The equity section of the balance sheet equals assets minus liabilities. Traditionally the equity section is referred to as the net worth of the company. If you were to dispose of all the assets through a sale and pay off liabilities, the money left over would be available for distribution to the shareholders. The shareholders basically own the equity section of the balance sheet.
In the equity section of the balance sheet there is an account that tallies the lifetime earnings net of dividends for the company. The value identifies the total amount retained by the company for operational purposes. This account is referred to as the Retained Earnings of the business.
Over the last 27 years of working in the world of accounting, I have become convinced that to be successful in business, you must have three primary characteristics. It is the common thread that binds all successful operations in every industry I have witnessed.
There are several definitions associated with the term ‘Book Value’ and depending on the context of its use, determines the correct definition and proper use.
Dividends and distributions refer to the payment of cash to investors. Why are there two separate terms? Well, the term is tied back to the type of entity that makes the payment. Simply stated, regular corporations, i.e. C-Corporations as identified in the Internal Revenue Code use the term ‘Dividends’ and S-Corporations (Small Business Corporations) use the term ‘Distributions’. In addition to S-Corporations, other closely held business use the term ‘Distributions’ to identify amounts disbursed to the respective owners or beneficiaries. These forms of entities include Partnerships, Limited Liability Corporations, Trusts and Estates.
Although it appears relatively simple at first, it is slightly more involved than this and this article addresses the proper definition and context use when using these two similar terms. In addition, there are more differences between the two terms than just the source of the payment. For a full and detailed understanding of the terms, continue reading.
A ‘Capital Account’ is a term used in partnership and in limited liability company business formats. It refers to the individual balances in the equity section of the balance sheet. The basic formula for value is beginning balance plus contributed capital plus earnings from the current accounting period less any withdrawals
Every business owner needs to know the difference between insolvency and bankruptcy. Often these two terms are misunderstood and improperly used in conversation. You need to know their correct meaning because both are used in civil law and both have different issues to address during the process. In addition, understanding these two terms builds a better comprehensive understanding of financing your business.
A document indicating ownership in a corporation is often referred to as common stock. It identifies an equity position in a business. The document or certificate is commonly referred to as a security and provides certain rights to the holder (owner). These rights include voting and residual value upon liquidation of the company.
Accrual accounting is the preferred method of accounting for all business operations. Any publicly traded company must comply with the principles of accrual accounting. Small business operations can choose between cash and accrual accounting for their records. Although cash accounting is the easiest to work with as a small business operation, accrual accounting will provide a more accurate picture of the financial status and affairs of any business operation.
Bankrolling any startup business is difficult enough. Capitalizing a new home builder operation is a leap forward in required funds. Typically, small businesses can be capitalized on a shoestring budget, for a new home contractor, just a little bit isn’t going to work.
The equity section of the balance sheet equals assets minus liabilities. Traditionally the equity section is referred to as the net worth of the company. If you were to dispose of all the assets through a sale and pay off liabilities, the money left over would be available for distribution to the shareholders. The shareholders basically own the equity section of the balance sheet.
