Dowry
The dowry is a traditional practice in many cultures where money, goods, or estate is brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.
DP: Data Processing
Data Processing (DP) refers to the collection, manipulation, and processing of data to produce meaningful information that aids decision-making. It is a fundamental aspect of computer science and information technology.
Draft
In accounting, a draft can refer to several different financial instruments or preliminary versions of documents, each serving specific purposes in financial transactions or documentation processes.
Drag and Drop
A user interface gesture where an object or a segment of text is selected, moved by holding the mouse button, and released to a new location.
Dragon Bond
Dragon bonds are foreign bonds issued in the Asian bond markets, designed to tap into the growing pool of Asian investors.
Draining Reserves
Actions by the Federal Reserve System to decrease the money supply by curtailing the funds banks have available to lend.
Dram Shop Act
A state law stating the liabilities of tavernkeepers serving alcoholic beverages to intoxicated patrons, identifying the creation of unreasonable risk of harm and resulting in charges of negligent conduct and legal liability.
Draw
A comprehensive examination of the term 'Draw' as it pertains to financial transactions, legal documentation, and the preparation of drafts.
Drawback
The refund of import duty by HM Revenue and Customs when imported goods are re-exported. Payment of the import duty and claiming the drawback can be avoided if the goods are stored in a bonded warehouse immediately after unloading from the incoming ship or aircraft until re-export.
Drawdown
Drawdown refers to the drawing of funds against a bank loan or other credit facility. It involves disbursing the loan amount provided by the lender to the borrower in full or in parts over a specific period.
Drawee
Understanding the role of the drawee in financial transactions, including bill of exchange, cheques, and bank drafts.
Drawer
The drawer refers to a person or entity who issues a financial instrument such as a bill of exchange or a cheque, instructing the drawee to pay a specified sum of money either immediately or at a later date.
Drawing Account
A drawing account is an account within a proprietorship or partnership used to track the withdrawals made by an owner. Typically closed at year-end, its balance is transferred to the owner's equity account or profit and loss account.
Drawings: Understanding Withdrawals from Unincorporated Businesses
Drawings refer to the withdrawal of assets, typically cash or goods, from an unincorporated business by its owner. This concept is essential in differentiating between unincorporated businesses and corporations, and comprehending how owners can access business assets.
Drill Down
Drilling down involves navigating through a series of menus or steps to access more detailed information within a system.
Drive-In
A drive-in facility is a type of sales or service location specifically designed to accommodate customers who remain in their automobiles, thereby offering convenience and speed. Examples include drive-in banks, restaurants, and dry cleaners.
Drop Dead Date
A drop dead date is an absolute deadline after which the results or reports are considered futile. Missing this deadline renders any subsequent work and outcomes useless.
Drop Lock
Drop Lock is a financial mechanism applied to bonds initially issued with variable rates of interest, converting them into fixed-rate bonds upon the occurrence of a trigger event such as the underlying index or interest rate falling below a pre-set threshold.
Drop-Down Menu
A drop-down menu is a graphical control element that allows users to choose one value from a list. When the menu is activated, it displays a list of options to choose from.
Drop-Shipping
Drop-Shipping is an e-commerce model where retailers sell products without storing them in their own inventory. Instead, customer orders are fulfilled directly by the supplier who ships the products directly to the end customer.
Dry Goods
Dry goods encompass fabrics, textiles, and clothing made from various materials such as cotton, wool, rayon, and silk, including ready-to-wear clothing and bedding.
Dry Hole
A drilled well that provides little or no oil or gas, which must be kept properly plugged in most states.
Du Pont Formula
A comprehensive financial analysis method used to break down return on investment (ROI) into component parts: margin and turnover. This formula helps identify key drivers of a company's profitability.
Dual Agency
Dual agency refers to a real estate scenario where a single agent represents both the buyer and the seller in a transaction. This practice is accepted in many states, provided there is full disclosure and consent from both parties. However, it is often met with skepticism as each party prefers individual representation to have their interests safeguarded.
Dual Aspect Principle
The Dual Aspect Principle is a fundamental concept in accounting that asserts every financial transaction has two aspects: one that results in a debit entry and another that results in a credit entry.
Dual Banking
The U.S. system whereby banks are chartered by either the state in which they operate or by the federal government. This leads to differences in banking regulations, lending limits, and services available to customers.
Dual Contract
A dual contract is an illegal or unethical practice in which two different contracts are provided for the same transaction. One contract reflects a larger amount and is used to apply for a loan, while the real contract is for a lower amount.
Dual-Capacity System
A system of trading on a stock exchange in which the functions of stockbroker and stockjobber are carried out by separate firms. Dual capacity existed on the London Stock Exchange prior to October 1986 when a single-capacity system was introduced.
Dual-Rate Transfer Prices
Dual-rate transfer pricing is a method where transfer prices are set at different levels for the supplying and receiving divisions within an organization, aimed at incentivizing internal transactions without penalizing either division.
Duality Principle in UK Taxation
A fundamental principle of UK income tax and corporation tax whereby expenditures that have a dual purpose are not deductible in computing profits subject to tax unless they can be dissected to identify wholly business-related expenses.
Due Bill
A bill submitted by a common carrier for additional charges that were not paid with the initial freight bill.
Due Care
Due care refers to the degree of care that a person of ordinary prudence and reason (a reasonable person) would exercise under given circumstances. It is a standard used in tort law to indicate the level of care or the legal duty one normally owes to others, and negligence is the failure to use due care.
Due Date
The due date is a fixed time when a payment for debt, tax, interest, or other financial obligation is required.
Due Diligence
The comprehensive appraisal of a business or its assets, evaluating its liabilities, profitability, cash flow, policies, and compliance, typically conducted prior to a major transaction or stock exchange flotation.
Due Process
Due process refers to the legal requirement that the government must follow fair procedures when it seeks to restrict or condemn someone's property rights, ensuring notice and an opportunity for affected parties to be heard.
Due-On-Sale Clause
A provision in a mortgage that mandates the loan be paid in full when the property is sold. This clause protects lenders by ensuring the loan is not assumed by a potentially less creditworthy buyer.
Dues and Subscriptions
Dues and subscriptions refer to professional expenses that can be tax-deductible as miscellaneous itemized deductions, subject to specific regulations such as the 2% adjusted gross income (AGI) floor.
Dues Checkoff
Dues checkoff refers to the authorization by an employee for the employer to withhold union dues directly from their paycheck, demonstrating a cooperative relationship among the employer, employee, and union.
Duff & Phelps
Duff & Phelps is an independent financial advisory firm, established in 1932, known for providing valuation, corporate finance, and other financial consulting services.
Dummy
A dummy refers to an individual or entity that stands in place of the principal to a transaction, sometimes used to avoid personal liability.
Dump
A loosely formatted printout of some portion of the contents of a computer file, often used for a quick review of the file.
Dumping
Dumping refers to the practice of selling goods at a price lower than their cost or lower than the price charged in the domestic market. This is done to eliminate surplus, undermine foreign competition, or dispose of goods unacceptable for the domestic market.
DUN
DUN is a term used to refer to the practice of requesting payment for past due amounts. It often involves reminding or urging the debtor to pay back what is owed.
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) is an information service company that provides critical business information, analytics, and insights, facilitating better decision-making with a vast database of credit information and commercial insights.
DUN'S Number
A DUN'S Number (Dun's Market Identifier) is a unique nine-digit identifier for businesses. It is published as part of a list by Dun & Bradstreet, providing information such as address code, number of employees, corporate affiliations, and trade styles, creating a uniform standard for identifying businesses globally.
Duopoly
A duopoly is a form of oligopoly where only two firms dominate the entire market. This market structure can lead to unique competitive behaviors and economic outcomes. The two dominant firms may collaborate or compete aggressively, impacting market prices, output, and overall industry dynamics.
Duplex
A duplex is a residential building that contains two separate dwelling units, each with its own entrance. The term can also refer to an apartment with rooms on two floors.
Duplicate
The term 'duplicate' refers to an exact copy of an original item or document. It implies having two items with the same content and format.
Duplication of Benefits
Duplication of Benefits refers to the situation where an individual has coverage for the same insured loss under two or more health insurance policies. In such cases, the policies either pay proportionate shares of the loss or one policy is designated as primary and the other as secondary.
Durable Goods
Durable goods refer to consumer and business products that are designed and expected to last for several years. These goods are critical indicators of economic activity and investment trends.
Durable Power of Attorney
A Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) is a legal document that allows an individual to act as an agent on behalf of the principal, even in the event of subsequent incapacity or disability of the principal.
Duration
Duration is a measure often used in fixed-income investing to assess the sensitivity of a bond's price to changes in interest rates by calculating the average life of the discounted values of the cash flows associated with a bond.
Duration Driver
Duration Driver refers to a measure of the amount of time required to perform an activity, especially when there is significant variance in the time taken to complete different activities.
Duration of Benefits
Duration of benefits refers to the period over which disability income insurance provides financial support to an eligible policyholder following an illness or injury causing disability.
Duress
Duress refers to a situation where one party is compelled to act contrary to their free will due to improper threats, violence, or other forms of coercion. It can serve as a defense in cases of crime, breach of contract, or tort.
Dutch Auction
An auction system where the price of an item is gradually lowered until it meets a responsive bid and is sold. U.S. Treasury bills are sold under this system, which contrasts with the two-sided or double-auction system used by major stock exchanges.
Duty
A detailed explanation and exploration of the term 'Duty,' including its application in taxation, fiduciary obligations, and additional contexts.
DVD
A DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or originally Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage format capable of storing large amounts of data, far greater than that of a CD-ROM.
Dwelling
A dwelling refers to a place of residence where individuals or families live, such as houses, apartments, and other structures intended for habitation.
Dynamic Pricing
Dynamic pricing, also known as real-time pricing or surge pricing, is a strategy where the price of a product or service fluctuates based on market demands, customer segments, time, and other variable factors.
Higher-Paid Employees
A detailed explanation of the classification of higher-paid employees under UK tax law, encompassing remuneration, benefits, and reimbursed expenses.
Impairment
Impairment is an accounting principle that outlines the process of reducing the book value of an asset when its fair market value drops below the asset's carrying amount on the balance sheet. It is a critical concept in financial reporting that ensures that the value of assets is not overstated in an organization's balance sheet.
Offering Circular
An offering circular is a document used to provide details about a property or security offering when a prospectus is not required.
Trading Desk (DESK) at the New York Federal Reserve Bank
The trading desk at the New York Federal Reserve Bank is the operational arm of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), responsible for executing all transactions undertaken by the Federal Reserve System in the money market and government securities market. It also serves as the Treasury Department's monitor and handles foreign exchange market transactions.
W. Edwards Deming
Consulting statistician and management expert (1900--1993), best known for his work on statistical quality control in Japan. The Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers awards its annual Deming Prize to a statistician for contributions to statistical theory. The Deming Application Prize is awarded to a company for improved use of statistical theory in organization, consumer research, design of product, and production. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge is the basis for his 14 Points for Management.

Accounting Terms Lexicon

Discover comprehensive accounting definitions and practical insights. Empowering students and professionals with clear and concise explanations for a better understanding of financial terms.