Accounting Equation Overview, Formula, and Examples

The Accounting Equation is a vital formula to understand and consider when it comes to the financial health of your business. The accounting equation is a factor in almost every aspect of your inventory in transit business accounting. If a transaction is completely omitted from the accounting books, it will not unbalance the accounting equation. If an accounting equation does not balance, it means that the accounting transactions are not properly recorded.

Some common examples of tangibles include property, plant and equipment (PP&E), and supplies found in the office. Shareholders, or owners of stock, benefit from limited liability because they are not personally liable for any debts or obligations the corporate entity may have as a business. However, each partner generally has unlimited personal liability for any kind of obligation for the business (for example, debts and accidents).

Components of the Basic Accounting Equation

It’s called the Balance Sheet (BS) because assets must equal liabilities plus shareholders’ equity. This transaction affects only the assets of the equation; therefore there is no corresponding effect in liabilities or shareholder’s equity on the right side of the equation. For every transaction, both sides of this equation must have an equal net effect. Below are some examples of transactions and how they affect the accounting equation. This equation sets the foundation of double-entry accounting, also known as double-entry bookkeeping, and highlights the structure of the balance sheet. Double-entry accounting is a system where every transaction affects at least two accounts.

Example Transaction #7: Payment of Expenses

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Upgrading to a paid membership gives you access to our extensive collection of plug-and-play Templates designed to power your performance—as well as CFI’s full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs. The global adherence to the double-entry accounting system makes the account-keeping and -tallying processes more standardized and foolproof. Think of retained earnings as savings, since it represents the total profits that have been saved and put aside (or “retained”) for future use.

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It can be found on a balance sheet and is one of the most important metrics for analysts to assess the financial health of a company. The balance sheet reports the assets, liabilities, and owner’s (stockholders’) equity at a specific point in time, such as December 31. The balance sheet is also referred to as the Statement of Financial Position. Since the balance sheet is founded on the principles of the accounting equation, this equation can also be said to be responsible for estimating the net worth of an entire company. The fundamental components of the accounting equation include the calculation of both company holdings and company debts; thus, it allows owners to gauge the total value of a firm’s assets. For example, if a company buys a $1,000 piece of equipment on credit, that $1,000 is an increase in liabilities (the company must pay it back) but also an increase in assets.

Example Transaction #5: Purchase of Advertising on Credit

Apple receives $1,300 cash from Harvard for app development services that it has performed. Assets are resources the company owns and can be used for future benefit. Liabilities are anything that the company owes to external parties, such as lenders and suppliers. Stockholders can transfer their ownership of shares to any other investor at any time. Owners’ equity typically refers to partnerships (a business owned by two or more individuals). Debt is a liability, whether it is a long-term loan or a bill that is due to be paid.

In worst-case scenarios, the company could go bankrupt as a result of mishandling finances using inaccurate numbers due to an unbalanced equation. Equity includes any money that has been invested into the company by shareholders as well as retained earnings which have not yet been paid to shareholders as dividends. Incorrect classification of an expense does not affect the accounting equation.

The claims to the assets owned by a business entity are primarily divided into two types – the claims of creditors and the claims of owner of the business. In accounting, the claims of creditors are referred to as liabilities and the claims of owner are referred to as owner’s equity. In this form, it is easier to highlight the relationship between shareholder’s equity and debt (liabilities).

Owner’s or stockholders’ equity also reports the amounts invested into the company by the owners plus the cumulative net income of the company that has not been withdrawn or distributed to the owners. However, due to the fact that accounting is kept on a historical basis, the equity is typically not the net worth of the organization. Often, a company may depreciate capital assets in 5–7 years, meaning that the assets will show on the books as less than their “real” value, or what they would be worth on the secondary market. While there is no universal definition for liabilities and equity, liabilities are typically external claims (e.g., creditors and suppliers), and equity is internal claims (e.g., business owners and shareholders).

1. As expected, the sum of liabilities and equity is equal to $9350, matching the total value of assets.
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3. In accounting, the claims of creditors are referred to as liabilities and the claims of owner are referred to as owner’s equity.
4. The major and often largest value assets of most companies are that company’s machinery, buildings, and property.

And we find that the numbers balance, meaning Apple accurately reported its  transactions and its double-entry system is working. Apple pays for rent ($600) and utilities ($200) expenses for a total of $800 in cash. Nabil invests $10,000 cash in Apple in exchange for $10,000 of common stock. While dividends DO reduce retained earnings, dividends are not an expense for the company. The major and often largest value assets of most companies are that company’s machinery, buildings, and property.

The first classification we should introduce is current vs. non-current assets or liabilities. A debit refers to an increase in an asset or a decrease in a liability or shareholders’ equity. A credit in contrast refers to a decrease in an asset or an increase in the only three reasons entrepreneurs need accounting and finance a liability or shareholders’ equity.