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4: Income Statements-Definitions
Intermediate I: Chapter 4 Definitions
27
Accounting
Undergraduate 2
10/02/2010

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Term
Income Statement
Definition
A report that measures the success of a company's operations for a given period of time.
Term
Usefulness of the Income Statement to investors and creditors.
Definition
Helps evaluate the past performance of a company, provides a basis for predicting future performance, helps assess the risk or uncertainty of achieving future cash flows.
Term
Limitations of the income statement
Definition
Companies omit items from the income statement that they cannot measure reliably, income numbers are affected by the accounting methods employed.
Income measurement involves judgment.
Term
Earnings management
Definition
the planned timing of revenues, expenses, gains and losses to smooth out bumps in earnings. In most cases, used to increase income for a current year at the expense of another year(s). "Popping the cork in a bottle of wine before it is ready."
Term
Quality of earnings
Definition
Whether or not the earnings reports are useful and truthful. Can be distorted if earnings management affects earnings too much.
Term
Transaction approach to Income statement
Definition
Focuses on the income-related activities that have occurred during the period. Is the normally used system, but the capital maintenance approach is a common alternative.
Term
Capital maintenance approach
Definition
A company determines income for the period based on the change in equity, after adjusting for capital contributions or dividends.
Term
Single-Step Income Statement
Definition
Consists of just two groupings in the income statement: revenues and expenses. Expenses are simply taken from revenues to arrive at the Net income. Frequently companies put income tax expense in as an expense, but use the numbers before income tax to determine the tax.
Term
Advantages of single step format for income statement
Definition
It is a simple, easy to understand presentation. Also there is not any implication that one type of revenue or expense has priority over the other.
Term
Multiple-step income statement
Definition
Separates the operating and non-operating activities. Also classifies expenses by function (merchandising, selling, administration), this permits comparison between years.
Term
Breakdown of Operating section
Definition
A report of the revenues and expenses of the company's principal operation.
a)Sales or revenue section
(a subsection presenting sales, discounts, allowances, returns, and other related info. Its purpose is to arrive at the net amount of sales revenue.)
b)Cost of Goods Sold section
c)Selling Expenses
d)Administrative or General expenses
Term
Nonoperating Section
Definition
Non-operating Section: A report of revenues and expenses resulting from secondary or auxiliary activities of the company. Also special gains and losses that are either infrequent or unusual(not both).
a)Other revenues and gains
A list of the revenues earned or gains incurred generally net of related expenses, from nonoperating transactions.
b)Other expenses and losses
A list of the expenses or losses incurred, generally net of any related incomes, from nonoperating transactions.
Term
Income Tax Section (Multi-step)
Definition
A short section reporting federal and state taxes levied on income from continuing operations.
Term
Discontinued operations Section (multi-step)
Definition
Material gains or losses resulting from the disposition of a segment of the business.
Term
Extraordinary Items section (multistep)
Definition
Unusual and infrequent material gains and losses.
Term
Earnings per Share Section
Definition
Last section of the multistep I/S. ***MUST BE INCLUDED ON THE FACE OF THE INCOME STATEMENT***
Term
Current operating performance approach
Definition
Argument that the most useful income measure reflects only regular and recurring elements, therefore irregular items do not reflect a company's future earning power.
Term
Modified all-inclusive concept
Definition
Required method of reporting. Includes most items, including irregular ones, as part of net income.
Term
Irregular items categories
Definition
Discontinued operations
extraordinary items
unusual gains and losses
changes in accounting principle
changes in estimates
corrections of erros
Term
Discontinued operation
Definition
2 components
a)a company eliminates the results of operations and cash flows of a component from its ongoing operations.
b)there is no significant continuing involvement in that component after the disposal transaction.
Term
Extraordinary items
Definition
Nonrecurring material items that differ significantly from a company's typical business activities.
***MUST BE BOTH INFREQUENT AND UNUSUAL***
Term
Unusual gains or losses
Definition
Items that are either infrequent or unusual, but not both.
Term
How is a change in accounting principle recognized?
Definition
By making a retrospective adjustment to the financial statements.
Term
How are changes in estimates handled?
Definition
They are only used to handle current period accounting. Additionally, they are not handled retrospectively, that is not carried back. They are not considered errors or extraordinary items.
Term
How are corrections of errors treated?
Definition
They are treated as prior period adjustments, as are changes in accounting principles. Additionally they are recorded in the year in which they are discovered. Restate the financials if comparative financials are prepared.
Term
Earnings per share
Definition
(Net Income-Preferred dividends)/Weighted average of common shares outstanding. ***MUST BE ON THE FACE OF THE I/S***
Term
Comprehensive income
Definition
all changes in equity during a period EXCEPT those resulting from investments by owners and distributions. Therefore, includes all: revenues and gains, expenses and losses reported in NI, and all gains and losses that bypass net income but affect stockholders' equity.
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