balance sheet

balance sheet
Fin
a financial report stating the total assets, liabilities, and owners’ equity of an organization at a given date, usually the last day of the accounting period. The debit side of the balance sheet states assets, while the credit side states liabilities and equity, and the two sides must be equal, or balance.
EXAMPLE
Assets include cash in hand and cash anticipated (receivables), inventories of supplies and materials, properties, facilities, equipment, and whatever else the company uses to conduct business. Assets also need to reflect depreciation in the value of equipment such as machinery that has a limited expected useful life.
     Liabilities include pending payments to suppliers and creditors, outstanding current and long-term debts, taxes, interest payments, and other unpaid expenses that the company has incurred.
     Subtracting the value of aggregate liabilities from the value of aggregate assets reveals the value of owners’ equity. Ideally, it should be positive. Owners’ equity consists of capital invested by owners over the years and profits (net income) or internally generated capital, which is referred to as “retained earnings”; these are funds to be used in future operations.
     As an example:

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  • balance sheet — bal·ance sheet n: a statement of financial condition at a given date Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. balance sheet …   Law dictionary

  • Balance sheet — Balance Bal ance (b[a^]l ans), n. [OE. balaunce, F. balance, fr. L. bilanx, bilancis, having two scales; bis twice (akin to E. two) + lanx plate, scale.] 1. An apparatus for weighing. [1913 Webster] Note: In its simplest form, a balance consists… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • balance sheet — balance sheets N COUNT A balance sheet is a written statement of the amount of money and property that a company or person has, including amounts of money that are owed or are owing. Balance sheet is also used to refer to the general financial… …   English dictionary

  • balance sheet — n a statement of how much money a business has earned and how much money it has paid for goods and services ▪ a healthy balance sheet …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • balance sheet — balance ,sheet noun count a written statement showing the value of a company at a particular time …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • balance sheet — [n] financial statement including gains and losses for a period account, annual report, assets and liabilities, budget, ledger, report; concepts 271,332 …   New thesaurus

  • balance sheet — ► NOUN ▪ a written statement of the assets, liabilities, and capital of a business …   English terms dictionary

  • balance sheet — n. a statement summarizing the financial status of an individual or a business by showing assets, liabilities, etc. at a given date …   English World dictionary

  • Balance sheet — Accountancy Key concepts Accountant · Accounting period · Bookkeeping · Cash and accrual basis · Cash flow management · Chart of accounts  …   Wikipedia

  • balance sheet — an important business document that shows what a business owns and owes as of the date shown. Essentially a balance sheet is a list of business assets and their cost on one side and a list of liabilities and owners equity (investment in the… …   Financial and business terms

  • Balance sheet — Also called the statement of financial condition, it is a summary of the assets, liabilities, and owners equity. The New York Times Financial Glossary * * * balance sheet ˈbalance ˌsheet noun [countable] ACCOUNTING a document showing a company s… …   Financial and business terms

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