Feature Articles

Business and Accounting Basics

What is a trade discount and how to record it?

Trade discount

A trade discount is a reduction of the list price of products from a seller to a buyer as an incentive for future business. The trade discount is given as a percentage to deduct from the list price which is the normal selling price. In order for a buyer to …

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Classes of accounts: What are real, nominal and personal accounts?

Classes of accounts

Everything in a business has its own account which falls under one of 5 types of accounts or 3 classes of accounts. The 5 types of accounts are assets, liabilities, income, capital and expenses, also known as ALICE accounts. Each account shows details of an item from the date it …

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Expenses: Spending that’s direct, indirect, operating and non-operating

Expenses

Expenses are the goods, services and charges that a business incurs as it functions. It has a debit balance in the ledger accounts when it increases and a credit balance when it decreases. The cost of expenses in relation to earned income determines whether the business makes a profit or …

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Top 10 users of accounting information

Users of accounting information

The financial records of a company are important to many persons, businesses and institutions for several reasons. These users of accounting information have their own interests in the success of a business which is why accuracy is so important. Users of accounting information are divided into internal and external users. …

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What is the purpose of accounting? 5 important things to know

Purpose of accounting

When we talk about the purpose of accounting, it is more than just giving a definition of accounting. We can define accounting as the process of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to provide owners of business and others with useful information to help them assess performance and make informed …

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