What this lesson is about
Capital expenditure versus revenue expenditure, and the three quite different reasons a business asks for money.
Part 1 of 3
Before, choosing, a, source, of, finance,, a, business, needs, to, know, what, the, money, is, for., The, purpose, of, the, funds, determines, which, source, is, right., Topic, 3.1, sets, up, that, distinction.
Capital, expenditure, is, spending, on, non-current, assets, used, for, over, a, year., Think, premises,, machinery,, vehicles,, and, equipment., It, shows, up, on, the, balance, sheet, and, gets, depreciated, over, its, useful, life., You, don’t, charge, it, all, in, the, year, it, was, bought.
Revenue, expenditure, covers, day-to-day, operating, costs, consumed, within, the, year., This, includes, wages,, raw, materials,, rent,, utilities,, and, insurance., It, gets, charged, fully, against, the, current, year's, profit, and, appears, on, the, income, statement.
Quick check
Purchasing a delivery van is classified as
The van is a non-current asset used over several years, so it is capitalised and depreciated rather than charged in full this year.
Part 2 of 3
Getting, this, classification, wrong, messes, up, both, statements., If, you, treat, a, capital, item, as, revenue, expenditure,, it, understates, this, year's, profit, and, the, assets, held., On, the, flip, side,, treating, revenue, expenditure, as, capital, does, the, opposite,, flattering, profit., This, is, a, favorite, for, examiners, because, it, affects, both, statements.
A, business, needs, finance, for, three, main, reasons., First, start-up, capital, helps, establish, the, business, before, any, revenue, comes, in., This, includes, premises,, equipment,, initial, stock,, and, registration., Next, working, capital, funds, the, normal, operating, cycle—paying, suppliers, and, wages, while, waiting, for, customers, to, pay., Finally, growth, or, expansion, capital, is, for, new, premises,, new, markets,, acquisitions,, or, product, development.
Quick check
Fuel purchased for that same van is
Fuel is consumed within the period, so it is charged in full against this year's profit.
Part 3 of 3
Working, capital, is, where, profitable, businesses, often, stumble., A, firm, can, be, genuinely, profitable, and, still, run, out, of, cash., Why?, Profit, is, recorded, when, a, sale, happens,, but, cash, arrives, only, when, the, customer, pays., The, faster, a, business, grows,, the, wider, that, gap, can, become., That’s, why, overtrading—growing, faster, than, working, capital, can, support—is, a, recognized, cause, of, failure, among, successful, firms.
Quick check
Recording a capital item as revenue expenditure will
The full cost hits this year's profit, reducing it, and the asset never appears on the balance sheet.
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