Accounting

This lesson discusses how to account for contingencies, uncertain future gains and losses. A basic understanding of financial statements and the essential ideas underlying accrual accounting is helpful before undertaking this lesson.

This lesson is an introduction to the basic concept of depreciation. It discusses depreciation as an expense, how to determine the cost, or basis, of an asset, and the balance sheet treatment of depreciable assets. It does not discuss the different methods of depreciation. That is dealt with in another lesson, Methods of Depreciation.

This lesson discusses the accounting treatment of inventory: how to value inventory on the balance sheet, inventory as an expense (the cost of goods sold), and different methods of determining the cost of goods sold. It does not cover the lower-of-cost-or-market rule, which is dealt with in a separate lesson.

This lesson discusses the lower-of-cost-or-market rule that sometimes requires the book value of inventory to be reduced to its market value. Before taking this lesson, you should already be familiar with the basic accounting rules that govern inventory. Another lesson, Inventory and the Cost of Goods Sold, covers those basic concepts.

This lesson discusses how lawyers should respond to audit inquiry letters, which ask lawyers to provide information concerning legal matters to a client's auditors. The lesson focuses on the American Bar Association's Statement of Policy Regarding Lawyer's Responses to Auditors' Requests for Information. No knowledge of accounting is necessary to complete this lesson.

This lesson discusses the different methods of calculating depreciation expense. Students who take this lesson should already be familiar with the basic concept of depreciation. If you are not, you should first take the companion lesson, An Introduction to Depreciation.