Equity in accounting

Hmm. Equity in accounting? Not too sure what’s that, right?

Really simply, think of equity as the money you and your family own in your own business.

For example, if you start a lemonade stand and buy all the supplies, the money you used to buy the supplies would be considered equity.

When you sell some lemonade, that money becomes your personal equity.

Now imagine that you have a friend who wants to help you run your lemonade stand.

You might ask them to lend you some money from their personal assets for more supplies, which would become a liability.

The liabilities are the money you owe to other people.

The total amount of money you own in your business is called equity (it’s also a good way to see how much your business is worth).

To calculate your equity, you subtract what you owe, the liabilities from what you own, your assets.

Now you can see how much you have leftover, and if your business is making a profit or not.

This is important for your business, isn’t it?

Of course, equity is a little more complicated than this, so we’ll need to explore it some more.

Overview:

• What Is Considered an Equity in Accounting?
• Why is equity in accounting important?
• What is the role of tangible and intangible assets in equity?
• Where is equity recorded?
• What Is Equity on the Balance Sheet?
• Is equity an asset or liability?
• Book value of equity in accounting
• Market value of equity in accounting

What Is Considered an Equity in Accounting?

In accounting, equity refers to a company’s residual interest in the assets of the business after deducting all its liabilities.

Equity represents the owners’ claims to the assets of the company.

Its value can come in different forms, including:

• Shareholders equity 

This is the amount of funds that shareholders have invested in the company, including common stock.

• Owner’s equity

This is the interest of the sole proprietor or partners in a business, representing their claims to the assets of the company as retained earnings.

• Preferred stock

This is a type of equity that represents ownership in a company, but with priority over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets.

• Reserves

These are amounts set aside for specific purposes, such as the provision for bad debts or depreciation of assets.

Why is equity in accounting important?

By calculating your equity value, you can see how well your company is doing, and make decisions about what to do next.

It is a valuable component of a company’s financial statements and is used by external users, such as financial analysts, investors, investment bankers and creditors, to assess the ownership interest, financial health and stability of the company.

Going back to your lemonade stand, if you have a lot of equity in your lemonade stand, you might choose to invest in better supplies or advertise more to attract more customers.

If you have little equity in your lemonade stand, you might need to think about ways to increase your sales or reduce your expenses.

What is the role of tangible and intangible assets in equity?

Both these assets are important in measuring equity because they represent the assets that a company has at its disposal to generate income and secure its financial future.

What are tangible assets?

Tangible assets are assets in terms of physical resources (you can see and touch them).

They include cash, property, plant and equipment, inventory, land, raw materials, work-in-progress, finished goods held for sale, buildings, machinery, vehicles, and other long-term assets used in a business.

Tangible assets are typically based on their historical cost or market value and are subject to depreciation to reflect their decline in value over time.

You can use these assets to secure loans and raise capital. They can also provide insight into the company’s financial stability and ability to generate future income.

What are intangible assets?

Intangible assets are non-physical assets – you can’t see or touch them.

They are assets that are not easily evaluated or sold and have no physical form, but they represent the value of the company that is not reflected in its tangible assets.

Examples of these types of assets include intellectual property (patents, trademarks, and copyrights), trade secrets, proprietary knowledge and technology, goodwill, brands, and customer relationships.

These assets can provide a competitive advantage and drive future revenue growth, making them important to consider when evaluating a company’s financial position.

By taking both of these assets into account, equity provides a more complete picture of a company’s financial position and its ability to generate future income.

Where is equity recorded?

Equity is recorded on a company’s balance sheet, which are financial statements that summarises a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.

What Is Equity on the Balance Sheet?

You will find the equity value recorded in the liability section of the balance sheet under the headings stockholders’ equity, retained earnings, owner’s equity, preferred stock, and reserves.

The total represents the residual interest in the assets of the company after all its liabilities have been deducted.

The balance sheet equation states that Assets = Liabilities + Equity, which means that the total value of a company’s assets must equal the sum of its liabilities and equity.

Is equity an asset or liability?

Still confused if equity is an asset or liability?

Equity is considered an asset on your company’s balance sheet.

This is because it represents the residual interest in the assets of a company after deducting liabilities.

Book value of equity in accounting

The next term you’ll need to know is book value.

Book value of equity in accounting refers to the amount of a company’s equity that is reported on its balance sheet.

It is calculated as the difference between a company’s total assets and its total liabilities.

The book value of equity may not always reflect the market value of a company’s equity, as it does not take into account intangible assets such as brand value and future earnings potential.

This can also become outdated quickly, especially in rapidly changing industries, and may not accurately reflect a company’s current financial position.

Market value of equity in accounting

Just to confuse you a little more, besides, book value, there is also market value of equity.

The market value of equity in accounting is the current value of a company’s outstanding equity as determined by the financial markets.

Investors consider this value important. It is the price they are willing to pay for a company’s stock and is influenced by various factors such as earnings, revenue, growth prospects, and overall economic conditions.

It can be determined by the current stock price multiplied by the number of outstanding shares.

For example, if a company’s stock is trading at $50 per share and there are 1 million outstanding shares, the market value of equity would be $50 million.

As we all have seen in stock markets, it can fluctuate rapidly and may not always reflect the true value of a company’s equity. Use market value as one of many factors to consider when evaluating a company’s financial performance and potential.

Just like your lemonade stand, measuring the equity of a company is important for making informed decisions and ensuring its long-term success.

Need assistance calculating the net worth of your company? Accounting firms like Sleek can help. What’s the best way we can get in contact with you? Call us on +61 2 9100 0480, use our chat box or schedule an appointment for a time that suits you!