balance sheet, in a combined income statement and changes in retained earnings statement, or as a separate schedule. Therefore, the statement of retained earnings uses information from the income statement and provides information to the balance sheet. Retained earnings are part of the balance sheet (another basic financial statement) under "stockholders equity," and is mostly affected by net income earned during a period of time by the company less any dividends paid to the company's owners / stockholders. The retained earnings account on the balance sheet is said to represent an "accumulation of earnings" since net profits and losses are added/subtracted from the account accoun t from period to period. The general equation can be expressed as following: Ending Retained Earnings = Beginning Retained Earnings - Investments - Dividends Paid + Net Income
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Cash flow statement In financial accounting, a cash flow statement statement or statement statement of cash flows is a financial statement that shows a company's flow of cash. The money coming into the business is called cash inflow, and money going out from the business is called cash outflow. The statement shows how changes in balance sheet and income accounts affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating , investing , and financing activities. As an analytical tool, the statement of cash flows is useful in
determining the short-term viability of a company, particularly its ability to pay bills. International Accounting Standard 7 (IAS 7) is the International Accounting Standard that deals with cash flow statements. People and groups interested in cash flow statements include: •
Accounting personnel, who need to know whether the organization will be able to cover payroll and other immediate expenses
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Potential lenders or creditors, who want a clear c lear picture of a company's ability to repay
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Potential investors, who need to judge whether the company is financially sound
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Potential employees or contractors, who need to know whether the company will be able to afford compensation
Purpose The cash flow statement was previously known as the statement of changes in financial position or flow of funds statement . The cash flow statement reflects a firm's liquidity or solvency.
The balance sheet is a snapshot of a firm's financial resources and obligations at a single point in time, and the income statement summarizes a firm's financial transactions over an interval of time. These two financial statements reflect the accrual basis accounting used by firms to match revenues with the expenses associated with generating those revenues. The cash flow statement includes only inflows and outflows of cash and cash equivalents; it excludes transactions that do not directly affect cash receipts and payments. These noncash transactions include depreciation or write-offs on bad debts to name a few. The cash flow statement is a cash basis report on three types of financial activities: operating activi activitie ties, s, invest investing ing activi activitie ties, s, and financ financing ing activi activitie ties. s. Noncas Noncash h activi activiti ties es are usuall usually y report reported ed in footnotes.
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The cash flow statement is intended to provide information on a firm's liquidity and solvency and its ability to change cash flows in future circumstances 2. provide provide additional additional informatio information n for evaluating evaluating changes changes in assets, assets, liabiliti liabilities es and equity equity 3. improve the comparability of different firms' operating performance by eliminating the effects of different accounting methods 4. indicate indicate the amount, amount, timin timing g and probabili probability ty of future future cash cash flows flows 1.
The cash flow statement has been adopted as a standard financial statement because it eliminates allocations, which might be derived from different accounting methods, such as various timeframes for depreciating fixed assets.
Cash flow activities The cash flow statement is partitioned into three segments, namely: cash flow resulting from operating activities, cash flow resulting from investing activities, and cash flow resulting from financing activities.
Sample cash flow statement using the direct method Cash flows from operating activities Cash receipts from customers Cash paid to suppliers and employees Cash generated from operations (sum) Interest paid Income taxes paid Net cash flows from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Proceeds from the sale of equipment Dividends received Net cash flows from investing activities Cash flows from financing activities Dividends paid Net cash flows used in financing activities . Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents, end of year
$27,500 (20,000) 7,500 (2,000) (2,000) $11,000 7,500 3,000 10,500 (12,000) (12,000) 9,500 1,000 $ 10,500
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Purpose of financial statements The objectiv objectivee of financia financiall stateme statements nts is to provide provide informa information tion about about the financia financiall position position,,
performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making making economic economic decisions. decisions. Financial statements statements should should be understandab understandable, le, relevant, relevant, reliable reliable and comparable. Reported assets, liabilities and equity are directly related to an organization's financial position. Reported income and expenses expen ses are directly related to an organization's financial performance. Financial statements are intended to be understandable by readers who have "a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and accounting and who are willing to study the information diligently. •
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Owners and managers require financial statements to make important business decisions that affect affect its contin continued ued operati operations ons.. Financ Financial ial analysi analysiss is then then perfor performed med on these these statem statement entss to provide management with a more detailed understanding of the figures. These statements are also used as part of management's annual report to the stockholders. Employees Employees also need these reports reports in making making collective collective bargaining bargaining agreements agreements (CBA) with the management, in the case of labor unions or for individuals in discussing their compensation, promotion and rankings.
2. External External Users: are potential investors, banks, government agencies and other parties who are outside the business but need financial information about the business for a diverse number of reasons. •
Prospective investors make use of financial statements to assess the viability of investing in a busine business. ss. Financ Financial ial analyse analysess are often often used used by invest investors ors and is prepar prepared ed by profes professio sional nalss (financial analysts), thus providing them with the basis in making investment d ecisions.
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Financial institutions (banks and other lending companies) use them to decide whether to grant a company with fresh working capital or extend debt securities (such as a long-term bank loan or debentures) to finance expansion and other significant expenditures.
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Government entities (tax authorities) need financial statements to ascertain the propriety and accuracy of taxes and other duties declared and paid by a company. 12
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Media and the general public are also interested in financial statements for a v ariety of reasons.
Government financial statements The rules for the recording, recording, measurement measurement and presentati presentation on of government government financial financial statements statements may be different from those required for business and even for non-profit organizations. They may use either of two accounting methods: accrual accounting, or cash accounting, or a combination of the two. A complete set of chart of accounts is also used that is substantially different from the chart of a profitoriented business
Audit and legal implications i mplications Although the legal statutes may differ from country to country, an audit of financial statements are usually, but not exclusively required for investment, financing, and tax purposes. These are usually performed by independent accountants or auditing firms. Results of the audit are summarized in an audit report that either provide an unqualified opinion on the financial statements or qualifications as to its fairness and accuracy. The audit opinion on the financial statements is usually included in the annual report. There has been much legal debate over who an auditor is liable to. Since audit reports tend to be addressed to the current shareholders, it is commonly thought that they owe a legal duty of care to them. But this may not be the case as determined by common law precedent. In Canada, auditors are liable only to investors using a prospectus to buy shares in the primary market. In the United Kingdom, they have been held liable to potential investors when the auditor was aware of the potential investor and how they would use the information in the financial statements. Nowadays auditors tend to include in their report liability restricting language, discouraging anyone other than the addressees of their report from relying on it. Liability is an important issue: in the UK, for example, auditors have unlimited liability.
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Standards and regulations Different countries have developed their own accounting principles over time, making international compar compariso isons ns of compan companies ies diffic difficult ult.. To ensure ensure unifor uniformit mity y and compar comparabi abilit lity y betwee between n financi financial al statements prepared by different companies, a set of guidelines and rules are used. Commonly referred to as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), these set of guidelines provide the basis in the preparation of financial statements. Recent Recently ly there there has been been a push push toward towardss standar standardiz dizing ing account accounting ing rules rules made made by the Intern Internati ational onal Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). IASB develops International Financial Reporting Standards that have been adopted by Australia, Canada and the European Union (for publicly quoted companies only), are under consideration in South Africa and other countries. The United States Financial Accounting Standards Board has made a commitment to converge the U.S. GAAP and IFRS over time.
Inclusion in annual reports To entice new investors, most public companies assemble their financial statements on fine paper with pleasing graphics and photos in an annual report to shareholders, attempting to capture the excitement and cultur culturee of the organi organizat zation ion in a "marke "marketi ting ng brochur brochure" e" of sorts. sorts. Usuall Usually y the company company's 's chief chief executive executive will write write a letter letter to shareholders, shareholders, describing describing management's management's performanc performancee and the company's financial highlights. In the United States, prior to the advent of the internet, the annual report was considered the most effective way for corporations to communicate with individual shareholders. Blue chip companies went to great expense to produce and mail out attractive annual reports to every shareholder. The annual report was often prepared in the style of a coffee table book.
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