Balance sheet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A balance sheet, in formal bookkeeping and accounting, is a statement of the book value of a business or other organization or person at a particular date, at the end of a period such as a "fiscal year," as distinct from an income statement, also known as a profit and loss account (P&L), which records revenue and expenses over a specified period of time.
A balance sheet is often described as a "snapshot" of the company's financial condition on a given date. Of the four basic financial statements, the balance sheet is the only statement which applies to a single point in time, instead of a period of time.
A simple business operating entirely in cash could measure its profits by simply withdrawing the entire bank balance at the end of the period, plus any cash in hand. However, real businesses are not paid immediately; they build up inventories of goods to sell and they acquire buildings and equipment. In other words: businesses have assets and so they could not, even if they wanted to, immediately turn these into cash at the end of each period. Real businesses also 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.
A modern balance sheet usually has three parts: assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity. The main categories of assets are usually listed first and are followed by the liabilities. The difference between the assets and the liabilities is known as the 'net assets' or the 'net worth' of the company.
The net assets shown by the balance sheet equals the third part of the balance sheet, which is known as the shareholders' equity. This balance is not a coincidence. Records of the values of each account in the balance sheet are maintained using a system of accounting known as double-entry bookkeeping.
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Balance Sheet Structure
The following Balance Sheet structure is just an example. It does not show all possible kinds of assets, equity and liabilities, but it shows the most usual ones. Because it shows Goodwill it could be a consolidated balance sheet. Monetary values are not shown, summary (total) rows are missing as well.
Balance Sheet of XYZ, Ltd. as on 31 December 2005
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable Securities
Accounts receivable
Inventories
Prepaid Expenses
Investments held for trading
Other current assets
Non-Current Assets (Fixed Assets) Property, plant and equipment Less : Accumulated Depreciation Goodwill Other intangible fixed assets Investments in associates Deferred tax assets
LIABILITIES and EQUITY
Current liabilities Accounts payable Current income tax liabilities Current portion of bank loans payable Short-term provisions Other current liabilities
Long term Liabilities (Fixed Liabilities)
Bank loans Issued debt securities Deferred tax liability Provisions Minority interest
Capital and reserves
Share capital Capital reserves Revaluation reserve Translation reserve Retained earnings
Equity valuation
The real value to a purchaser of the business or a shareholder may be different from the net assets shown by the balance sheet. This is because factors that affect the value of a business may not be recorded yet. For example, a purchaser will be interested in the future earnings of the business, whether assets such as property have been revalued recently, and whether there are potential liabilities in the future such as lawsuits. The value of the assets in the balance has also been based on the assumption that the business is a going concern, otherwise the break-up value of the assets may be far less than the value in the balance sheet.
Constructing a Balance Sheet
Case Study
1.1
A new business starts up as a limited company called Sunrise Ltd
by raising $10,000 from the owners i.e. share holders. The money
is put in to a new bank account. What would the assets,
liabilities and equity be?
Assets: Bank Balance 10,000
Equity & Liabilities: Share Capital 10,000
1.2
They then use 6,000 of its bank account to buy a delivery van.
Assets and liabilities after this transaction:
Assets: Bank Balance 4,000 Delivery Van 6,000
Equity & Liabilities: Share Capital 10,000
1.3
Sunrise Ltd then buys some inventory at 3,000 on credit. Assets
and liabilities after this transaction:
Assets: Bank Balance 4,000 Delivery Van 6,000 Inventory 3,000
Liabilities: Accounts Payable 3,000 (to be paid to creditors)
Equity: Share Capital 10,000
Total assets must always equal total liabilities (and equity). It is inevitable as the liabilities (and equity) are providing the funds that we are spending on these assets.
1.4
Shortly afterwards, after selling 1,000 of inventory for 2,500,
payment of 2,600 of the accounts payable and the purchase of
2,200 of machinery financed by a 2,200 bank loan, the assets and
liabilities change to the following:
Sunrise Ltd. Balance Sheet As of December 31, 2005 -----------------------------------
Fixed Assets Delivery Van 6,000 Machinery 2,200 ----------------------------------- Total fixed assets 8,200
Current Assets Bank Balance 1,400 Inventory 2,000 Accounts Receivable 2,500 ----------------------------------- Total 5,900
Accounts Payable 400 ----------------------------------- Net current assets 5,500
Long-Term Liabilities Loans Repayable 2,200 ----------------------------------- Total Long Term Liabilities 2,200 ----------------------------------- NET ASSETS 11,500 -----------------------------------
Shareholders' Equity Share Capital 10,000 Retained profits 1,500 ----------------------------------- TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 11,500 -----------------------------------
Points to note:
- Must be headed with the name of the reporting entity (e.g. Sunrise Ltd) and the date.
- The van has not been depreciated and there are no other trading expenses
- The terms 'Current Liability' and 'Long-Term Liability' are the traditional names possibly used by sole traders or partnerships. Limited companies may use the phrases 'Liabilities: Amounts falling due within 1 year' and 'Liabilities: Amounts falling due after 1 year'.
- The Total Equity may also be called the 'Net Worth'.
- The Net Worth is in principle what the company is worth, it shows the monetary amount that would effectively be left, if all assets were sold and all liabilities paid off.
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See also
- Accounting
- Income Statement
External links
- Preparing A Balance Sheet (with interactive example)
- Balance Sheet Explanation with Examples
- Bean Counter: So, you want to learn Book-Keeping (bookkeeping tutorial in simple terms)
Category: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
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