Accounting Glossary

Prepaid Expenses

Definition

Payments made in advance for goods or services not yet received. Prepaid expenses are initially recorded as assets and then expensed as the benefit is consumed.

Formula

Adjusting Entry: Debit Expense / Credit Prepaid Asset

Example

A 12-month insurance policy paid upfront for $12,000 → $1,000 expensed each month.

Practice this on iLove-Accounting

Put prepaid expenses to work

Practice it in Adjusting & Closing Entries Course, with fresh AI-graded exercises and specific feedback.

Practice this on iLove-Accounting →

← Browse all 116 accounting terms