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66-401: In accounting , expense is any specific outflow of cash or other valuable assets from a person or company to another person or company. This outflow is generally one side of a trade for products or services that have equal or better current or future value to the buyer than to the seller. Technically, an expense is an event in which a proprietary stake is diminished or exhausted, or a liability

132-725: A double-entry bookkeeping system was the Summa de arithmetica , published in Italy in 1494 by Luca Pacioli (the "Father of Accounting"). Accounting began to transition into an organized profession in the nineteenth century, with local professional bodies in England merging to form the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1880. Both the words "accounting" and "accountancy" were in use in Great Britain by

198-457: A Software as a Service implementation, these processes are largely automated and the submission and approvals processes are transacted electronically. Expense Management automation is the means by which an organization can significantly reduce transaction costs and improve management control when logging, calculating and processing corporate expenses. Independent research evaluating the use of automated expense management systems has confirmed that

264-489: A broad range of research areas including financial accounting , management accounting , auditing and taxation . Accounting research is carried out both by academic researchers and practicing accountants. Methodologies in academic accounting research include archival research, which examines "objective data collected from repositories "; experimental research, which examines data "the researcher gathered by administering treatments to subjects "; analytical research, which

330-465: A company may be legally required to have their financial statements audited by a qualified auditor, and audits are usually carried out by accounting firms . Accounting firms grew in the United States and Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and through several mergers there were large international accounting firms by the mid-twentieth century. Further large mergers in

396-426: A liability account, which are balance sheet accounts. An expense decreases assets or increases liabilities. Typical business expenses include salaries, utilities, depreciation of capital assets, and interest expense for loans. The purchase of a capital asset such as a building or equipment is not an expense. In a cash flow statement (flow of funds statement), expenditures are divided into three categories: Whether

462-454: A new business-related asset. This cost could not be deducted in the current taxable year. However, the gas the person buys during that year to fuel that truck would be considered a deductible expense. The cost of purchasing gas does not improve or prolong the life of the truck but simply allows the truck to run. Even if something qualifies as an expense, it is not necessarily deductible. As a general rule, expenses are deductible if they relate to

528-425: A paper, spreadsheet , or graphical user interface -based expense report that they then forward, along with the relevant tax invoices (receipts), to a manager or other controller for approval. Once the manager has approved the claim, they forward it on to the accounts department for processing. The accounts staff then key each expense item into the company's finance system before filing the claim and receipts away. In

594-519: A particular expenditure is classified as an expense, which is reported immediately on the business's income statement or whether it is classified as a capital expenditure (or an expenditure subject to depreciation ), which is not an expense flow of funds statement. Though, these latter types of expenditures are reported as expenses when they are depreciated by businesses that use accrual-basis accounting - as most large businesses and all C corporations do. Defining an expense as capital or income using

660-450: A percentage of overall income). Forensic accounting is a specialty practice area of accounting that describes engagements that result from actual or anticipated disputes or litigation . " Forensic " means "suitable for use in a court of law", and it is to that standard and potential outcome that forensic accountants generally have to work. Political campaign accounting deals with the development and implementation of financial systems and

726-621: A personal level, expense management enables individuals to maintain a healthy financial life. By tracking and categorizing expenses, individuals gain a clear understanding of where their money is going. This awareness allows for better budgeting, saving, and investing decisions. It empowers individuals to make informed choices about their spending habits, prioritize financial goals, and avoid unnecessary debt. There are outstanding mobile applications that makes personal expense management handy, notably SMoney that are available in both iOS and Android Versions. For businesses, effective expense management

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792-551: A plethora of corporate finance and expense management apps, it is notable that Odoo and Expense.com.hk are free and simple to use. Other platforms, including Workstem and InfoTech requires an upfront payment plus relatively complex setup procedures. In both personal and corporate contexts, expense management contributes to financial stability and resilience. It helps individuals and businesses weather unexpected expenses, emergencies, or economic downturns. By establishing sound financial habits and practices, individuals can build

858-433: A recent study based on academic author rankings concludes that the competitive value of a single publication in a top-ranked journal is highest in accounting and lowest in marketing. The year 2001 witnessed a series of financial information frauds involving Enron , auditing firm Arthur Andersen , the telecommunications company WorldCom , Qwest and Sunbeam , among other well-known corporations. These problems highlighted

924-399: A result of the first admissions of fraudulent behavior made by Enron. The act significantly raises criminal penalties for securities fraud , for destroying, altering or fabricating records in federal investigations or any scheme or attempt to defraud shareholders. Accounting fraud is an intentional misstatement or omission in the accounting records by management or employees which involves

990-651: A single professional accounting body and, in some other countries, professional bodies for subfields of the accounting professions also exist, for example the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK and Institute of management accountants in the United States. Many of these professional bodies offer education and training including qualification and administration for various accounting designations, such as certified public accountant ( AICPA ) and chartered accountant . Depending on its size,

1056-477: A strong foundation for their future. Similarly, organizations with effective expense management have better cash flow management, which enhances their ability to invest, expand, and adapt to changing market conditions. Accounting This is an accepted version of this page Accounting , also known as accountancy , is the process of recording and processing information about economic entities , such as businesses and corporations . Accounting measures

1122-628: A taxpayer's trade or business activity or if the expense is paid or incurred in the production or collection of income from an activity that does not rise to the level of a trade or business (investment activity). Section 162(a) of the Internal Revenue Code is the deduction provision for business or trade expenses. In order to be a trade or business expense and qualify for a deduction, it must satisfy 5 elements in addition to qualifying as an expense. It must be (1) ordinary and (2) necessary ( Welch v. Helvering defines this as necessary for

1188-426: A third party to improve the productivity of expense management. Expense management automation has two aspects: the process an employee follows in order to complete an expense claim (for example, logging a hotel receipt or submitting mobile phone records) and the activity accounts or finance staff undertake to process the claim within the finance system . Typically, a manual process will involve an employee completing

1254-883: Is "based on the act of formally modeling theories or substantiating ideas in mathematical terms"; interpretive research, which emphasizes the role of language, interpretation and understanding in accounting practice, "highlighting the symbolic structures and taken-for-granted themes which pattern the world in distinct ways"; critical research, which emphasizes the role of power and conflict in accounting practice; case studies ; computer simulation ; and field research . Empirical studies document that leading accounting journals publish in total fewer research articles than comparable journals in economics and other business disciplines, and consequently, accounting scholars are relatively less successful in academic publishing than their business school peers. Due to different publication rates between accounting and other business disciplines,

1320-458: Is a part of an organization's information system used for processing accounting data. Many corporations use artificial intelligence-based information systems. The banking and finance industry uses AI in fraud detection. The retail industry uses AI for customer services. AI is also used in the cybersecurity industry. It involves computer hardware and software systems using statistics and modeling. Many accounting practices have been simplified with

1386-409: Is a term also used in sociology , in which a particular fortune or price is sacrificed voluntarily or involuntarily by something or someone to something or somebody else, often in the context that the latter is taking advantage of the former. In double-entry bookkeeping, expenses are recorded as a debit to an expense account (an income statement account) and a credit to either an asset account or

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1452-542: Is closely related to developments in writing , counting and money ; there is also evidence of early forms of bookkeeping in ancient Iran , and early auditing systems by the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians . By the time of Emperor Augustus , the Roman government had access to detailed financial information. Many concepts related to today's accounting seem to be initiated in medieval's Middle East. For example, Jewish communities used double-entry bookkeeping in

1518-587: Is derived from the French word compter , which is also derived from the Italian and Latin word computare . The word was formerly written in English as "accomptant", but in process of time the word, which was always pronounced by dropping the "p", became gradually changed both in pronunciation and in orthography to its present form. Accounting has variously been defined as the keeping or preparation of

1584-408: Is incurred. In terms of the accounting equation , expenses reduce owners' equity . The International Accounting Standards Board defines expenses as: ...decreases in economic benefits during the accounting period in the form of outflows or depletions of assets or incurrences of liabilities that result in decreases in equity, other than those relating to distributions to equity participants. Expense

1650-515: Is labeled as Telecom expense management. Historically, Telecom expenses were managed as general services. In recent years, more and more organizations associate telecom expense to IT services. This change in management is due to a shift in global business strategies towards evolving technologies. Travel expense management (often referred to as "T+E") is defined as the means to organize and manage travel arrangements and costs for traveling employee. Technology expense management or IT expense management

1716-443: Is the largest global accountancy body with over 320,000 members, and the organisation provides an 'IFRS stream' and a 'UK stream'. Students must pass a total of 14 exams, which are arranged across three levels. Accounting research is research in the effects of economic events on the process of accounting, the effects of reported information on economic events, and the roles of accounting in organizations and society. It encompasses

1782-450: Is transacted between companies with a common parent company (subsidiaries). Auditing is the verification of assertions made by others regarding a payoff, and in the context of accounting it is the " unbiased examination and evaluation of the financial statements of an organization". Audit is a professional service that is systematic and conventional. An audit of financial statements aims to express or disclaim an independent opinion on

1848-437: Is usually attributed to the Italian mathematician and Franciscan friar Luca Pacioli . Today, accounting is facilitated by accounting organizations such as standard-setters, accounting firms and professional bodies . Financial statements are usually audited by accounting firms, and are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). GAAP is set by various standard-setting organizations such as

1914-561: Is vital for maintaining financial health and achieving long-term success. By closely monitoring and controlling expenses, businesses can optimize their operational costs and improve profitability. Expense management helps identify areas of overspending, inefficiencies, or potential cost savings. It allows for strategic decision-making, such as resource allocation, investment planning, and pricing strategies. Moreover, proper expense management ensures compliance with financial regulations and enhances transparency in financial reporting. Whilst there are

1980-573: Is what had previously been the norm. An expense report is a form of document that contains all the expenses that an individual has incurred as a result of the business operation. For example, if the owner of a business travels to another location for a meeting, the cost of travel, the meals, and all other expenses that he/she has incurred may be added to the expense report. Consequently, these expenses will be considered business expenses and are tax-deductible. Many businesses benefit from automated expense reports systems for expense management . Depending on

2046-574: The American Institute of CPA's (AICPA) 150 semester hour requirement, and associate membership with the Certified Public Accountants Association of the UK is available after gaining a degree in finance or accounting. A doctorate is required in order to pursue a career in accounting academia , for example, to work as a university professor in accounting. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and

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2112-616: The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) are the most popular degrees. The PhD is the most common degree for those wishing to pursue a career in academia, while DBA programs generally focus on equipping business executives for business or public careers requiring research skills and qualifications. Professional accounting qualifications include the chartered accountant designations and other qualifications including certificates and diplomas. In Scotland, chartered accountants of ICAS undergo Continuous Professional Development and abide by

2178-772: The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in the United States and the Financial Reporting Council in the United Kingdom . As of 2012, "all major economies" have plans to converge towards or adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Accounting is thousands of years old and can be traced to ancient civilizations . One early development of accounting dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and

2244-510: The Internal Revenue Code permits the deduction of business expenses in the tax payable year in which those expenses are paid or incurred. This is in contrast to capital expenditures that are paid or incurred to acquire an asset. Expenses are costs that do not acquire, improve, or prolong the life of an asset. For example, a person who buys a new truck for a business would be making a capital expenditure because they have acquired

2310-546: The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issues the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implemented by 147 countries. Standards for international audit and assurance, ethics, education, and public sector accounting are all set by independent standard settings boards supported by IFAC. The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board sets international standards for auditing, assurance, and quality control;

2376-710: The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) sets the internationally appropriate principles-based Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants ; the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) sets professional accounting education standards; and International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) sets accrual-based international public sector accounting standards. Organizations in individual countries may issue accounting standards unique to

2442-822: The ICAS code of ethics. In England and Wales, chartered accountants of the ICAEW undergo annual training, and are bound by the ICAEW's code of ethics and subject to its disciplinary procedures. In the United States , the requirements for joining the AICPA as a Certified Public Accountant are set by the Board of Accountancy of each state , and members agree to abide by the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct and Bylaws. The ACCA

2508-475: The IFRS. At least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field is required for most accountant and auditor job positions , and some employers prefer applicants with a master's degree . A degree in accounting may also be required for, or may be used to fulfill the requirements for, membership to professional accounting bodies. For example, the education during an accounting degree can be used to fulfill

2574-660: The United States concentrates on the preparation, analysis and presentation of tax payments and tax returns. The U.S. tax system requires the use of specialised accounting principles for tax purposes which can differ from the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for financial reporting. U.S. tax law covers four basic forms of business ownership: sole proprietorship , partnership , corporation , and limited liability company . Corporate and personal income are taxed at different rates, both varying according to income levels and including varying marginal rates (taxed on each additional dollar of income) and average rates (set as

2640-874: The accounting of financial transactions in compliance with laws governing political campaign operations. This branch of accounting was first formally introduced in the March 1976 issue of The Journal of Accountancy . Professional accounting bodies include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the other 179 members of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), including Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) , CPA Australia , Institute of Chartered Accountants of India , Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Some countries have

2706-619: The cost of processing an expense claim is reduced as the level of automation increases. Organizations may automate their expense management processes for reasons such as compliance, cost reduction, control, and employee productivity. Business strategies are tailored to various types of expense management: Telecom Expense Management (TEM) is the process of managing large enterprises communications costs to include fixed voice and data, mobile devices, Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC), VoIP, and any other IT related services. The management of wireless and wireline service and asset expenses

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2772-788: The countries. For example, in Australia, the Australian Accounting Standards Board manages the issuance of the accounting standards in line with IFRS. In the United States the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issues the Statements of Financial Accounting Standards, which form the basis of US GAAP , and in the United Kingdom the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) sets accounting standards. However, as of 2012 "all major economies" have plans to converge towards or adopt

2838-532: The development of new regulations to improve the reliability of financial reporting, and increased public awareness about the importance of having accounting standards that show the financial reality of companies and the objectivity and independence of auditing firms. In addition to being the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history, the Enron scandal undoubtedly is the biggest audit failure causing

2904-456: The development of the business at least in that they were appropriate and helpful). Expenses paid to preserve one's reputation do not appear to qualify). In addition, it must be (3) paid or incurred during the taxable year. It must be paid (4) in carrying on (meaning not prior to the start of a business or in creating it) (5) a trade or business activity. To qualify as a trade or business activity, it must be continuous and regular, and profit must be

2970-517: The dissolution of Arthur Andersen , which at the time was one of the five largest accounting firms in the world. After a series of revelations involving irregular accounting procedures conducted throughout the 1990s, Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2001. One consequence of these events was the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act in the United States in 2002, as

3036-569: The early-medieval period and Muslim societies, at least since the 10th century also used many modern accounting concepts. The spread of the use of Arabic numerals , instead of the Roman numbers historically used in Europe, increased efficiency of accounting procedures among Mediterranean merchants, who further refined accounting in medieval Europe . With the development of joint-stock companies , accounting split into financial accounting and management accounting . The first published work on

3102-606: The financial records of transactions of the firm, the analysis, verification and reporting of such records and "the principles and procedures of accounting"; it also refers to the job of being an accountant . Accountancy refers to the occupation or profession of an accountant, particularly in British English . Accounting has several subfields or subject areas, including financial accounting , management accounting , auditing , taxation and accounting information systems . Financial accounting focuses on

3168-499: The financial statements. The auditor expresses an independent opinion on the fairness with which the financial statements presents the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of an entity, in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and "in all material respects". An auditor is also required to identify circumstances in which the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) have not been consistently observed. An accounting information system

3234-507: The financials may be presented in financial reports, is known as bookkeeping , of which double-entry bookkeeping is the most common system. Accounting information systems are designed to support accounting functions and related activities. Accounting has existed in various forms and levels of sophistication throughout human history. The double-entry accounting system in use today was developed in medieval Europe, particularly in Venice , and

3300-854: The goals of an organization. In management accounting, internal measures and reports are based on cost–benefit analysis , and are not required to follow the generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP). In 2014 CIMA created the Global Management Accounting Principles (GMAPs) . The result of research from across 20 countries in five continents, the principles aim to guide best practice in the discipline. Management accounting produces past-oriented reports with time spans that vary widely, but it also encompasses future-oriented reports such as budgets . Management accounting reports often include financial and non financial information, and may, for example, focus on specific products and departments. Intercompany accounting focuses on

3366-546: The help of accounting computer-based software . An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is commonly used for a large organisation and it provides a comprehensive, centralized, integrated source of information that companies can use to manage all major business processes, from purchasing to manufacturing to human resources. These systems can be cloud based and available on demand via application or browser, or available as software installed on specific computers or local servers, often referred to as on-premise. Tax accounting in

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3432-589: The late twentieth century led to the dominance of the auditing market by the "Big Five" accounting firms: Arthur Andersen , Deloitte , Ernst & Young , KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers . The demise of Arthur Andersen following the Enron scandal reduced the Big Five to the Big Four . Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are accounting standards issued by national regulatory bodies. In addition,

3498-422: The management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income, or (3) in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of any tax. In investing, one controversy that mounted throughout 2002 and 2003 was whether companies should report the granting of stock options to employees as an expense on the income statement, or should not report this at all in the income statement, which

3564-404: The measurement, analysis and reporting of information between separate entities that are related, such as a parent company and its subsidiary companies. Intercompany accounting concerns record keeping of transactions between companies that have common ownership such as a parent company and a partially or wholly owned subsidiary. Intercompany transactions are also recorded in accounting when business

3630-675: The mid-1800s and are derived from the words accompting and accountantship used in the 18th century. In Middle English (used roughly between the 12th and the late 15th century), the verb "to account" had the form accounten , which was derived from the Old French word aconter , which is in turn related to the Vulgar Latin word computare , meaning "to reckon". The base of computare is putare , which "variously meant to prune, to purify, to correct an account, hence, to count or calculate, as well as to think". The word " accountant "

3696-420: The most common interpretation depends upon its term. When an expense is seen as a purchase, it alleviates this distinction. Soon after the purchase (that which was expenses holds no value), it is usually identified as an expense. It will be viewed as capital with life that should be amortized / depreciated and retained on the balance sheet if it retains value soon and long after the purchase. For tax purposes,

3762-423: The need to review the effectiveness of accounting standards , auditing regulations and corporate governance principles. In some cases, management manipulated the figures shown in financial reports to indicate a better economic performance. In others, tax and regulatory incentives encouraged over-leveraging of companies and decisions to bear extraordinary and unjustified risk. The Enron scandal deeply influenced

3828-419: The needs of decision-makers. Financial accounting produces past-oriented reports—for example financial statements are often published six to ten months after the end of the accounting period—on an annual or quarterly basis, generally about the organization as a whole. Management accounting focuses on the measurement, analysis and reporting of information that can help managers in making decisions to fulfill

3894-484: The policies and procedures that govern such spending, as well as the technologies and services utilized to process and analyze the data associated with it. Software to manage the expense claim, authorization, audit and repayment processes can be obtained from organizations that provide a licensed software, implementation and support service, or alternatively, from software as a service (SaaS) providers. SaaS providers offer on-demand web-based applications managed by

3960-436: The primary motive. An expense can be a loss or profit. But the loss or profit need not really be an expense. Section 212 of the Internal Revenue Code is the deduction provision for investment expenses. In addition to being an expense and satisfying elements 1-4 above, expenses are deductible as an investment activity under Section 212 of the Internal Revenue Code if they are (1) for the production or collection of income, (2) for

4026-444: The reporting of an organization's financial information to external users of the information, such as investors, potential investors and creditors. It calculates and records business transactions and prepares financial statements for the external users in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). GAAP, in turn, arises from the wide agreement between accounting theory and practice, and changes over time to meet

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4092-415: The reporting of an organization's financial information, including the preparation of financial statements , to the external users of the information, such as investors, regulators and suppliers . Management accounting focuses on the measurement, analysis and reporting of information for internal use by management to enhance business operations. The recording of financial transactions, so that summaries of

4158-500: The results of an organization's economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of stakeholders, including investors , creditors , management , and regulators . Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants . The terms "accounting" and " financial reporting " are often used interchangeably. Accounting can be divided into several fields including financial accounting , management accounting , tax accounting and cost accounting . Financial accounting focuses on

4224-409: The system chosen, these software solutions can reduce time costs, errors, and fraud. Expense management is a crucial aspect of both personal and corporate financial well-being. It involves effectively tracking, controlling, and optimizing expenses to ensure financial stability and growth. Whether for individuals or organizations, understanding and managing expenses is essential for various reasons. On

4290-417: The tort of negligence . The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud and errors rests with the entity's management. Expense management Expense management refers to the systems deployed by a business to process, pay, and audit employee-initiated expenses. These costs include, but are not limited to, expenses incurred for travel and entertainment. Expense management includes

4356-416: The use of deception. It is a criminal act and a breach of civil tort. It may involve collusion with third parties. An accounting error is an unintentional misstatement or omission in the accounting records, for example misinterpretation of facts, mistakes in processing data, or oversights leading to incorrect estimates. Acts leading to accounting errors are not criminal but may breach civil law, for example,

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