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The Balance Sheet and Your Practice’s Net Worth

The Balance Sheet and Your Practice’s Net Worth

A Bilanz shows a snapshot of your practice’s financial health. It includes a summary of all accounts categorized as assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity.

Assets include concrete items like cash, inventory and property and equipment. They also include marketable securities, prepaid expenses and money owed to you (accounts receivable) from payers.
Assets

The balance sheet is a snapshot of what a company owns and owes at the moment of its publication. It follows the accounting equation: assets equal liabilities plus shareholder’s equity.

Assets are grouped into current and fixed (also called long-term) assets. Current assets are those that can be turned into cash within a year, such as accounts receivable and inventory. Fixed assets are those that will be used up over time, such as equipment and buildings. They decline in value over time, which is recorded as depreciation expense on the income statement.

The left side of the balance sheet reports all the assets, including cash and cash equivalents. The right side of the balance sheet lists all the company’s liabilities and equity, with both balancing out with each other. This is a basic format that all companies use. However, the reporting details will vary from company to company. This is why a detailed understanding of the different accounts is important.
Liabilities

The liabilities section of a balance sheet is made up of sums that the company owes to outside parties, such as debt, bills payable and taxes. It also includes a company’s outstanding warranties and any deferred revenue. Just like assets, liabilities are grouped according to their liquidity, which is how quickly they can be turned into cash. Liabilities include short-term obligations that are due within a year, such as accounts payable and wages payable.

Long-term liabilities are debts that need to be paid over the course of more than a year, such as mortgages, business loans and deferred tax payments. Depending on the accounting system used and how inventories and depreciation are calculated, the amounts in the liability section of a balance sheet can vary. This is why it’s important to compare the current reporting period with previous ones using ratio and trend analysis. This will reveal any underlying problems. Ultimately, the fundamental accounting equation is Assets = Liabilities + Shareholders’ Equity.
Shareholders’ Equity

The shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet contains four key line items – retained earnings, additional paid-in capital, other comprehensive income and treasury shares. The amount of shareholders’ equity in a company can change due to a variety of factors, including changes in pricing for investments and the number of shares outstanding.

Retained earnings represent net income that a business retains for reinvestment, rather than distributes to shareholders or uses to pay debt. Additional paid-in capital is the value investors add to a company’s par value in an initial public offering. Other comprehensive income is the result of a company’s trading activities and can include unrealized gains and losses.

Finally, treasury shares are the number of stock that a company holds in its own treasury, rather than reselling to investors. A negative shareholder’s equity can signal that a company is struggling and may be at risk of bankruptcy. However, a positive shareholders’ equity can also indicate that a company has sufficient financial resources to cover its liabilities.
Net Worth

Net worth is the value of assets minus the value of liabilities. It is a measure of an individual’s financial strength and an indicator of future financial success. It is important to calculate and track your net worth on a regular basis.

Personal assets include cash, investment accounts, money market accounts and valuable personal property such as cars and jewelry. Liabilities include credit card balances, mortgages and loans. Business owners also have intangible assets such as customer lists and patents. To calculate net worth, subtract total liabilities from total assets reported on the balance sheet.

A difference in asset valuation methods can affect net worth. A common approach is to report the cost of an asset, sometimes referred to as book value or historical cost. Another option is to use the market approach to valuation which considers current asset prices and selling costs. If using the market approach, the balance sheet includes separate accounts for contributed capital and retained earnings.

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