Unit 2: Vocabulary

Please study the 15 vocabulary terms below. Then press the Mark Complete button to continue.
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balance sheet
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A document which summarizes the assets, liabilities and equity of a business entity at a given time.
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The analysis of balance sheets for the last three months showed an increase in the value of the company.
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CPA (certified public accountant)
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The American and Australian equivalent of a chartered accountant.
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After James passed his exams, he became a certified public accountant.
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CFO (chief financial officer)
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The most senior financial manager, responsible for overseeing the financial activities of the entire company.
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The board of directors were satisfied with the CFO's explanation of the unexpected loss reported in the accounts.
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credits
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An entry showing the amount of money paid (or owed) to the company, entered on the right hand side.
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The sales ledger clerk totaled the credits and saw that the company was owed over $1 million.
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debit
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An entry showing an amount owed (due to be paid by the company), entered on the left hand side.
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Before we can pay the invoice, we need to record the invoice as a debit in the accounting system.
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deferral
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The state of postponing the recognition of an asset or liability until a future time.
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As his accountant hadn't finished the tax calculations, he applied for a deferral.
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double taxation
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The state where income tax is paid twice (often to two different governments) on one income.
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A lot of countries now have double taxation agreements, so people should only pay the tax in the country where the money was earned.
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due diligence
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Reasonable actions taken by a person to satisfy a law or regulation.
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The accountant suggested not signing the final contract until all due diligence was done to check that the company would be profitable.
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foreign currency
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The money used in another country.
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Because the company had offices in Spain, Brazil and America, they had to deal with several foreign currencies including the Euro.
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in excess of
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More than, greater than.
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The most recent set of accounts reported a net profit in excess of $5 million.
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LLC (limited liability company)
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A business entity where the debts of the company are separate from the debts of the share-holder.
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As it was a Limited liability company, the creditors couldn't get at John's private assets when the company went bankrupt.
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reconcile
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To ensure that two figures agree with each other.
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A lot of accounting departments reconcile the bank account to the accounts every day.
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record
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A written account of a transaction.
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The auditors went through every record of sale over the last decade before they were satisfied.
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sole-trader
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A business which is owned and run by one person.
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Sole-traders don’t have to meet such strict accounting requirements as larger corporations.
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trial balance
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A statement of all debits and credits in the double-entry account book, with any discrepancies shown.
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The company accountant spent two days trying to get the trial balance to agree.
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