Definition · Checked
ASC 830-20-35-3 and long-term intercompany advances
Understand the long-term-investment exception, reporting level, CTA and OCI, with a fictional exchange-rate movement and evidence checklist.
Read in EnglishTAXFINAI library · Glossary
US tax and accounting glossary, in English and French
Find the meaning of a term before using it in a calculation, workpaper or team discussion. Fourteen definitions connect US tax and accounting vocabulary to its practical context.
14 resources available
Definition · Checked
Estimated tax safe harbor: 90%, 100% and 110%
Compare estimated tax safe harbor methods, prior-year AGI, married filing separately and corporate rules, with a fictional example.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What does tie-out mean in accounting?
A tie-out compares a figure with its supporting amount. Understand differences, reconciliations and why a zero difference is not enough evidence.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is a lead schedule in accounting?
A lead schedule connects a balance with accounts, support, commentary and a tie-out. See a fictional example and its distinction from a trial balance.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is accrued income?
Understand earned but unbilled revenue, the French FAE equivalent and the distinction between contract assets and receivables.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is an IRS extension?
Understand an IRS filing extension, Forms 7004 and 4868, payment deadlines and how to keep original and extended due dates distinct.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is cut-off in accounting?
Understand period-end cut-off, accruals and deferrals, four common adjustments and how invoice and service dates answer different questions.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is deferred revenue?
Understand deferred revenue, contract liabilities and the French PCA equivalent, with a fictional service-period calculation.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is estimated tax?
Understand US estimated tax payments, withholding, Form 1040-ES and the difference between an annual tax amount and an installment.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is Form 2210?
Understand Form 2210, installment timing, waivers and the distinction between following estimated payments and calculating a penalty.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is Form 5471?
Understand Form 5471, US persons connected with foreign corporations, reporting categories and its difference from Form 5472.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is Form 5472?
Understand Form 5472, related-party transactions and the pro forma Form 1120 case for foreign-owned US disregarded entities.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is the four-eyes principle?
Understand preparer and reviewer roles, evidence of approval, changes after review and how maker-checker supports accounting control.
Read in EnglishDefinition · Checked
What is WIP in an accounting firm?
WIP is the value of work recorded on a job. Understand hours, position rates, budgets and why work in progress is not a profit figure.
Read in EnglishThe short answer
This bilingual glossary explains fourteen US tax and accounting terms, with relevant French vocabulary, fictitious examples and primary-source references on each definition page. A translation helps explain the question; it does not make French and US rules equivalent. Read the context, taxpayer type or reporting framework before applying a term to an engagement.
US tax vocabulary: estimates, extensions and information returns
These terms distinguish an estimate from its payment, a filing extension from a payment obligation, and one information return from another. Start with the term your file uses, then follow its definition to the relevant tax guide. The form name alone does not determine whether a taxpayer must file it.
Estimated tax · Estimated Tax
US tax paid during the year through estimated installments; read the taxpayer and period context.
Estimated taxSafe harbor · Safe harbor des acomptes
A payment benchmark used in an underpayment analysis. Individual and corporate rules need separate treatment.
Estimated tax safe harbor (90 / 100 / 110 %)Form 2210
The individual underpayment form, with its filing conditions and annualized-income context explained.
Form 2210Extensions · Forms 7004 / 4868
Additional time to file under the applicable form; retain a separate review of payment obligations.
IRS extensions: Forms 7004 and 4868Form 5471
Information reporting for certain US persons connected to foreign corporations. Examine the filing category.
Form 5471Form 5472
Certain reporting corporations disclose reportable related-party transactions. Entity and ownership context matter.
Form 5472Review vocabulary: summaries, connections and responsibility
A review file needs more than a status. These three terms describe how balances are summarized, how an amount is connected to its source and how preparation is distinguished from review. They help a colleague understand what was done and what decision remains.
Lead schedule · Feuillet de synthèse
A workpaper summarizing accounts and balances with links to supporting analysis and review conclusions.
Lead scheduleTie-out · Cadrage avec une source
A comparison connecting a selected amount to its identified source, period and supporting explanation.
Tie-outMaker-checker · Principe des quatre yeux
Preparation and review assigned to distinct people; the organization and approval trail must be explicit.
Maker-checker and the four-eyes principleConnect this method to your workflow.Request a demo
Cut-off vocabulary: explain the period before translating the account
French PCA and FAE are useful vocabulary for discussing timing, but a word-for-word mapping can hide differences in recognition or presentation. An English balance described as deferred revenue or accrued income still needs its contract, performance and reporting framework examined. The dedicated definitions explain those distinctions before showing fictitious calculations.
Accounting cut-off · Cut-off comptable
The question of which reporting period should include a transaction and the evidence supporting that allocation.
Accounting cut-offDeferred revenue · PCA
Revenue timing and amounts received or billed ahead of performance; the French term needs contextual comparison.
Deferred revenueAccrued income · FAE
Income recognized before invoicing, with receivable and contract-asset distinctions considered under the applicable framework.
Accrued incomeWIP and intercompany currency questions have different uses
WIP supports an engagement-management discussion about work recorded and its valuation. ASC 830-20-35-3 concerns a specific US GAAP foreign-currency treatment, including the reporting level and qualifying long-term intercompany balances. Keeping those purposes separate prevents a management measure from being treated as an accounting conclusion.
WIP · Travaux en cours
Recorded work valued using the engagement’s basis, hours and rates; read it alongside the budget and billing context.
WIP: work in progressASC 830-20-35-3
Foreign-currency questions for certain long-term intercompany advances, including conditions and reporting-level distinctions.
ASC 830-20-35-3: long-term intercompany advancesEach definition links to a deeper guide. Source-check dates record consultation, and sample figures explain the reasoning without determining a real engagement’s treatment.
Common questions
Is PCA always the exact equivalent of deferred revenue?
No. The terms address related timing questions, but recognition and presentation depend on the contract, facts and reporting framework. Read the contextual definition and cut-off guide rather than relying on the label alone.
What is the difference between a lead schedule and a tie-out?
A lead schedule summarizes an account group or review area. A tie-out connects a selected amount to its source. The same workpaper can contain both, with distinct purposes.
Where can I find the complete method after a definition?
Follow the related guide on the definition page: estimated tax, the federal calendar, month-end close, cut-off, WIP or international reporting, depending on the subject.
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