Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Represent the Company’s Sources of Funds (i.e., How It Pays for Assets)

Liabilities represent what the company owes to others (Exhibit 6.3):

  • They must be measurable.

  • Their occurrence is probable.

    Shareholders’ equity represents sources of funds through:

  • Equity investment

  • Retained earnings (what the company has earned through operations since its inception)

Exhibit 6.3. Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Typically Consist of (But are Not Always Limited to):
LIABILITIES
Accounts PayableA company’s obligations to suppliers for services and products already purchased from them, but which have not been paid; represent the company’s unpaid bills to its suppliers for services obtained on credit from them.
Notes PayableDebt or equity securities held by the company
Current Portion of Long-Term DebtPortion of debt with an overall maturity of more than a year; portion due within 12 months
Long-Term DebtThe company’s borrowings with a maturity (full repayment) exceeding 12 months
Deferred TaxesPotential future tax obligations arising when taxes payable to the IRS are lower than those recorded on financial statements
Minority InterestEquity interest in the portion of the consolidated businesses that the company does not own
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred StockStock that has special rights and takes priority over common stock
Common Stock Par ValuePar value of units of ownership of a corporation
Additional Paid-In Capital (APIC)Represents capital received by a company ...

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