MANDATORY SPENDING Definition

MANDATORY SPENDING is spending that is automatically obligated due to previously-enacted laws. In the United States, this would include things such as Social Security, Medicare, and the interest on the national debt. See DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.

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BALANCE FORWARD ACCOUNTING is where you maintain a list of charges and payments for each account. To find out the balance at any point in time, you add the charges, add the payments, and then subtract total payments from total charges. A billing statement is sent out every month with any balance carried forward from the previous statement

EQUIPMENT is generally determined by the meeting of three tests: a. Has an acquisition cost that is equal to or more than the cost hurdle for classifying capitalized assets. Includes: Invoice amount, sales tax, freight costs, installation costs, costs for the initial complement of supplies needed to place the asset into service, accessory and auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it was acquired; less trade or trade in discounts and/or educational allowances Excludes: Federal Excise tax, duty, insurance, maintenance and warranty costs; and, b. Has a useful life of two or more years If the item will not have a useful life of more than two years it is considered expendable material, even if it costs more than the level for determining a capital asset; and, c. Is a stand alone item. The item is not permanently attached to or integrated into a building or structure.

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