Accounting Terms

Accounting

The process of keeping track of a business' finances

Debit

Left side of the T-chart

Credit

Right side of the T-chart

Accounting Equation

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

Double entry method

Must be balanced - meaning both sides of the equation must be equal

Accounting Cycle

The process of recording and processing the accounting events of a company

Balance Sheet

A financial statement that provides information about a company's present condition

Income Statement

A financial tool that provides information about a company's past performance

Sole Proprietorship

business owned and operated by one person

Partnership

a business organization owned by two or more persons who agree on a specific division of responsibilities and profits

Corporation

An organization that is made up of many owners who are not normally in the decision-making and operations of the business, but they have an interest in the company

LLC

A business type that combines the benefits of partnership's flexibility and a corporation's protection

Transaction

Any event or activity that can be measure in terms of money

Asset

An item of value owned by a company

Liability

obligations of the business to transfer something of value to another party

Equity

Indicates the value of a company to its owners