Asset:

What is Asset:

An asset is anything of value that a company owns. This includes cash, property and equipment, inventory, accounts receivables and more. An asset is something that can be converted to cash value. These are the resources owned by a business which benefit its future operations and are convertible to cash.

Following are the common asset accounts:

•  Cash: In accounting, cash includes physical money such as bank notes and coins as well as amount deposited in bank for current use.

•  Accounts Receivable: It includes the money owed to the business by outsiders such as customers and other businesses. In most cases accounts receivable arise from sales or services provided on credit. There is no interest on accounts receivable.

•  Notes Receivable: Notes receivable includes the money owed to business by outsiders for which there is a formal document for proof of debt. In most cases Notes receivable also involve interest.

•  Prepaid Insurance: The cost of insurance premium paid in advance.

•  Inventory: These are goods and materials held by a business for the purpose of sale or for the production process.

•  Supplies: Supplies include items held for use in miscellaneous activities by the business. It may include items used by business staff (for example: stationary products) and items used in production process (for example nails used in production of furniture).

•  Equipment: Equipment having life more than a year. Examples are Vehicles, Production Machinery, Computers etc.

•  Buildings: Buildings owned by the business. Examples are Office Building, Factory Building, Godown, Garage etc.

•  Land: Includes cost of all the land owned by the business. Also includes cost of the land with building on it.

•  Patents, Trade Mark, License: These are assets have no physical existence but have properties of assets.

In other way, Assets can be classified as:

·         Current  Assets: The assets cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, prepaid insurance, inventory and supplies are categorized as Current Assets.

·         Non-Current Assets:  Equipment, buildings, land and patents are categorized as Non-Current Assets.

Assets can also be classified as:

·         Tangible Assets:  Those assets which have physical existence are called intangible assets.

·         Intangible Assets: Those assets which have no physical existence are called intangible assets.