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3rd June 2021
This glossary explains the key financial terms you’ll come across during the running of your business You may not be aware of them all yet, but as your business progresses you’ll gain a better understanding of them all.
| Accounts Payable Money which you owe to suppliers for products and services purchased on credit. |
| Accounts ReceivableMoney that is owed to you by a customer for products or services you have provided to them on credit. |
| Assets Things you own, e.g. buildings, stock, vehicles. |
| Balance Date The last day of your financial year. |
| Beneficiary Current Account A detailed account showing the amount that has been distributed to a beneficiary from a Trust and the amount that has been withdrawn by the beneficiary, like a bank account. The balance shows the amount available to the beneficiary to withdraw at the end of a period. When the balance is in brackets, it is overdrawn and the beneficiary has withdrawn too much. |
| Cost of Goods Sold These are the direct costs involved in getting goods / services ready to be sold, e.g. in a supermarket these would be the purchases of groceries to be sold. |
| Creditors People who you owe money to, e.g. suppliers, banks. |
| Current Assets Cash and other assets that are reasonably expected to be converted to cash or used in the business within one year, e.g. stock on hand, cash in bank. |
| Current Liabilities Obligations reasonably expected to be paid within the next year, e.g. creditors, PAYE. |
| Depreciation An expense that spreads the value of an asset over its expected useful life. |
| Directors’ Annual Report A company report which presents financial information such as business activity, donations, employee remunerations, audit expenditure, etc. |
| Dividends Distributions of cash or other assets from a company to its shareholders. |
| EBIT Earnings Before Interest and Tax – a measure of your firm’s profit excluding interest and income tax expenses. |
| Gross Profit The difference between income and cost of goods / services sold. |
| Liabilities Things you owe, e.g. bank loans, creditors. |
| Net Loss The amount by which expenses exceed income. |
| Net Profit The amount by which income exceeds expenses. |
| Non-Current Assets Assets that are not expected to be consumed or sold within one year, e.g. investments, goodwill. |
| Non-Current Liabilities Liabilities that are not expected to be paid within one year, e.g. bank loans, hire purchases. |
| Notes to the Financial Statements Notes that clarify information presented in the financial statements, as well as expand on information where additional detail is needed. |
| Retained Earnings The accumulated profit from the current and previous accounting periods that has not been distributed to owners. |
| Share Capital The total amount paid in by shareholders for shares in the company. |
| Shareholder’s Equity This is the amount that would be returned to shareholders if all assets were liquidated and all its debts repaid. |
| Work in Progress (WIP) The value of work which is currently being worked on, but not yet completed or invoiced. |
| Shareholder Current Account A detailed account that shows the amount that has been distributed to a shareholder from the company, or funds that have been put into the company personally by a shareholder, and the amount withdrawn by the shareholder. The balance shows the amount available to the shareholder to withdraw at the end of a period. When the balance is in brackets this means it is overdrawn and the shareholder withdrawn too much. |
| Statement of Financial Performance / Profit and Loss Statement A statement that reports on the income and expenses of an entity for a period, and the resulting net profit / loss. |
| Statement of Financial Position / Balance Sheet A statement that reports on the assets, liabilities and owners’ equity of an entity at a specific date. |
If you would like any help understanding these or would like to find out about our services, please do contact us.
You can also read more on our Financial Awareness Coaching blog post.
12th June 2026
