GENERAL JOURNAL Definition

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GENERAL JOURNAL is the most basic of journals. It is a chronological list of transactions. It has a very specific format for recording each transaction. Each transaction is recorded separately and consists of: 1.) a date; 2.) any and all accounts to receive a debit entry are listed first with an amount in the appropriate column, then; 3.) any and all accounts to receive a credit entry are indented and listed next with an amount in the appropriate column; 4.) a clear description of the transaction. At least one line is then skipped to visually separate recorded transactions.

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REVERSE COST-BENEFIT METHOD is based on the short-cut rate of return formula and amounts to asking the question: given the cost of the investment, what level of annual benefits would produce a given rate of return (8 percent, for instance) on the investment?

PATENT is a legal form of protection that provides a person or legal entity with exclusive rights to exclude others from making, using, or selling a concept or invention for the duration of the patent. There are three types of patents available: design, plant, and utility.

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