Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA)
The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 significantly reformed the banking industry by removing regulatory constraints and enhancing the Federal Reserve's control over monetary policy.
Depository Trust Company (DTC)
The Depository Trust Company (DTC) serves as a central securities repository where stock and bond certificates are exchanged, primarily electronically. It is owned by major banks, broker-dealers, and exchanges on Wall Street.
Deposits in Transit
Cash receipts that have arrived at a company's bank too late in the current month to be credited to the depositor's bank statement. These deposits require an adjustment on the bank reconciliation statement.
Depreciable Amount
The depreciable amount is the value of a fixed asset used as the basis for calculating the depreciation charge for a specific period.
Depreciable Asset
A fixed asset that is subject to depreciation to account for its loss in value over time. Depreciation is a systematic process of expensing the cost of tangible assets over their useful lives.
Depreciable Basis
The concept of depreciable basis is essential in determining the amount that can be depreciated for tax purposes. It represents the initial cost of an asset, including certain expenditures necessary to put the asset into use.
Depreciable Life
Depreciable Life refers to the period over which the cost of an asset is spread for tax purposes, or the estimated useful life of an asset for appraisal purposes.
Depreciable Real Estate
Depreciable real estate refers to property used in trade, business, or investment that is subject to depreciation deductions under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code. Land itself is generally not depreciable.
Depreciable Real Estate
Depreciable real estate refers to property used in a trade or business, or held for investment purposes, which is subject to depreciation under Section 167 of the Internal Revenue Code. Typically, land itself is not depreciable; however, land with minerals may be subject to depletion.
Depreciate
The process of systematically reducing the recorded cost of a tangible fixed asset over its useful life.
Depreciated Cost
Depreciated cost, also known as depreciated value or net book value, is the value of an asset after accounting for depreciation. This concept is vital for businesses to manage asset values accurately over time.
Depreciation
Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. It reflects the asset's usage, wear and tear, or obsolescence.
Depreciation
Depreciation is an accounting method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. It is used to account for declines in value as assets age and wear out.
Depreciation
Depreciation refers to the reduction in the value of an asset over time, often due to wear and tear. This accounting process allows businesses to allocate the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life.
Depreciation
Depreciation is a measure of the decrease in value of tangible fixed assets during a given accounting period, reflecting wear and tear, obsolescence, or reduction in useful economic life. It can be relevant for both accounting and currency valuation contexts.
Depreciation
Depreciation is an accounting method that allocates the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life.
Depreciation
Depreciation refers to the reduction in the value of an asset over time, particularly due to wear and tear. It is utilized in accounting to allocate the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life.
Depreciation
Depreciation refers to the methodical reduction in the recorded cost of a tangible fixed asset, allocated over its useful life. It is a key accounting concept employed to denote the impairment of value of assets over time due to wear and tear, age, or obsolescence.
Depreciation Allowance
Depreciation allowance refers to the total depreciation deducted against property used in a trade or business or held for the production of income, allowing for an annual deduction for wear and tear and diminution of the property's value. It is also known as accumulated depreciation.
Depreciation Methods
Depreciation methods are accounting techniques used to allocate the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life systematically. These methods are essential for properly matching expenses with revenues.
Depreciation Rate
The percentage rate used in various methods of depreciation to determine the amount of depreciation that should be written off a fixed asset and charged against income or the profit and loss account.
Depreciation Recapture
Depreciation Recapture refers to the portion of taxable capital gain from the sale of an asset, which represents the depreciation previously deducted for that asset.
Depreciation Reserve
A depreciation reserve, also known as accumulated depreciation, is the total depreciation charged against all productive assets as stated on the balance sheet. It allows for realistic reduction in the value of productive assets and facilitates tax-free recovery of the original investment in assets.
Depreciation System: General Depreciation System
The General Depreciation System (GDS) is a tax depreciation system used to determine the depreciation deduction for depreciable property using the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) in the United States.
Depressed Area
A depressed area is a geographic location characterized by economic challenges and underdevelopment. Residents of these areas often face low incomes, inadequate public facilities, and higher crime rates.
Depression (Economic)
An economic condition characterized by a significant decrease in business activity, falling prices, reduced purchasing power, excess supply over demand, rising unemployment, accumulating inventories, deflation, plant contraction, public fear, and caution.
Deprival Value
Deprival value is an accounting concept reflecting the loss that a company would experience if an asset were deprived or removed, often aligned with current-cost accounting.
Deprival Value
In current-cost accounting, the deprival value of an asset corresponds to the lower value between its replacement cost and its recoverable amount, which is the higher value between its net realizable value and net present value.
Depth Interview
A research technique conducted in person in the field by a trained interviewer to understand consumer motivations in the purchase decision process.
Depth of Market
Depth of Market (DOM) refers to the number of buy and sell orders waiting to be executed for a particular asset at varied price levels, indicating the liquidity and stability of that market.
Depth Tests
An in-depth analysis of internal control features within an organization, specifically designed to evaluate their effectiveness and compliance.
Deregistration
Deregistration refers to the process by which an entity ceases to be registered for Value Added Tax (VAT). This often occurs when a taxable person stops making taxable supplies, making deregistration compulsory, with a notification requirement within 30 days.
Deregulation
The removal of controls imposed by governments on the operation of markets, aiming to enhance efficiency and competition but potentially contributing to economic instability under certain conditions.
Derivative Action
A legal action initiated by a shareholder on behalf of a corporation against a third party, often an executive or director of the corporation, due to the corporation's failure to enforce its rights. This remedy allows shareholders to address wrongs done to the corporation when the corporation itself fails to take action.
Derivative Claim
A derivative claim is a legal action brought by a shareholder on behalf of a company for wrongs done to it, typically when those in control of the company are the ones responsible for the alleged misconduct.
Derivatives
A financial instrument that derives its value from the performance of an underlying asset, commodity, currency, economic variable, or financial instrument. Derivatives can be used for hedging, speculation, or arbitrage purposes.
Derived Demand
Derived demand refers to the demand for capital goods and labor, used in production, which indirectly stems from the demand for the final goods and services that these inputs help to produce.
Descent
Method of acquiring property, usually real property, through the laws of descent and distribution from a decedent without the use of a will.
Description
In real estate, a formal depiction of the dimensions and location of a property, generally included in deeds, leases, sales contracts, and mortgage contracts for real property.
Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics is used to summarize or describe the main features of a collection of data in a quantitatively meaningful way. It does not infer any elements beyond the provided data sample.
Designated Professional Body (DPB)
A Designated Professional Body (DPB) is a professional body registered with financial authorities, possessing statutory responsibility for regulating its professional members.
Designated Professional Body (DPB)
Designated Professional Body (DPB) refers to professional organizations authorized to supervise and regulate specific activities, such as investment business, by their members who are professionals like accountants or solicitors.
Desktop
A desktop in a graphical environment is the basic interface where applications and documents are represented by icons. It provides users with an accessible, user-friendly way to manage and navigate their files and programs.
Desktop Computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer designed for regular use at a single location on or near a desk due to its size and power requirements. Typically includes a central processing unit (CPU), monitor, keyboard, and pointing device such as a mouse.
Desktop Publishing (DTP)
Desktop publishing (DTP) refers to the use of personal computers to design, create, and print professional-quality typeset documents. This involves integrating text and graphics to produce print-ready documents such as books, brochures, posters, and magazines.
Detail Person
A detail person is a salesperson working as a manufacturer's representative who visits the manufacturer's customers to take care of details and promote goodwill.
Detection Risk
The risk that an auditor fails to detect any material misstatements in the financial statements. Unlike control risk and inherent risk, the level of detection risk can be controlled by the auditor through varying the nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures.
Deterministic
Deterministic models are simulation models that offer outcomes with no allowance or consideration for variation. They are well suited to predict results when the input is predictable. Contrast with stochastic models.
Deutsche Börse
Deutsche Börse AG is an international market-place organizer for trading in securities, commodities, and derivatives, based in Frankfurt, Germany. It operates the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the clearing and settlement facility Clearstream, and it is a joint owner of the electronic derivatives exchange Eurex.
Devaluation
A critical adjustment in the value of a country's currency, devaluation can help rectify issues of overvaluation, uncompetitive exports, or an adverse balance of trade, amid the backdrop of a fixed exchange rate system.
Developed Countries
Developed countries, also known as advanced economies, are nations that sit at the top of the economic development hierarchy and exhibit high living standards, significant industrialization, and a robust infrastructure.
Developer
A developer is an individual or an entity engaged in transforming raw land into improved land in the context of real estate, or in creating application software in the field of computers. This role requires significant investment in terms of labor, capital, and entrepreneurial efforts.
Developing Countries
Developing countries are nations with lower per capita income compared with wealthy countries such as the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. Investment in these countries is often channeled through emerging market funds.
Development
Development encompasses the processes of enhancing products or creating new types of products, as well as the process of placing improvements on or making enhancements to parcels of land within the real estate industry.
Development Costs
Development costs refer to expenses associated with the creation and launch of new products or services. This includes the research, testing, design, and other activities necessary to bring an idea to market.
Development Stage Enterprise
A development stage enterprise is an enterprise devoting substantially all of its efforts to establishing itself. Either the planned principal operations have not started, or there has been no significant revenue even though principal operations are underway.
Development-Stage Enterprise
In the USA, a development-stage enterprise is defined as a business that is employing all its resources to establish itself, where either the planned sales phase has not commenced or no significant revenues have yet been generated.
Developmental Drilling Program
A developmental drilling program involves drilling for oil and gas in areas with proven reserves to depths known to have been productive in the past. This often involves drilling additional wells in or adjacent to a field with established production.
Deviation Policy
A deviation policy is an organizational procedure designed to address activities or behavior that deviate from established expectations. Actions are taken to manage such deviations effectively.
Device Driver
A device driver is a specialized program that allows a computer to communicate with a hardware peripheral such as a printer, keyboard, or sound card, enabling the hardware to perform its dedicated functions effectively.
Devise
A devise is a testamentary gift of real property made by a will. In modern usage, the term may also refer to gifts of personal property made through a will.
Devisee
A devisee is an individual who inherits real estate through a will, typically designated in the will of the deceased.
Diagonal Expansion
A business growth strategy where a company utilizes existing equipment to produce new products with minimal addition of materials.
Dial-Up Connection
A temporary connection between computers established by dialing a telephone number through a modem. This contrasts with a dedicated channel that provides a continuous connection.
Dialog Box
In graphical user interfaces, a dialog box is a window that collects information from the user. It typically includes various elements like list boxes, text boxes, combo boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, and spin boxes.
Diary
A diary is a daily written record of occurrences, experiences, observations, or thoughts. It can be used for various purposes, such as documenting personal reflections or keeping records for tax purposes.
Dickering
Petty bargaining often involving back-and-forth negotiation over minor details. Commonly used in contexts such as markets, street vendors, or small-scale business dealings.
Different Costs for Different Purposes
In management accounting, the principle that the management of an organization is likely to need different information, and thus different costs, for various activities it carries out, especially when making decisions.
Differential Advantage
Differential advantage refers to the unique benefits or characteristics of a firm's product or service that set it apart from competitors and provide a superior value to customers.
Differential Analysis (Incremental Analysis)
Differential analysis examines the impact on costs and revenues of specific management decisions by focusing on differential (or incremental) cash flows. It considers only those costs or revenues that will change as a result of a specific decision.
Differential Pricing
A method of pricing a product in which the same product is supplied to different customers, or different market segments, at different prices. This approach is based on the principle that to achieve maximum market penetration, the price charged should be what a particular market will bear.
Differentiated Marketing
Differentiated marketing refers to a strategy that entails customizing products and marketing efforts to meet the distinct needs of different segments of consumers.
Differentiation Strategy
A differentiation strategy is a marketing technique used by manufacturers and businesses to establish a strong identity in a specific market. This involves positioning a brand in a unique way that distinguishes it from its competitors.
Digital
Digital technology uses a limited, predetermined numbering system to measure or represent the flow of data. Digital computers, for instance, use binary digits 1 (on) and 0 (off) to represent all types of data.
Digital Camera
A digital camera captures photographs and videos in digital form without the use of traditional film. Digital cameras store images electronically, allowing for easy transfer to computers, sharing, and online distribution.
Digital Computer
A type of computer that represents information in discrete form, as opposed to an analog computer, which allows representations to vary along a continuum. All modern general-purpose electronic computers are digital.
Digital Copier
A digital copier is a device that uses digital scanning techniques to copy documents, offering features such as rapid scanning, multi-page printing, digital editing, and network printing capabilities.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a broadband technology that delivers high-bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines, capable of carrying both data and voice signals simultaneously.
Digitize
The process of converting information into a digital (computer-readable) format. The digitized data can now be processed, stored, and transmitted by computers and other digital devices.
Dilapidations
Dilapidations refer to the state of disrepair and degradation of leasehold premises, potentially involving legal obligations for both tenants and landlords related to repairs and maintenance under various acts and common-law duties.
Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS)
Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) is a metric that evaluates a company's earnings performance for each outstanding share, considering the worst-case scenario of dilution from convertible securities, options, and warrants.
Dilution
Dilution refers to the reduction in earnings per share (EPS) and book value per share that occurs when convertible securities, such as convertible bonds and preferred shares, or warrants and stock options, are converted into common stock.
Diminishing Marginal Utility, Law of
The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility is an economic proposition that states that successive units of a good or service provide less and less satisfaction to a consumer, given that the previous units already have been consumed.
Diminishing Returns
A phenomenon in economics where adding additional units of resources to a production process results in smaller increments of output due to overcrowding, inefficiency, or less effective resource allocation.
Diminishing-Balance Method (Reducing-Balance Method)
The diminishing-balance method, also known as the reducing-balance method, is a way of calculating depreciation of fixed assets whereby the annual depreciation charge is a fixed percentage of the depreciated value at the beginning of each period.
DINKs (Dual-Income, No Kids)
DINKs is an acronym for Dual-Income, No Kids, referring to a family unit where there are two incomes and no children. It often includes couples who collectively earn higher discretionary incomes.
Dip
A dip refers to a slight drop in securities prices after a sustained uptrend. It’s often seen as a buying opportunity for investors.
DIP Switch
A DIP switch is a manually operated switch that can be used to change the settings of electronic devices. It consists of an array of tiny switches placed in a standard dual inline package (DIP) configuration.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy involves conducting negotiations, establishing relationships, and managing international relations with tact and subtlety. It plays a critical role in fostering good rapport and avoiding conflicts between states, organizations, or individuals.
Direct Access
Direct access is a method of processing data where data can be stored and retrieved independently of the location of other data. This method is often associated with Random-Access Memory (RAM).
Direct Charge Voucher (DCV)
A Direct Charge Voucher (DCV) is a financial document used in accounting to record direct expenses incurred by an organization, facilitating efficient and accurate tracking of specific chargeable items to appropriate accounts or projects.
Direct Charge Voucher (DCV)
A prime document utilized to record purchases of parts and materials that are directly chargeable to specific jobs or processes, bypassing the organization's stores. The document specifies item descriptions, commodity codes, item values, and corresponding accounting or cost codes.
Direct Charge-Off Method
The direct charge-off method is an accounting technique used to write off specific bad debts when they are deemed uncollectible.
Direct Cost
Labor and materials that can be identified physically in the product produced. Direct costs for an apartment building, for example, are construction materials and labor; indirect costs include architect's fees, interest during construction, insurance, and builder's overhead and profit allowance.
Direct Cost of Sales (Prime Cost)
The direct cost of sales, also known as the prime cost, refers to the aggregate expenses directly tied to the production of a good or service, encompassing direct materials, direct labor, and direct expenses, while excluding overhead costs.
Direct Costing
Direct costing, also known as marginal costing, is a crucial accounting technique that outlines the variable costs incurred in the production process. This method focuses on the costs directly tied to the production of goods and services.
Direct Costs
Product costs that can be directly traced to a product or cost unit. They encompass direct materials, direct labor, and direct expenses that are attributable to the product without the need for cost apportionment.
Direct Data Entry
Direct data entry involves the process of recording accounting and other transactions directly onto a computer system from individual department terminals, ensuring data integrity and real-time updates.

Accounting Terms Lexicon

Discover comprehensive accounting definitions and practical insights. Empowering students and professionals with clear and concise explanations for a better understanding of financial terms.