Where does a bond sinking fund appear on the balance sheet?

A bond sinking fund is reported in the section of the balance sheet immediately after the current assets. The bond sinking fund is part of the long-term asset section that usually has the heading “Investments.”

The bond sinking fund is a long-term (noncurrent) asset even if the fund contains only cash. The reason is the cash in the fund must be used to retire bonds, which are long-term liabilities. In other words, because the money in the bond sinking fund cannot be used to pay current liabilities, it must be reported outside of the working capital section of the balance sheet. (Working capital is current assets minus current liabilities.)

Learn about the Balance Sheet.

About the Author: Harold Averkamp (CPA) has worked as an accountant, consultant, and university accounting instructor for more than 25 years.

He is the author of the 2010 Master Accounting Download Package which has been praised for it's ability to simplify accounting in a way that anybody can understand.