Contents of Balance sheet



Every balance sheet basically contains these parts: share capital, reserve and surplus, current & non-current assets and liabilities, borrowings, etc.
1.       Share capital
Balance sheets must state disclosures relating to share capital in notes to accounts. Further, they must contain the following modifications and additions:

·         All rights, preference and restrictions associated with each class of share have to be specified.
·         Specific disclosures pertaining to the identity of certain shareholders.
·         Details regarding the number of shares issued, subscribed, paid, reserved and bought back.

2.       Reserve and surplus
The balance sheet must classify reserves and surplus funds in the following manner:
a.       Capital reserve
b.       Capital redemption reserve
c.       Debenture redemption reserve
d.       Securities premium reserve
e.       Surplus funds

3.       Current & non-current assets
Every balance sheet has to classify assets in categories of current and non-current. A current item has typical features like these: it is used for less than 12 months, it is mainly held for trading, etc. This distinction is important because it helps make the details of assets more comprehensive.

4.       Borrowings
Similar to assets, borrowings and liabilities can also be current or non-current. Loans are debts that have a repayment period of more than 12 months are non-current borrowings. For example, large bank loans are generally non-current in nature. On the contrary, those with shorter repayment periods are current liabilities.

5.       Investments
Even investments come under categories of current and non-current. Investments which can be realised within 12 months are current investments, while others are non-current. Every balance sheet must reflect the business’s investments in this format.

Apart from these basic contents, a typical balance sheet also contains some other information. This includes trade receivables, trade payables, cash and cash equivalent, inventories, etc.


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