What Are Current Assets? (2024)

Current assets (definition)

Current assets are the resources that a business owns and expects to use or sell within a year.

Current assets are important to a business because by converting them to cash they allow it to pay its day-to-day operating expenses, bills and loan payments - its current liabilities.

Key characteristics of current assets

  1. Current assets are often tangible, physical things that are expected to be used or converted to cash within a year

  2. They provide financial benefit to the business by allowing it to cover day-to-day expenses through their sale or use

  3. They are not subject to depreciation

Current assets commonly include:

  • cash in the till or bank

  • inventory that will be sold to customers

  • accounts receivable, which are payments due to come in

  • prepaid expenses like annual insurance policies or software subscriptions

Current assets in accounting

Comparing a business’s current assets to its current liabilities helps determine the business’s liquidity.

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Disclaimer

This glossary is for small business owners. The definitions are written with their requirements in mind. More detailed definitions can be found in accounting textbooks or from an accounting professional. Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice.

What Are Current Assets? (2024)

FAQs

What Are Current Assets? ›

Current assets are those that can be converted into cash within one year, while current liabilities are obligations expected to be paid within one year. Examples of current assets include cash, inventory, and accounts receivable.

What is a current asset answer? ›

A current asset, also known as a liquid asset, is any resource a company could use, turn into cash, or sell within a year. This includes cash in the bank, money that customers owe (accounts receivable), goods ready to be sold (inventory), and other investments that can be easily offloaded.

What are examples of current assets? ›

Current assets include cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, stock inventory, marketable securities, pre-paid liabilities, and other liquid assets. The Current Assets account is important because it demonstrates a company's short-term liquidity and ability to pay its short-term obligations.

What are current assets in Quizlet? ›

What is a current asset? Cash plus other assets that are expected to be sold or converted to cash during the current operating cycle. Includes: Demand deposit, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory, pre-paids, and short-term investments.

What describes current assets? ›

Current assets are the resources that a business owns and expects to use or sell within a year. Current assets are important to a business because by converting them to cash they allow it to pay its day-to-day operating expenses, bills and loan payments - its current liabilities.

What are current assets for dummies? ›

Current assets are the key assets that your business uses up during a 12-month period and will likely not be there the next year. Current asset accounts include the following: Cash in Checking: Any company's primary account is the checking account used for operating activities.

How to find current assets? ›

How to Calculate Current Assets
  1. Here is the current asset formula:
  2. Current Assets = Cash + Accounts Receivable (AR) + Inventory + Prepaid Expenses.
  3. Current assets are the resources a business owns that can be converted into cash within one year, or less. ...
  4. Calculate Current Liabilities.
Apr 22, 2022

Which should not be considered as a current asset? ›

Examples of current assets include cash, marketable securities, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and inventory. Examples of noncurrent assets include long-term investments, land, intellectual property and other intangibles, and property, plant, and equipment (PP&E).

What are current assets listed as? ›

Current assets are listed at the top of the balance sheet and they are listed by the expected conversion to cash. The most liquid assets will be listed first starting with cash. Some examples of other current assets are accounts receivable, notes receivable, inventory, and supplies.

Is a bank a current asset? ›

A current asset is any asset that is expected to provide an economic benefit for or within one year. Funds held in bank accounts for less than one year may be considered current assets. Funds held in accounts for longer than a year are considered non-current assets.

Which of the following is a definition of current assets? ›

A current asset is an asset that a company owns and is easily sold, consumed or converted into cash during a financial year due to the ordinary course of business operations.

Is land a current asset? ›

Is land a current asset? The short answer is no. Land is not a current asset but a fixed asset (sometimes termed a long-term asset). A current asset is one that is most liquid for the business and is expected to be converted into cash within a year.

What is current assets or total assets? ›

A current asset is any asset that will provide an economic value for or within one year. Total assets accounts for all current assets, but also for long-term fixed assets, intangible assets, and other non-current assets.

What are current assets and examples? ›

Cash: The balance of a bank account is current assets since it is immediately available. Financial investments: Financial products (funds, deposits) are considered current assets if their maturity is equal to or less than one year. For example, a fixed deposit of three months is a current asset.

Why are current assets important? ›

Current assets contribute to your business's financial stability because they represent your liquidity and how much money you have available to use. Having enough current assets ensures you can meet your financial obligations while maintaining a positive cash flow and sustainable growth.

What are the two important characteristics of current assets? ›

Key characteristics of current assets:
  • Liquidity. ...
  • Short-term nature. ...
  • Working capital. ...
  • Fluctuating values. ...
  • Liquidity and cash flow support. ...
  • Operational efficiency. ...
  • Credibility with creditors and investors. ...
  • Low return on investment.
Feb 6, 2024

What is a current asset or liability? ›

Current assets are short-term assets, such as cash or cash equivalents, that can be liquidated within a year or during an accounting period. Current liabilities are a company's short-term liabilities that are expected to be settled within a year or during an accounting period.

What are the 4 components of current assets? ›

The components of the current assets are cash and cash equivalents, receivable account, inventory and prepaid expenses. Cash and cash equivalents are the properties that can be liquidated and they are the values of the company's properties. These include commercial papers, bank accounts and debt securities etc.

What are the 4 types of assets? ›

Assets can be broadly categorized into current (or short-term) assets, fixed assets, financial investments, and intangible assets.

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