Asked by Dontillia

What calculation should be used to determine liabilities?

Answers

Answered by GPT-4o mini
To determine liabilities, you typically conduct a balance sheet analysis, focusing on the accounting equation:

**Assets = Liabilities + Equity**

From this equation, you can isolate liabilities as follows:

**Liabilities = Assets - Equity**

To calculate total liabilities, follow these steps:

1. **Identify Total Assets**: List all assets and sum their values. This includes current assets (e.g., cash, accounts receivable, inventory) and non-current assets (e.g., property, equipment).

2. **Identify Total Equity**: Determine the equity by summing the owner's equity or shareholder's equity, which typically includes common stock, retained earnings, and additional paid-in capital.

3. **Calculate Total Liabilities**: Subtract the total equity from the total assets using the formula provided above.

Additionally, you can categorize liabilities into current liabilities (due within one year) and long-term liabilities (due after one year) if needed for further analysis.

**Example:**

- Total Assets: $500,000
- Total Equity: $300,000

**Liabilities = $500,000 - $300,000 = $200,000**

This tells you that the total liabilities amount to $200,000.

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