Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 05 (of 10)American School of Correspondence
General
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 05 (of 10)
American School of Correspondence
Accounting; Business; Commerce
A statement of affairs is used chiefly in the preparation of a statement
of the condition of an insolvent concern, or one whose affairs have
been, for any reason, placed in charge of an Administrator. In a going
business, all facts that have a bearing on its financial standing should
be recorded on the books, when the statement will be made in the form of
a balance sheet.
Statements of affairs of a going business are sometimes made when it is
desired to make a showing for a special purpose, or at a date other than
a regular closing date. When the books have been improperly kept, a
statement of affairs, or statement of assets and liabilities, is
necessary to get all of the facts properly recorded.
=11. Statement of Affairs of a Bankrupt.= A statement of affairs of a
bankrupt is prepared on a somewhat different basis than a similar
statement for a going concern. Such a statement is prepared for the
benefit of creditors, and should be based on the probability of the
creditors receiving their claims in whole or in part.
[Illustration:
A Statement of Affairs of a Bankrupt
]
On the left-hand side of the statement, the liabilities should be
listed, showing whether they are actual, contingent, or provisional;
which are preferable or ordinary, or secured partly or wholly by assets
held by creditors of the concern as security for their claims. On the
right, the assets of the concern should be shown. These should be
classified as to whether they are free for distribution among the
ordinary creditors or subject to special liability or claims and which
must be liquidated before the assets can be released for distribution.
The assets may be listed on the basis of their value in a going concern,
or on the basis of the prices they are estimated to bring at forced
sale. The best practice is to list the assets to show, in one column,
their nominal value, and in another column the amounts they are expected
to realize. The statement is prepared for the express purpose of showing
the probability of creditors—preferable, secured, partly secured, and
ordinary—receiving their claims in full or being obliged to accept a
dividend. In preparing such a statement, therefore, the investigation
should be extended beyond the mere bookkeeping records. While the
statement should be based on the properly balanced books of account, it
must be supplemented by information from other sources.
The statement of liabilities should include, not only all of the
liabilities shown on the books of the debtor, but all other enforcible
claims, including contingent liabilities on account of the debtor's name
being on commercial paper as an endorser.
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