Accounting

We answer your accounting questions.

Over 500 questions have been answered on our accounting blog. Click here to suggest a question.



May 13, 2009

Where is a contingent liability recorded?

A contingent liability that is both probable and the amount can be estimated is recorded as 1) an expense or loss on the income statement, and 2) a liability on the balance sheet. As a result, a contingent liability is also referred to as a loss contingency. Warranties are cited as a contingent liability that meets both of the required conditions (probable and the amount can be estimated). Warranties will be recorded at the time of a product’s sale with a debit to Warranty Expense and a credit to Warranty Liability.

A loss contingency which is possible but not probable, or the amount cannot be estimated, will not be recorded in the accounts. Rather, it will be disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

A loss contingency that is remote will not be recorded and will not have to be disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.




Comments

8 Responses to “Where is a contingent liability recorded?”

  1. gharavian on May 14th, 2009 9:59 am

    helo i am gharavian .
    i am a auditor at iran .
    i want a financial statment for exampel .
    can you help me

  2. TAXKNIFE CPA/JD on May 14th, 2009 1:23 pm

    THERE ARE PLENTY ON WWWeb
    search for specific type ex.
    condo certified audit, manufacturing review report, hotel financial statement etc

  3. Ezekiel on May 22nd, 2009 8:09 am

    Good contents

  4. qudsia ahmadi on June 12th, 2009 11:10 pm

    what IS dout debit?

  5. Tahir arshad on June 24th, 2009 2:07 am

    Contingent Liability is a liability contingent on happening of a certain event that may or may not take place.Hence, it may or may not arise.
    It is prudent to provide for contingent losses but liabilities should not be recorded in books.
    They just appear in notes in financial statements as disclosure requirement.

  6. fahad on August 5th, 2009 1:35 am

    if probale but the amount cannot be estimated relibly what we can do

  7. Leni on August 7th, 2009 4:36 am

    if, we recorded some amount of contingent liability as loss in previous year, n the actual liability is less than the recorded, what should we do?

  8. christy on October 12th, 2009 10:18 am

    a contingent liability ia a liability which may or may not occur.actually it is an expense in the income statement and a liability in the balance sheet

Leave a Reply