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JG - APC Masterclass > Accounting Principles and Procedures (Level 2) - General > Flashcards

Accounting Principles and Procedures (Level 2) - General Flashcards

1
Q

What is depreciation?

A

The reduction in value of an asset over its useful life. Applied to fixed assets which generally experience a loss in their utility over multiple years

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2
Q

What are the two types of asset?

A

Fixed (long term) - e.g. land
Current (short term) - e.g. cash/stock

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3
Q

What is amortisation?

A

An accounting method used to spread the cost of an intangible asset over its useful life

e.g. spreading the cost of of a patent over 10 years at 10% each year

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4
Q

What is tenant covenant strength?

A

The ability of a tenant to comply with lease obligations

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5
Q

What are the two types of liability?

A

Non-cyrrent (long term) - e.g. not due soon such as long term loan, leases
Current (short term) - e.g. those due within a year

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6
Q

What is the efficiency ratio?

A

Evaluates how efficiently a company uses assets to generate sales

E.G. Cost of sales / average inventory

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7
Q

What is the profitability ratio?

A

Conveys how well a company can generate profit from its operations (profit DIVIDED by net sales)

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8
Q

What are financial statements?

A

Written records that convey the financial activities of a company

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9
Q

What are the key financial statements that companies provide?

A

Profit and loss accounts

Balance sheets

Cash flow statements

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10
Q

What is the difference between management and company/financial accounts?

A

Management accounts are for the internal use of the management team (prepared monthly/quarterly for the business owner) - more informal

Company accounts are accounts required by UK law, submitted within 9 months of YE

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11
Q

What governs the format of company accounts?

A

The Companies Act 2006 

 

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12
Q

What is a balance sheet?

A

The balance sheet shows a company’s assets (what it owns) and it’s liabilities (so what it owes) at a given point in time.

Shows whether a company is solvent

How likely it is that the company will still be in business in a year  

3 parts: Assets, Liabilities and Equity (AKA Net Worth, Net Asset Value or Capital)

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12
Q

What is included in company accounts, as laid out in the Companies Act 2006?

A

Cover page 

Information/contents page

Directors report 

Accountants report  

Statutory Profit and loss account 

Balance sheet 

Notes to the accounts

Detailed Profit and loss account 

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13
Q

What is a profit and loss account? (also known as INCOME STATEMENT, STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME)

A

Summary of business income and expenditure prepared on annual basis

Note: best for determining covenant strength as shows thorough breakdown of turnover, expenses and gross profit

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14
Q

What are two types of Liability and give examples?

A

Liabilities: what the company owes

Fixed/Long-Term Liability: not due to be repaid within next year EG mortgage or car purchase agreement

Current: due to be repaid within next year EG salaries, rent, VAT bills

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14
Q

What is a cashflow statement?

A

Statement summarising movement of cash into and out of a company; crucial when setting up a business

It measures the short-term ability of a firm to pay off its bills

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15
Q

What are two types of assets and give examples?

A

Assets: what the company owns

  • Fixed Asset: around for a long time and less liquid EG property and land
  • Current Asset: around for short time and more liquid EG stock and cash in the bank
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16
Q

What is a ratio analysis? 

A

Method of gaining insight into a company’s liquidity, efficiency and profitability by studying its financial statements 

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16
Q

What is Net Asset Value?

A

Total Assets – Total Liabilities

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17
Q

What are liquidity ratios?

A

A financial ratio used to determine a company’s ability to pay its short term debt obligations  

Liquidity ratio calculation: current assets/current liabilities (determines ability to pay short-term debt)

Anything less than 1 indicates company is facing a cash crunch

Ratio of exactly 1 means company can exactly pay off all current liabilities with all current assets

Used to determine a company’s ability to pay its short-term debt obligations

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18
Q

What is Acid Test Ratio?

A

(Current Assets – Value of Stock) / Current Liabilities (best crude test of company short-term viability)

  • Note: deduct stock that is hard to shift in an emergency
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19
Q

What are probability ratios?

A

Probability ratios measure the performance of a company in generating its profits.

The trading profit margin ratio= turnover - (costs of sales/turnover)

Low margins may be due to a growth strategy from the company and not necessarily bad management

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20
Q

What is the difference between debtors and creditors?

A

Creditors: entities which are owed money by another entity

Debtors: entities that owe money to another respective company

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20
Q

What are financial gearing ratios?

A

Gearing is the amount of debt – in proportion to equity capital – that a company uses to fund its operations.

A company that possesses a high gearing ratio shows a high debt to equity ratio, which potentially increases the risk of financial failure of the business.

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21
Where have you used company accounts in your work?
To assess tenants covenant strength; the financial strength of assignees and upon receiving tenants request for concessions/assistance
22
How do you analyse a companies accounts?
The clients accountants will carry out a detailed analysis but I can compare and look at warning signs by calculating ratios, such as liquidity ratios.
23
How would you carry out a credit check? Give an example.
My credit control team have access to Credit Safe
24
What is GAAP? 
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
25
What are the 10 principles of GAAP?
Regularity   Consistency  Sincerity  Permanence  of Methods Non-compensation  Prudence  Continuity  Periodicity  Materiality  Utmost good faith
25
What is the benefit/purpose of GAAP?
Common set of accepted accounting principles/standards/procedures to use when compiling financial statements To improve the clarity of the communication of financial information; most common standard is FRS 102  
26
What are the International Accounting Standards?
The older accounting standards that were replaced by IFRS in 2001
27
What is IFRS? 
International Financial Reporting Standards   Note: set and maintained by International Accounting Standards Board
27
What is FRS?
Single financial reporting standard, used if not using IFRS
28
Why were IFRS introduced to replace IAS? 
Goal was to make it easier to compare businesses' around the world   Wanted to increase transparency and trust in global reporting  
29
What is IFRS 16? 
Effective from 1 January 2019  Requires lessee to recognise assets and liabilities for all leases with a term of more than 12 months   IFRS 16 sets out principles for an IFRS reporter to recognise, measure, present and disclose leases    
30
What is the objective of IFRS 16? 
The key objective of IFRS 16 is to ensure that lessees recognise assets and liabilities for their major leases.
31
What is the result of IFRS 16 accounting reporting? 
Leads to increase in assets, liabilities and net debt where leases are brought onto the balance sheet   Can affect key accounting and financial ratios - impacts a company's attractiveness to investors   
32
What is a major way in which IFRS 16 differs from GAAP?
- GAAP UK Leases = Lessees typically account for leases as operating leases or finance leases - IFRS Leases = Introduces a single lessee accounting model where most leases are recognized on the balance sheet.
32
What is a major way in which IFRS differs from GAAP?
GAAP is rules-based (on legal authority) and IFRS is principles-based. (Can use either but IFRS is mandatory if on the London Stock Exchange) GAAP is more detailed while IFRS is more high-level and flexible. GAAP requires more disclosures while IFRS requires fewer disclosures.
33
Definitions for a profit and loss account:
Sales - invoices amounts to customers excluding VAT Directors remuneration- How directors are paid for their services - fees, salary, or dividends   Expenses - must be business related Corporation tax - the only tax stated in company accounts Dividends - Tax efficient drawing for directors
34
How is gross profit calculated?
Turnover minus cost of sales  
35
What can be determined from gross profit? 
Not a lot in isolation, but when compared to previous years gross profit then can get an idea of what direction the company is heading in 
36
What is the difference between depreciation and amortisation? 
Amortisation focuses on intangible assets, whereas depreciation focuses on fixed assets 
37
Why is cash flow statement believed to be the most intuitive of all financial statements? 
Shows movement of money in and out of a company, and how well a company is managing its cash and growth 
38
What is a credit rating? 
Assessment of an organisations creditworthiness  Shows ability of organisation to fulfil financial commitments e.g pay rent on time 
39
What are the main commercial credit rating agencies? 
Dunn & Bradstreet   Standard and Poor (S&P)   Credit Safe
40
What are the two parts of a Dunn and Bradstreet rating?
Financial strength indicator   Risk indicator  Rate companies 1-4 (1 being best) 5A1 reflects a financial strength of over £50M.
41
Why do companies keep accounts? 
For regulatory purposes and so managers can monitor and measure performance over time and manage appropriately.
42
What is capital expenditure? 
Money spent by a business or organisation on acquiring or maintaining fixed assets like land, buildings and equipment
43
What is revenue? 
Income generated by the sale of products or services 
44
What is a financial audit? 
An objective examination and evaluation of the financial statements to ensure they are fair and accurate.
45
What are profitability ratios? 
Show how well a company can generate profit from its operations  
46
What are solvency ratios? 
A solvency ratio measures the extent to which assets cover the liabilities.
47
What are efficiency ratios? 
Evaluate how efficiently a company uses assets to generate sales  
48
What is credit control? 
The practice of ensuring debtors do not take too long to pay you 
49
What is VAT?
Value Added Tax   Consumption tax on goods and services  Standard rate 20%, sometimes reduced rate of 5% or Zero rate of 0% 
50
Where might you find information on a company's assets? 
On their balance sheet 
51
Are profit and loss accounts current? 
No, retrospective
52
When must a company be VAT registered? 
If company total VAT taxable turnover for last 12 months was over £90,000 OR if turnover is expected to go over £90,000 in next 30 days 
53
What is EBITDA?
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation   It is a measure of company profitability 
54
Where can you find information on company's financial status? 
Companies House  
54
What is Limitations Act 1980? 
Outlines time within which creditor can chase debtor for outstanding debt 
55
What is misappropriation of funds? 
The illegal use of another person's money
55
What is a financial bond? 
Fixed income instrument that represents a loan made by an investor, to a borrower 
56
What are the 3 tests of insolvency? 
Cash flow test - check if able to pay bills in near future   Balance sheet test - check if assets are greater than liabilities   Legal action test - check if legal action has been taken against business for debt of £750 or more 
57
Consequences of insolvency? 
Business may go into liquidation and stop trading  Business may go into administration and be sold  
58
What is statutory profit?
A company's earnings calculated according to UK GAAP 
59
What are prelists?
A documenting listing charges to be raised so checks can be carried out to verify the charges are correct prior to raising them onto the accounts system to produce tenant invoices.
60
What is a statement of account and what's included?
A document that reflects transactions on a particular account, including any overall remaining or credit balances.
61
What is a copy invoice and what does it include?
An invoice is a request sent to the debtor for payments of goods or services. It includes the amount due and the preferred method of payment.
62
What are remittances?
A remittance is money that is sent from one party to another - remittance advice is a statement detailing what was paid. 
63
What is turnover?
The amount of money taken by a business in a particular period.
64
What is a turnover certificate?
This certificate details the turnover for the specified turnover period.
65
What does turnover include and exclude?
This is stipulated in the turnover clause in the lease, would usually be Gross turnover, including monies received for goods sold, excluding VAT and employee discounts, cash refunds/credits.
66
What is a turnover top-up ?
The turnover element is a top-up on the base rent and is linked to the financial performance of the tenant.
67
Please provide an example of a standard turnover clause/ calculation?
There will be a turnover period, typically a year, which is stipulated in the lease, detailing when turnover certificates fall due and if they are to be externally audited or not. This is along with the means calculating the turnover rent. Frequently a fixed percent (10% in this case) is adopted less the base rent, to determine if a turnover top up is due. (The amount by which the specified percentage of the Turnover in each Turnover period exceeds the Base rent payable in respect of that turnover period)
68
Why request three years' worth of P&L?
To carry out a profits test and be able to compare and review over a time period.
68
What is the profits test?
A typical profits test would be for the tenant to provide 3 years' audited accounts showing a net profit of, say, 3 times the annual rent.
69
What is service charge reconciliation?
A comprehensive comparison of income demanded against all service charge expenditure (including accruals and prepayments) for a given service charge accounting period. This enables the calculation of any balancing charges and credits due from tenants and/or landlords.
70
Why check that invoices are applied to the correct code/schedule?
Charges should be allocated to the correct code and where necessary separate schedules with the costs apportioned to those who benefit from those services, this is a transparent approach and assists in avoiding any disputes.

JG - APC Masterclass (27 decks)

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