Boston Matrix
The Boston Matrix, also known as the Growth-Share Matrix, is a strategic business tool developed by the Boston Consulting Group to help organizations evaluate their product lines or business units.
QE2: Quantitative Easing 2
Quantitative Easing 2, often abbreviated as QE2, was a controversial monetary policy program implemented by the U.S. Federal Reserve in 2010 to purchase $600 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds. The program aimed to reduce interest rates and stimulate economic growth but raised concerns about potential inflation.
Qualified Acceptance
Qualified acceptance refers to an acceptance of a bill of exchange that modifies the original terms of the bill. It provides protections for the holder, drawer, and endorsers of the bill.
Qualified Audit Report
An auditors' report that includes qualifications due to scope limitations or disagreements regarding the treatment/disclosure of matters in financial statements based on the degree of materiality.
Qualified Charity
A Qualified Charity is an organization that has applied for and received tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, allowing it to receive tax-deductible contributions from donors.
Qualified Endorsement
A qualified endorsement is a type of financial endorsement that includes specific wording to limit the endorser's liability, such as 'Without recourse,' to indicate that the endorser is not responsible if the instrument is not honored.
Qualified Opinion
A qualified opinion is a statement issued by an auditor that indicates exceptions or limitations to the comprehensive nature of the audit conducted on financial statements.
Qualified Organization
A qualified organization is an entity to which individuals or businesses can make deductible charitable contributions according to tax regulations.
Qualified Plan or Qualified Trust
A pension or profit-sharing plan set up by an employer for the benefit of employees, adhering to IRS rules, where contributions are deductible for the employer, trust income is not taxable, and employees are taxed only upon distribution.
Qualified Prospect
A prospective buyer who has the requisite financial resources, motivation, and authority to make a purchase of a given product or service.
Qualified Replacement Property
Qualified Replacement Property refers to property acquired in a like-kind exchange or due to an involuntary conversion, provided that the new property has the same qualified use as the property it replaces.
Qualified Residence
A qualified residence refers to a principal residence and one other residence that a taxpayer or spouse owns. Interest paid on a qualified residence may be deductible as an itemized deduction.
Qualified Residence Interest
Qualified Residence Interest refers to the interest paid on a home mortgage that may be deductible as an itemized deduction on federal income tax returns. It includes interest on acquisition indebtedness and home equity loans.
Qualified Stock Option
An agreement in the USA that allows employees to purchase company stock at a future date at a specified price, often lower than the market price, and meeting the IRS's requirements.
Qualified Terminable Interest Property (Q-TIP) Trust
A Qualified Terminable Interest Property (Q-TIP) Trust is an estate planning tool that ensures the surviving spouse receives income from the trust's assets while retaining control for the deceased spouse over the distribution of the assets upon the surviving spouse's death.
Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) Trust
A QTIP trust allows a grantor to provide income for their surviving spouse and designate other beneficiaries for the remaining trust assets after the surviving spouse's death.
Qualified Transfer
A qualified transfer refers to any amount paid for an individual's education or medical care that is not considered a taxable gift for gift tax purposes.
Qualified Tuition Program (QTP, 529 Plan)
An investment vehicle created under the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 that allows individuals to make tax-deductible contributions to accounts that accumulate tax-free income if used to cover a beneficiary's qualified educational expenses.
Qualifying Distribution
A historical notion referring to any dividend or other distribution from company assets to shareholders that carried a tax credit, allowing shareholders to offset this against their tax liability. This system was replaced by the dividend tax system in April 2016.
Qualifying Loss
A trading loss arising in a current accounting period as a result of computing the profits and losses of an organization in accordance with accepted corporation-tax principles.
Qualifying Person for Head of Household Filing Status
A detailed explanation of the qualifying person criteria for obtaining the Head of Household filing status for federal income tax purposes.
Qualifying Stock Option
A qualifying stock option is a privilege granted by a corporation to its employees, allowing them to purchase the company's capital stock at a special price under specific conditions outlined in the Internal Revenue Code.
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative analysis is the process of identifying the presence or absence of important factors without measuring them precisely.
Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information
The qualitative characteristics of accounting information ensure that financial reports are as useful and accurate as possible, governed by various standards and frameworks in different regions.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research involves investigating the quality, type, or components of a group, substance, or mixture. It is utilized in advertising audience research to determine the quality of audience responses to advertising content, often using in-depth and focus group interviews to gain insights.
Quality
Quality is a measure of the degree to which a product, service, or process meets certain standards or criteria of excellence. It is a critical factor in various fields such as manufacturing, software development, customer service, and healthcare.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance (QA) refers to the management method of guaranteeing that high-quality product and service standards are established and achieved. It aims to create a comprehensive management system known as Total Quality Management (TQM), with the ultimate objective of achieving zero defects.
Quality Circles
Quality Circles are small groups of employees who meet regularly within an organization to discuss and develop solutions for management issues and procedures. They are established with management approval and play a crucial role in implementing new procedures and improvements.
Quality Control (QC)
Quality Control (QC) is the process of ensuring that products are manufactured to consistently high standards of quality. This often involves inspecting goods at various points in their manufacture using either human or machine resources.
Quality Engineering
Quality Engineering is a portion of quality management concerned with prevention planning and the correction of nonconformance in the production or service cycle.
Quality of Earnings
The degree to which the net profit of an organization reflects accurately its operating performance; it is particularly important to ensure that creative accounting has not taken place and that no events have occurred to distort the profit figure.
Quality of Work Life
Quality of Work Life (QWL) is a concept that refers to the level of satisfaction, motivation, fulfillment, and well-being employees experience in their work environment. It addresses a variety of aspects in the workplace, including job satisfaction, work-life balance, relationships with colleagues, and work conditions.
Quality of Work Life (QWL)
Quality of Work Life (QWL) encompasses the overall employment environment within an organization that impacts the attitudinal and motivational mindset of employees. It involves various factors such as job satisfaction, work conditions, and employee benefits that contribute to the well-being and productivity of staff.
Quango
An overview of the quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization, often abbreviated as QUANGO, including its function, structure, and relevance in public administration. While not government entities, these organizations operate under government oversight to fulfill specific public duties.
Quant
A Quant, or quantitative analyst, is a professional with strong mathematical and computer skills who provides numerical and analytical support services, typically in the finance sector.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis involves using mathematical and statistical methods to evaluate investments, business operations, and financial data.
Quantitative Budgets
Quantitative budgets refer to budgets that cover the non-financial aspects of budgetary control, including the number of units of products planned to be produced and the number of direct labor hours to be worked.
Quantitative Easing (QE)
Quantitative Easing (QE) is a non-traditional monetary policy used by central banks to stimulate the economy by increasing the money supply and lowering interest rates.
Quantitative Easing (QE)
Quantitative Easing (QE) is a monetary policy tool used primarily by central banks to stimulate the economy by purchasing long-term securities in the open market, thereby increasing the money supply and lowering interest rates to boost economic activity.
Quantitative Easing (QE)
Quantitative Easing (QE) is a monetary policy used by central banks to stimulate the economy when conventional monetary policy becomes ineffective. Primarily enacted during periods of low or zero interest rates, QE involves the creation of new money electronically to purchase government securities and increase the money supply.
Quantitative Easing (QE)
Quantitative easing (QE) is a form of unconventional monetary policy in which a central bank purchases longer-term securities from the open market to increase the money supply and encourage lending and investment.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is a systematic investigation that primarily deals with the quantities of things, involving the measurement of quantity or amount. It's widely applied in various fields such as advertising audience research to develop actual numbers of audience members to accurately measure market situations.
Quantity Demanded
Quantity demanded refers to the specific amount of a particular good that buyers are willing to purchase in the market at a given price level. It is a key concept in economics that helps in understanding the dynamics of supply and demand.
Quantity Discount
A discount provided to buyers based on the amount of merchandise purchased, encouraging bulk procurement. Also known as volume discount.
Quantity Supplied
The amount of a good or service that will be brought to market at a given price. The schedule of quantities supplied at each market price defines the Aggregate Supply Curve.
Quantity Theory of Money and Prices
A fundamental theory in monetarist economics that posits a relationship between the money supply (M), price levels (P), velocity of money (V), and national income (Q) summarized by the equation MV = PQ.
Quarter Days
Quarter Days are four days traditionally recognized at the beginning or end of the four quarters of the year, primarily for purposes such as charging rent. They have historical significance in various parts of the UK.
Quarterly
The term 'quarterly' commonly refers to events, processes, or publications occurring every three months, but it holds special significance in the contexts of business, finance, and securities.
Quarterly Report
In the USA, a quarterly report is a financial report issued by a company every three months, containing essential financial statements and a narrative overview of business operations.
Quarterly Returns
Employment and estimated tax returns that are due quarterly to report gross wages paid and withholdings of income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax. These include Forms 941, 942, and 943. Some state unemployment tax returns are also due quarterly.
Quartile
Quartiles are statistical measures dividing a data set into four equal parts. Each quartile represents a rank order segment in the distribution of the data. The first quartile (Q1) represents the 25th percentile, the second quartile (Q2) or the median represents the 50th percentile, the third quartile (Q3) represents the 75th percentile, and the fourth quartile (Q4) represents the upper range of data.
Quasi Contract
A quasi contract is an obligation created by law for reasons of justice and fairness. It ensures that one party pays for a benefit they desired and received under circumstances that make it inequitable to retain without compensation.
Quasi Money
Quasi money, also known as near money, refers to assets that are not cash but can be quickly converted into cash with little or no loss of value.
Quasi-Contract
A quasi-contract is a legal obligation imposed by a court to prevent unjust enrichment and ensure fairness, even though no formal contract exists between the parties.
Quasi-Loan
An arrangement wherein a creditor agrees to satisfy certain financial obligations of a borrower, provided the borrower agrees to reimburse the creditor.
Quasi-Public Corporations
Organizations such as utilities or cable television companies with exclusive public charters to operate within a given service area. Quasi-public corporations have essentially been granted by a governmental entity a monopoly to provide a service.
Quasi-Subsidiary
A quasi-subsidiary is a company, trust, partnership, or other arrangement that does not fulfill the definition of a subsidiary undertaking but is directly or indirectly controlled by the reporting entity and provides similar benefits.
Queue
A queue is an organized list where elements are processed in a specific order, often used in both real-world scenarios like waiting lines and in computing contexts such as data structures and print jobs.
Queuing Theory (Waiting Line Theory)
Queuing Theory, also known as Waiting Line Theory, is a quantitative technique used for balancing services available with services required. It evaluates the ability of service facilities to handle capacity and load at different times during the day. This theory is crucial for problems of balancing cost and service level, such as determining the number of toll booths on a highway and the number of tellers in a bank.
Quick Asset
A quick asset is any asset that can be converted into cash within a short timeline, typically 90 days or less.
Quick Assets
Quick assets, also known as liquid assets, are cash and other assets that can be quickly converted into cash without significant loss of value. They are crucial in assessing the short-term liquidity and financial health of a business.
Quick Ratio
The Quick Ratio, also known as the Acid-Test Ratio or Liquid Ratio, is a measure of a company's ability to meet its short-term obligations using its most liquid assets.
Quick-Succession Relief
Quick-succession relief is designed to prevent the severe double taxation of inheritance tax on the same property within a short timeline — specifically when two related individuals pass away within five years of each other.
Quicken
Quicken is a popular financial recordkeeping software produced by Intuit, designed to manage personal and small business finance.
Quid Pro Quo
Quid Pro Quo, translating to 'something for something', is often used in legal and business contexts to refer to an exchange where one thing is given in return for another. It implies a mutual agreement or consideration where both parties receive something of value.
Quiet Enjoyment
Quiet Enjoyment refers to the right of a tenant or property owner to use and enjoy their premises without significant disruption or interference. It is usually guaranteed by a covenant whether explicitly stated in a lease or implied by law.
Quiet Title Suit
A quiet title suit is a legal action designed to resolve disputes over ownership of a piece of property. It helps to officially establish who owns a property and eliminate any false claims to the title.
QUIT
The act of voluntarily terminating an employment relationship, ending a process or session with a computer program, or exiting a scenario.
Quitclaim Deed
A Quitclaim Deed is a legal instrument that conveys only the right, title, or interest that the grantor currently has in a property, without guaranteeing that the grantor actually has any specific title or interest in the property. The grantor, under a Quitclaim Deed, releases whatever interest they may have to the grantee.
Quo Warranto
Quo Warranto is a historical common law writ used to challenge a person's right to hold public office, franchises, or liberties. It asks by what authority the individual claims such rights.
Quorum
Quorum is the minimum number of members of a body who must be present for the group to legally transact business.
Quota
A quota is a predetermined goal or target set within various programs such as sales and media plans. It serves to measure performance and achieve specific objectives.
Quota Sample
A sample group of people used for research purposes who have been selected at the discretion of the interviewer based on predetermined quotas.
Quotation
A quotation is a commercial statement detailing the price of an item, provided either as an answer to an inquiry or in the context of stock market activities.
Quoted Company
A quoted company, also known as a listed company, is a business entity whose shares are traded on a stock exchange. These companies are subject to strict regulatory requirements and transparency rules to protect investors.
Tobin's Q Ratio
Tobin's Q Ratio, devised by US economic analyst James Tobin, measures the impact of intangible assets on business value by comparing the market value of a business to the replacement cost of its assets.
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive management approach that focuses on long-term success through customer satisfaction. This strategy involves all members of an organization participating in improving processes, products, services, and the organizational culture in which they work.

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.