What are the meanings between ‘incur’ and ‘occur’ in accounting?

For instance, when a business hires a contractor to do work for a day, it incurs an expense because the contractor expects payment for the services that he has performed. If the business gives the contractor cash for the services performed at the end of the day, the incurred expenses become a paid expense. For instance, if you pay a bill with a credit card because your paycheck arrives late and you subsequently pay the credit card balance as soon as possible, you may avoid financial trouble.

Will be incurred meaning?

As long as you make payments as agreed and on time, you usually will have no legal difficulty. The use of accruals allows a business to look beyond simple cash flow. In a cash-based accounting approach, a company records only the transactions where cash changes hands. Accruals form the base for accrual accounting and incorporate all transactions, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, employee salaries, etc.

If a small-business owner uses his credit card to buy supplies for his company, the amount he puts on the credit card is an incurred expense because he has to pay it back at some point in the future. When you incur a debt, your creditor, lender or service provider has a right to repayment. If you fail to repay what you owe, the people or company to whom you owe money may sue you to collect your debt.

Verb

Incur bears a strong family resemblance to another English verb, occur. If you are confused by their similarities, a glance back at their Latin roots might help you to tell them apart.

Word of the Day

Often the action is the signing of a loan, rental lease or service contract. Another key feature of incurred debt is that it typically remains valid for a specific amount of time. The last key feature of incurred debt is that it decreases the amount of disposable income you have available. Usually, accrued liabilities occur in one period, and you pay the expense in the next period. To come to the mind; to arise in the mind; to suggest itself; to be presented to the imagination or memory; – of an idea or thought; as, it never occurred to me to call John to ask.

  • Bankruptcy is a legal process that allows a business to sell off its assets and close its doors or restructure to continue operations.
  • If the business gives the contractor cash for the services performed at the end of the day, the incurred expenses become a paid expense.
  • The word “incurred” is used in various contexts in insurance and reinsurance.
  • Usually, accrued liabilities occur in one period, and you pay the expense in the next period.

The question for the court was which charges the policyholder in fact incurred. The court held that, under New York law, an insured must at some point be legally liable to pay that charge, even if that liability is later extinguished prior to payment by the policyholder. Here, the policyholder was never liable for those charges, and she was never charged the difference by her doctors. Accordingly, she never “incurred” those charges, and the complaint was properly dismissed. If you cannot meet the financial obligations of your business, the company may declare bankruptcy. For example, when you actually pay off the credit card used to buy supplies, the incurred expense becomes a paid expense.

Words possibly related to “incur”

  • In a cash-based accounting approach, a company records only the transactions where cash changes hands.
  • Losses are incurred, obligations to pay are incurred, expenses are incurred, and liabilities are incurred under various forms of insurance and reinsurance agreements.
  • If you fail to repay what you owe, the people or company to whom you owe money may sue you to collect your debt.
  • In business, the phrase “incurred expenses” typically refers to costs incurred that have not been paid.
  • Recording an amount as an accrual provides a company with a more comprehensive look at its financial situation.

Additionally, taking on debt sometimes allows people and businesses to pursue ventures that otherwise would be impossible. Also, incurring some debt is required to obtain a favorable credit rating, provided that debt is handled responsibly. You enter an accrued liability into your books at the end of an accounting period. In the next period, you reverse the accrued liabilities journal entry after paying the debt. An accrued liability occurs when you gain a debt, or incur an expense that you have not paid. Though you don’t exchange cash, you’re obligated to pay incur vs occur the accrued liability in the future.

Incur vs Occur

Bankruptcy is typically considered a method of last resort for dealing with accumulated expenses, as it can have a severe negative impact on the business’s ability to qualify for credit. An incurred expense is a cost that your business owes when receiving goods or services. In business, the phrase “incurred expenses” typically refers to costs incurred that have not been paid. Part of this incurred expense — the down payment — has been paid, while the rest is still due. Allowing too many incurred expenses to accumulate without paying them off can be dangerous because it may make it more difficult to do so. Businesses often take out loans to fund purchases, but loans do little more than delay payment of incurred expenses.

Why is ‘-ed’ sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Accrual accounting is based on the matching principle that ensures that accurate profits are reflected for every accounting period. The revenue for each period is matched to the expenses incurred in earning that revenue during the same accounting period. For example, sale commission expenses will be recorded in the period that the related sales are reported, regardless of when the commission was actually paid. Bankruptcy is a legal process that allows a business to sell off its assets and close its doors or restructure to continue operations. Bankruptcy can cancel or reduce certain debts, which makes it easier for you to pay off incurred expenses that remain.

If your company amasses too much debt and too many outstanding expenses, it might be unable to meet its obligations, which can lead to default. This concept is called thematching principle.GAAPrequires that the matching principle be used on all financial accounting and statements in order to present a consistent picture of the company’s activities. For example, if you bought a new couch in January and paid cash, you incurred that expense when you ordered it. If you purchased a new computer in February and put it on a credit card, you incurred the expense in February, even if you won’t pay the credit card company until later. If you bought a car with a loan, you have incurred the expense of the loan, including the down payment, monthly payments, interest and turn-in fees. For example, if your business receives $10,000 worth of goods from a supplier who expects payment within the next month, the business has incurred a $10,000 expense.

Recording an amount as an accrual provides a company with a more comprehensive look at its financial situation. The word “incurred” is used in various contexts in insurance and reinsurance. Losses are incurred, obligations to pay are incurred, expenses are incurred, and liabilities are incurred under various forms of insurance and reinsurance agreements. Incurred debt is negative, however, when the amount you owe exceeds the amount you can repay, or when the lack of proper budgeting and payment planning prevents you from paying the debt off. Incurred debt always requires some action by the person or company that acquires it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

19 − ten =


    three × one =

    This will close in 0 seconds