5.4 – Statement of Financial Position (2024)

The balance sheet, along with the income statement is prepared at the end of the financial year. It shows the value of a business’ assets and liabilities at a particular time. It is also known as ‘statement of financial position’.

Assets are those items of value owned by the business.

  • Fixed/non-current assets (buildings, vehicles, equipment etc.) are assets that remain in the business for more than a year – their values fall over time in a process called depreciation every year.
  • Short-term/current assets (inventory, trade receivables (debts from customers), cash etc) are owned only for a very short time.
  • There can also intangible (cannot be touched or felt) non-current assets like copyrights and patents that add value to the business.

Liabilities are the debts owed by the business to its creditors.

  • Long-term/non-current liabilities (loans, debentures etc.)- they do not have to be repaid within a year.
  • Short-term/current liabilities (trade payables (to suppliers), overdraft etc.)- these need to be repaid within a year.

CURRENT ASSETS – CURRENT LIABILITIES = WORKING CAPITAL
This is because the liquid cash a company has with them will be the liquid (short-term) assets they own less the short-term debts they have to pay.

Shareholder’s Equityis the total amount of money invested in the company by shareholders. This will include both the share capital (invested directly by shareholders) and reserves (retained earnings reserve, general reserve etc.).
Shareholders can see if their stake in the business has risen or fallen by looking at the total equity figure on the balance sheet.

5.4 – Statement of Financial Position (1)

Check whether the equations on the right are satisfied in this balance sheet!


SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY
= TOTAL ASSETS – TOTAL LIABILITIES

TOTAL ASSETS = TOTAL LIABILITIES + SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY

CAPITAL EMPLOYED = SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY + NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
This is because non-current liabilities like loans are also used for permanent investment in the company.

Uses of a statement of financial position

  • When the current assets subtotal is compared to the current liabilities subtotal, investors can estimate whether a firm has access to sufficient funds in the short term to pay off its short-term obligations i.e., whether it is liquid
  • One can also compare the total amount of debt (liabilities) to the total amount of equity listed on the balance sheet, to see if the resulting debt-equity ratio indicates a dangerously high level of borrowing. This information is especially useful for lenders and creditors, (especially banks) who want to know if the firm will be able to pay back its debt
  • Investors like to examine the amount of cash on the balance sheet to see if there is enough available to pay them a dividend
  • Managers can examine its balance sheet to see if there are any assets that could potentially be sold off without harming the underlying business. For example, they can compare the reported inventory assets to the sales to derive an inventory turnover level, which can indicate the presence of excess inventory, so they will sell off the excess inventory to raise finance

Notes submitted by Lintha

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  1. i only wish y’all did this for bio, physics and chem cause i really fricked those up, the other notes are so confusing>> (i didn’t take coordinated science that’s why)

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    1. you can use savemyexams.com to revise for STEM subjects, I think this site is strongly focused on Business/Economics.

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  2. the only reason i did somewhat okay on my business paper 1 (actual igcse, m/j 2022) is because i read these notes on the way to school (it’s a 2 hour long bus ride)

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    1. Any tips ( i suck at bs including paper 1 and 2)

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      1. Hey, coming from someone who gets an A star , I strongly recommend that you use mind maps, don’t try reading every chapter individually try connecting all the chapters and forming a bigger picture, ensure that you know all the key terms very well and that your analysis and application game is mad strong, evaluation too but its only 15 percent of ur grade, anyways good luck, I hope you do well!

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      2. Really focus on connecting all the chapters and forming a bigger picture of the subject busines studies as a whole, don’t read them individually, and apply your answers to the case study wherever possible, best of luck, I hope you do well!

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5.4 – Statement of Financial Position (2024)

FAQs

How do you answer a statement of financial position? ›

The statement of financial position follows the basic accounting equation of Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Therefore, the resulting figure shown at the end of the statement will be the difference between the company's assets and liabilities.

How do you calculate statement of financial position? ›

This is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. Net current assets is the money available for the day-to-day running and operation of a business, such as paying wages and purchasing stock. Net assets is essentially what a business is worth.

How do you evaluate a financial position statement? ›

The overall performance and position of the business should be evaluated based on a set of criteria that includes liquidity, solvency, profitability, financial efficiency, and repayment capacity. Each of these criteria measures a different aspect of financial performance and/or position.

What is a good statement of financial position? ›

A statement of financial position can be used to show the value of all current assets close current assetsSomething of value the business owns, which can easily be turned into cash and is held for less than a year., non-current assets close non-current assetsThe current value of major purchases that help in the running ...

What is a financial statement answer? ›

What Are Financial Statements? Financial statements are written records that convey the financial activities of a company. Financial statements are often audited by government agencies and accountants to ensure accuracy and for tax, financing, or investing purposes.

What is an example of a financial statement? ›

The income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows are required financial statements. These three statements are informative tools that traders can use to analyze a company's financial strength and provide a quick picture of a company's financial health and underlying value.

What is the basic financial statement formula? ›

The accounting equation can be expressed in 3 ways: Assets = Liabilities + Owners' Equity. Liabilities = Assets – Owners' Equity. Owners' Equity = Assets – Liabilities.

What is a typical statement of financial position? ›

A statement of financial position is commonly used to assess the position of a business in terms of financial stability and potential risk. A typical statement is likely to include a snapshot of a business's: assets. liabilities (such as loans, VAT, and Corporation Tax)

What is the equation for financial position? ›

It can also be referred to as a statement of net worth or a statement of financial position. The balance sheet is based on the fundamental equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. As such, the balance sheet is divided into two sides (or sections).

How do you determine your financial position? ›

The personal cash flow statement measures your cash inflows or money you earn and your cash outflows or money you spend. This determines if you have a positive or negative net cash flow. A personal balance sheet summarizes your assets and liabilities to calculate your net worth.

How do you balance a financial position statement? ›

Add Total Liabilities to Total Shareholders' Equity and Compare to Assets. To ensure the balance sheet is balanced, it will be necessary to compare total assets against total liabilities plus equity. To do this, you'll need to add liabilities and shareholders' equity together.

How do I comment on financial statements? ›

How to Analyse Financial Statements?
  1. Step 1: Gather the financial statements. ...
  2. Step 2: Review the balance sheet. ...
  3. Step 3: Analyse the income statement. ...
  4. Step 4: Examine the cash flow statement. ...
  5. Step 5: Calculate financial ratios. ...
  6. Step 6: Conduct trend analysis.
Jul 12, 2023

What is the most important item on the statement of financial position? ›

Typically considered the most important of the financial statements, an income statement shows how much money a company made and spent over a specific period of time.

How to calculate retained earnings? ›

Retained Earnings are listed on a balance sheet under the shareholder's equity section at the end of each accounting period. To calculate Retained Earnings, the beginning Retained Earnings balance is added to the net income or loss and then dividend payouts are subtracted.

What makes a financial statement good? ›

What makes a financial statement useful? FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) lists six qualitative characteristics that determine the quality of financial information: Relevance, Faithful Representation, Comparability, Verifiability, Timeliness, and Understandability.

What is the statement of financial position is an example of a? ›

Overview: The balance sheet - also called the Statement of Financial Position - serves as a snapshot, providing the most comprehensive picture of an organization's financial situation. It reports on an organization's assets (what is owned) and liabilities (what is owed).

How do you prepare the statement of financial position? ›

A statement of financial position is often formatted as a table with three columns. The first column lists the asset accounts, the second column lists liability or equity accounts and the final column contains totals for each section that are used to calculate net worth.

Which of these best describe a statement of financial position? ›

A balance sheet, also known as a statement of financial position, shows the balances for each real accounts namely, assets, liabilities and equity. Real accounts have different line items and are normally classified according to liquidation.

What role does the statement of financial position answer key? ›

The Statement of Financial Position is the Balance Sheet of a nonprofit organization. It gives you a snapshot of a nonprofit's financial health at a point in time by displaying what the organization owns (assets), what it owes to others (liabilities), and its value (net assets).

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