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Accounts receivable represents money owed by entities to the firm on the sale of products or services on credit. In most business entities, accounts receivable is typically executed by generating an invoice and either mailing or electronically delivering it to the customer, who, in turn, must pay it within an established timeframe, called credit terms [citation needed] or payment terms.
Examples are accumulated depreciation (offset against fixed assets), and the allowance for bad debts (offset against accounts receivable). Deferred interest is also offset against receivables rather than being classified as a liability. Contra accounts are also often referred to as adjustments or adjusting accounts.
Examples of common financial accounts are sales, accounts [1] receivable, mortgages, loans, PP&E, common stock, sales, services, wages and payroll. A chart of accounts provides a listing of all financial accounts used by particular business, organization, or government agency.
The general ledger contains a page for all accounts in the chart of accounts [5] arranged by account categories. The general ledger is usually divided into at least seven main categories: assets, liabilities, owner's equity, revenue, expenses, gains and losses. [6] It is the system of record for an organization’s financial transactions. [7]
These assets are continually turned over in the course of a business during normal business activity. There are 5 major items included into current assets: Cash and cash equivalents – it is the most liquid asset, which includes currency, deposit accounts, and negotiable instruments (e.g., money orders, cheque, bank drafts).
Current assets include cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments in companies in the process of being sold, accounts receivable, stock inventory, supplies, and the prepaid liabilities that will be paid within a year. [1] Such assets are expected to be realised in cash or consumed during the normal operating cycle of the business.
An investment normally counts as a cash equivalent when it has a short maturity period of 90 days or less, and can be included in the cash and cash equivalents balance from the date of acquisition when it carries an insignificant risk of changes in the asset value. If it has a maturity of more than 90 days, it is not considered a cash equivalent.
Separate account records are maintained for petty cash, accounts payable and accounts receivable, and other relevant transactions such as inventory and travel expenses. To save time and avoid the errors of manual calculations, single-entry bookkeeping can be done today with do-it-yourself bookkeeping software.