What is a Loan Covenant? Loan covenants are a series of small, independent agreements made between a debtor (borrower) and a creditor (lender). Loan covenants expressly outline behaviors that a borrower must – or must not – engage in. When a debtor borrows money from a creditor, the loan terms are expressly outlined in a…
What is Skimming Fraud? Skimming fraud is a type of white-collar crime that involves taking the cash of a business prior to entering it into the accounting system. Skimming is an “off-book” fraud because the cash theft has occurred before it is entered into the bookkeeping system. Thus, it is never reported on the company’s…
What is Married Filing Jointly? Married filing jointly, for tax purposes, refers to the filing status in the U.S. for a married couple that is married as of the end of a tax year. Married couples can access distinct tax treatments that can be beneficial when filing under married filing jointly status. Married couples can…
What is Ability-To-Pay Taxation? Ability-To-Pay Taxation is a tax principle that asserts that taxes should be levied based on an individual’s ability to pay the tax. In other words, individuals, corporations, partnerships, and other entities who earn a higher income will need to pay more taxes because they have the ability to do so. Many…
What is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)? Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is an alternative method to calculate the minimum amount an individual owes in taxes based on their income. It was created to establish fairness in the Canadian taxation system, meaning that higher-income earners would still need to pay their fair share of taxes net…
What is the Annual Equivalent Rate (AER)? The Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) is the rate of interest after taking into account the effects of compounding to normalize the interest rate. The AER is the actual interest rate an investment, loan, or savings account will yield after accounting for compounding. Annual Equivalent Rate Formula The formula…
What is an Asset Retirement Obligation (ARO)? An asset retirement obligation (ARO) is a legal obligation that is associated with the retirement of a tangible, long-term asset. It is generally applicable when a company is responsible for removing equipment or cleaning up hazardous materials at some agreed-upon future date. A company must realize the ARO…
What are the Different Types of Organizations? This article on the different types of organizations explores the categories to which organizational structures can belong. Organizational structures can be tall, meaning there are multiple tiers between entry-level workers and top managers. They can also be fairly flat, meaning there are very few levels between employees and management. Understanding…
What is an Activity Cost Driver? An activity cost driver refers to actions that cause variable costs to increase or decrease for a business. Therefore, identifying what product/service is causing particular costs can help the business to become more profitable by better understanding the specific activities that are driving the costs. Activity cost drivers include…
