STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
HOW A BALANCE
WHAT IS SFP? SHEET WORKS
The Statement of Financial Position or the Balance Sheet is used to All accounts in your general
illustrate the financial health of a business. A balance sheet helps ledger are categorized
business stakeholders and analysts evaluate the overall financial as an asset, a liability, or
position of a company and its ability to pay for its operating needs. equity. The items listed on
You can also use the balance sheet to determine how to meet your balance sheets can vary
depending on the industry,
financial obligations and the best ways to use credit to finance your
but in general, the sheet
operations.
is divided into these three
The balance sheet may also have details from previous years so you categories.
can do a back-to-back comparison of two consecutive years. This
data will help you track your performance and identify ways to build ASSETS
up your finances and see where you need to improve.
Assets are typically orga
nized into liquid assets,
or those that are cash or
2 FORMS OF BALANCE SHEET can be easily converted
into cash, and non-liquid
assets that cannot quickly
be converted to cash,
REPORT FORM such as land, buildings,
In this form, the accounts are and equipment. They may
also include intangible
presented inbone straight column
assets, such as franchise
- assets, liabilities and equity.
agreements, , and patents.
According to the Philippine
Accounting Standards (PAS), there
is no prescribed form for financial
LIABILITIES
reporting but the form should be
appropriate to the nature of Liabilities are funds owed
business and transactions of the by the business, it include
entity. loans, accounts payable,
mortgages, deferred
revenues, bonds, warranties,
ACCOUNT FORM and accrued expenses. In
The account form follows the style of the accounting equation (assets general, a liability is an
are on the left side of the SFP while liabilities and owner's equity are obligation between one
on the right side). . According tothe Philippine Accounting Standards party and another not yet
(PAS),the re is no prescribed form for financialreporting but the form completed or paid for.
should be appropriate to the nature of business and transactions ofthe
entity EQUITY
Equity, also known as
owners' equity or sharehold
ers' equity, is that which
remains after subtracting
the liabilities from the
assets. Retained earnings
are earnings retained by the
corporation—that is, not paid
to shareholders in the form
of dividends.