Discover how to go from having a cash flow challenge to smart money management. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘expense.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent Expense Definition And Meaning those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Capital expenditures, commonly known as CapEx, are funds used by a company to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets such as property, buildings, an industrial plant, technology, or equipment.

• Under the accrual basis of accounting, the matching is NOT based on the date that the expenses are paid.
• He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com.
• The total cost of the plant ($39 million) is an expenditure, while each annual chunk of that cost ($1 million each year) is an expense.
• For a student tuition is an expense, for a tenant it is the rent.
• These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘expense.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
• Accordingly, Sage does not provide advice per the information included.

Prepaid expenses are transactions the company has already paid for before receiving the product, good, or service. For example, if a company prepaid for a shipment of raw materials, but the supplier hasn’t delivered the materials yet, the amount paid is a prepaid expense. Accrued expenses are transactions a company needs to pay, https://kelleysbookkeeping.com/how-to-calculate-straight-line-depreciation/ such as rent or mortgages, but has not yet paid. For example, if a company receives a shipment of raw materials used for production, but the supplier hasn’t yet sent an invoice for the transaction, the amount owed is an accrued expense. This is because businesses can claim certain things as deductions on their taxes, so the U.S.

What is an expense?

While some people may track their personal expenses for budgeting purposes, businesses and accountants have strict guidelines on what counts as an expense. Under the matching principle, expenses are typically recognized in the same period in which related revenues are recognized. For example, if goods are sold in January, then both the revenues and cost of goods sold related to the sale transaction should be recorded in January. Expenses can be defined as fixed expenses, such as rent or mortgage; those that do not change with the change in production. Expenses can also be defined as variable expenses; those that change with the change in production.

Harold Averkamp (CPA, MBA) has worked as a university accounting instructor, accountant, and consultant for more than 25 years. He is the sole author of all the materials on AccountingCoach.com. An expense is a cost, but you can also use this word to mean the figurative cost of something. If you find it embarrassing to dress up as Santa, you might say that you do it to amuse your nephews, at the expense of your pride.

Understanding Expenses

Explore these skills and more with Forage’s free accounting virtual experience programs. The total cost of the plant ($39 million) is an expenditure, while each annual chunk of that cost ($1 million each year) is an expense. Join our Sage City community to speak with business people like you. See at the expense of; go to the trouble (expense); money (expense) is no object.

This article and related content is provided on an” as is” basis. Sage makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness or accuracy of this article and related content. The IRS has a schedule that dictates the portion of a capital asset a business may write off each year until the entire expense is claimed. The number of years over which a business writes off a capital expense varies based on the type of asset.

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All expenses are costs but not all costs are expenses, especially those incurred in acquisition of income generating assets. The line between expenses and expenditures is subtle but important. Generally speaking, an expenditure is the total cost of a transaction, while an expense is that transaction’s offset to a company’s revenue. Etymologists (people who study the origin of words) say the modern English word first appeared in Late Middle English.