In this Balance Sheet Tour, we review several “less travelled”, yet very important, balance sheet categories, including some terms that you have heard about, but might not quite know how they work. This course goes above and beyond what textbooks would provide you, by addressing concepts, definitions, and journal entries, as well as practical use. Many of the course sections feature multiple real-life examples of well-known companies, both illustrating the terms and relating the financial terms to a company’s business model and “financial footprint”.

The balance sheet, or statement of financial position, is an overview of what a company owns and owes at a point in time. Some areas of the balance sheet get a lot of attention in business discussions, especially when they relate strongly to the company’s cash flow performance. There are other areas on the balance sheet that are less explored territory. These should become common terms that every finance professional has a thorough understanding of! After taking the Balance Sheet Tour, terms like capital expenditures (CapEx), goodwill, intangibles, accruals, pre-paids and deferrals will make sense to you. Also covered are: prepaid expenses, accumulated depreciation, intangible assets, deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities, deferred revenue, retained earnings, treasury stock

Philip de Vroe, The Finance Storyteller, is your guide on this insightful tour of the balance sheet.

Learning Objectives
  • Explore balance sheet terminology such as capital expenditures (CapEx), goodwill, intangibles, accruals, prepaid expenses and deferrals
  • Identify Capital Expenditures (CapEx) and Operating Expenditures (OpEx)
  • Discover how deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities work
  • Discover how goodwill and intangible assets are created
  • Recognize how treasury stock and retained earnings impact equity
Last updated/reviewed: March 4, 2024
353 Reviews (1745 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
An excellent refresher course, particularly for those that may not live in this space on a day-to-day basis. The instructor was engaging and he highlighted many real-world examples throughout the presentation; however, the supporting materials were somewhat busy and occasionally challenging to follow. Nonetheless, the content was informative and relevant. I'd recommend this course for others as a refresher!

5
Anonymous Author
This was a great course with very understandable explanations of complex concepts. One issue: I don't believe that the "matching principle" is mentioned any where in US GAAP, however it is held out as the reason for accrual accounting in this course. I believe that an accrual is recorded to correctly depict liabilities at a point in time, as opposed to matching expenses to revenues.

5
Anonymous Author
Balance Sheet Tour course offers a straightforward journey through financial fundamentals. Critics argue it lacks depth for advanced learners but praise its accessibility for beginners. The course simplifies complex concepts, making them easy to grasp. While it may not satisfy all levels of expertise, it is an excellent starting point for those new to understanding balance sheets.

3
Member's Profile
This is a pretty good course! Since this is my first course with illumeo, I am reserving four and five stars for outstanding efforts. There are a few concepts where the comprehension was missed or unclear and could be improved upon and updated in order to capture those points. Otherwise, so far, I'm impressed with the straightforward and attempts at comprehensive learning.

5
Anonymous Author
I find this course very helpful for me. I liked that the information is presented schematic and still to include the most important aspects about each topic. I was very glad that it contains many examples, because for me this is the easiest way to assimilate information. This course is useful for anyone who wants to learn and practice accounting.

5
Anonymous Author
this course does a great job explaining some of the non-traditional accounts that can be found on the balance sheet. The review of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities was very well explained for a concept that can be confusing to some people. i would recommend this course to anyone who needs to brush up on these accounts.

5
Anonymous Author
Really good course that provides a simple and effective overview of key balance sheet concepts that we forget about if we are not doing these types of journal entries on a daily basis. Instructor knows his stuff and is qutie clear on the concepts. Course materials are relevant and helpful. Enjoyable!

5
Anonymous Author
I found it beneficial the way the instructor presented the material by using illustrations, examples and t-charts instead of just listing bullet points and reading them. However, it made it slightly difficult to go back to the slides and pinpoint what I needed to refresh on during review and test exam.

5
Anonymous Author
It was a good course to review some of the "tricky" parts of the balance sheet. Conceptually, it is helpful to re-tread things such as "Accum Dep'n is not the same as a liability, and here's why". Also the equity portion is good to see since that's not something you deal with every day.

5
Member's Profile
Solid review of core balance sheet principles -- prepaid expenses, intangible assets, deferred tax assets and liabilities, accruals, retained earnings, etc. None of the subjects covered should be new to an accountant, but they could add depth of understanding to a financial analyst.

5
Anonymous Author
Embarking on a new course holds the promise of expanding our knowledge and broadening our perspectives. However, selecting the right class can be a daunting task. With the abundance of options available, it is crucial to seek recommendations and thoroughly research potential classes.

4
Anonymous Author
Quick refresher course on the fundamentals of the BS. It did discuss the IS to discuss RE. Really great for CPE but not helpful if you are looking for further knowledge. This would be great to review before watching more advanced dives into specific accounts or principals.

4
Member's Profile
The course in general was very good and included a lot of practical examples that made the theoretical concepts come to life, i would recommend the speaker to deliver the course in a much slower pace as he was talking way to fast. The course should be at least 2 hours.

5
Anonymous Author
I like how the instructor defined each topic and used real world examples to teach the subject. The journal entries were very helpful and the explanations of how transactions affected the balance sheet and income statement was practical and useful. Great job!

5
Member's Profile
Good review for CPA's who have been out of practice. I have been stay at home mom for almost 19years. This review was great! Some topics basic and some are a good refresher. Was a little confused on if this followed GAAP or IFAS at first. Thank you.

5
Member's Profile
Excellent course. This course was a great refresher. I have not worked on active companies in a long time. So going through this course enabled me to brush on many concepts that I have not worked with in a long time. Plus it was super easy to understand.

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent content. It was directly related to my test. This course really did a good job at getting to the meat and potatoes of the content. The content, context, and multiple modes of representation they provide is highly effective and enjoyable!

5
Anonymous Author
The is a very informative course. The way in which the concepts are presented is helpful and it is easy to understand. The instructor was engaging and was able to keep this interesting. This course could be useful across many levels of an organization.

5
Member's Profile
This is a great course for beginners or advanced users looking for a quick brush up. Materials were clean and easy to understand and the real world examples did exactly what they are supposed to do - clarify a point beyond just a text book example.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was a refresher. The instructor was effective in communicating the various topic within the course materials, however, several supporting materials were missing from the presentation slides.The time allotted for the course was sufficient.

5
Anonymous Author
I expected this class to be a basic balance sheet tour, but it was surprisingly refreshing. Great course. The instructor provided multiple real-world examples that were challenging and informative. I look forward to more courses from this instructor.

5
Anonymous Author
Very thorough materials to the course and a great refresher on more obscure areas of the balance sheet that don't get touched in regular day-to-day processes. The instructor was awesome, rightfully earning his nickname of "The Financial Storyteller".

4
Member's Profile
This course helps to understand the meaning of many balance sheet positions and gives good insight into daily business examples. Unfortunately it was not 100% understandable for me and sometimes I wished to see more slights with explanations.

5
Anonymous Author
I liked that this course included real world financial statement comparisons and analysis. Looking at their balance sheets and ratio comparisons also helped to see some differences between companies and emphasized the importance of ratios.

5
Anonymous Author
Great high-level overview and refresher course. This is especially good for people that are 'siloed' in their accounting work responsibilities from day-to-day and don't actually get the opportunity of exposure to the entire balance sheet.

5
Member's Profile
Very good refresher in the style "lets go back to basics", spanning from things that everyone knows to some very tricky ones that will bring memories of studying for the exam. Highly recommend to refresh the love affair with accounting :)

5
Anonymous Author
This course was a really great refresher on the balance sheet. In addition to being generally informative, the fact that real world examples were used, showing the impact to both sides of the transaction, added to the value.

5
Member's Profile
niiiiiiiiiice very excellent course.. so much interesting material although I have never heard of taking an impairment charge on a deferred tax liability.. that was a review question correct answer. Did I read that wrong?

5
Anonymous Author
This course was very informative and showed each of the parts of the balance sheet that are not as common as the beginning accountant might understand. It provided great examples to help lock in the information presented.

5
Member's Profile
The relatively short course segments made each idea easier to follow, and the examples made the concepts easy to understand. This instructor delivered the lesson extremely well and made it easy to understand. Thank you!

5
Member's Profile
The instructor gave great real-life examples of how these balance sheet accounts are used. He provided explanations for many balance sheet accounts, but his explanations were thorough and understandable. Good course!

4
Anonymous Author
The instructor provided a good overview of key balance sheet categories. The examples provided of real companies was helpful. The instructor did a great job of reviewing the journal entries recorded for each topic.

5
Anonymous Author
Good refresher course and good Introduction course for teaching inexperienced accountants some common and not so common accounting concepts. The instructor provides many real world examples which is very helpful.

5
Anonymous Author
This is great course to get to the basics of a balance sheet and its concepts. I like how the instructor does the narration in terms of a story and providing current company examples to understand the concepts.

4
Member's Profile
This is an excellent course! It is essential and covers very useful Balance Sheet items like Goodwill, Prepaid expenses, Contract Accounts, Intangible Assets, Deferred Tax Assets, and Deferred Tax Liabilities.

5
Anonymous Author
Great detailed examples for how the impacts of deferrals and other topics are expressed in the financials - not only on the balance sheet but on cash flow, impactful presentation for non-accounting management.

4
Member's Profile
This course was a refresher for me since I do not prepare financial statements. It was a entertaining presentation. I like the visuals especially since I am a visual learner. These were very helpful to me.

3
Member's Profile
I think the class crammed too much into one course. For a basic class, some of the items in the class may be too advanced. Perhaps the class can be broken up into 3 classes; assets, liabilities and equity.

5
Member's Profile
The course covered the interjacencies of how different types of transactions are recorded on the balance sheet and how they effect the company's financial health. A good course for those in cost accounting

5
Anonymous Author
Really good course for entry level accountants to learn essential parts of financial statements. The most interesting section in my opinion was the "Treasury Stock and Share Buyback Accounting" section.

4
Anonymous Author
The manner of presentation was good and kept interest up. My only complaint was when I tried to look at the slides afterwards some of the information was not present as it was verbally discussed instead

5
Anonymous Author
Great and clear overview of balance sheet accounts, reinforced things I knew and brought more clarity to areas I was less familiar with -- excellent explanation and walkthrough of concepts / principles

5
Anonymous Author
Great course. Excellent instructor who was easy to understand and gave clear examples to illustrate the concepts. Especially enjoyed the real-life company examples that supplemented the course.

4
Member's Profile
A very enjoyable approach that explained complexities with easy to remember examples and analogies. Useful summary of balance sheet concepts. Cloud based software section may need to be updated

4
Member's Profile
Well presented course with a lot of information and real life examples. Some areas seemed to move too fast. Could have been broken into two 1 hour courses with more time spent on explanations.

4
Anonymous Author
I really enjoyed all of the real world examples in this course, it helped cement the information. I did wish that the slides were a bit more substantive so I did not have to take separate notes.

5
Member's Profile
This course was a good introduction to deferred tax asset and deferred tax liability. I would definitely take another course for a deeper dive on recording these transactions to the financials.

4
Member's Profile
Most of this course was straight-forward. I was primarily interested in the stock buyback and treasury stock sections, but needed a brush-up on deferred tax assets and liabilities as well.

5
Member's Profile
This is a great overview with detailed examples of balance sheet accounts. I will be recommending it to the global accounting organization at my company for all our accountants to view.

5
Anonymous Author
Broad enough to cover the full balance sheet, but detailed enough to be informative. Tax and equity sections are very helpful to those that do not focus on those areas regularly.

5
Anonymous Author
I really thought this course was a great high-level overview of the balance sheet, especially some nuanced areas that are not commonly covered in basic accounting courses.

5
Member's Profile
The instructor provided many real life examples that make the course material much more interesting and applicable. Covers high level review of many balance sheet items.

5
Anonymous Author
I love the colorful slides provided; it was unique from the other classes offered. I also enjoyed very much the analysis of the different companies' balance sheets.

5
Member's Profile
This is a tough but good way to refresh your knowledge. I always recommend taking the quizzes to know where you are. But this was a great course and very thorough.

4
Anonymous Author
The course was explained with several practical examples. The presentation material included T accounts which made it easy to understand the flow of journal entries.

4
Member's Profile
this a good refresher on some key areas of balance sheet accounting with some excellent examples comprising balance sheet extracts from well known public companies

4
Anonymous Author
Slides have lots of graphics and are properly used to enhance the lecture. Sometimes they can even feel a touch overwhelming, but are good for keeping attention.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was a great refresher. I especially benefitted from the Contra Account, Accumulated Depreciation, and Deferred Tax Liabilities segments of the course.

5
Member's Profile
Great content on balance sheet including contra accounts. It went into depth on equity accountings such as the re-issuance of treasury stock which I enjoyed

5
Member's Profile
Fantastic coverage of the main components of the balance sheet and how they are typically affected as well as how they relate to one another, as applicable.

5
Anonymous Author
Great visual slides to explain concepts. Made it pretty simple to understand. HIghly recommend this instructor for his no nonsense way of explaining things.

4
Member's Profile
This is a good class for beginners. I like the detail on the taxes because its a weak area of mine as i am not familiar with calculation of deferred taxes.

5
Anonymous Author
The storyteller uses graphics to help you understand the concepts. I highly recommend this course for an overview of the key financial reporting concepts.

4
Anonymous Author
Good overall review of the balance sheet and how transactions are recorded. Nice refresher for transactions that are not always seen across all companies.

5
Member's Profile
i enjoyed the CAPEX and OPEX discussions as they seem to be the new terms in the business world. Good explanation of the purchase allocation of companies

3
Anonymous Author
very challenging course but important to review in order to understand deferred expenses, prepaid expenses, intangible assets, and capital expenditures.

4
Member's Profile
Good overall review of the balance sheet. I learned about acquisitions and treasury stocks, as I've never had to deal with these scenarios personally.

4
Anonymous Author
This is a basic course but covers a lot of material. It uses real life examples to help explain tougher concepts. It is a good high level overview.

4
Anonymous Author
This course was informative. I like that it was short, and I really like to option to read the PDF document as an alternative to watching the videos.

5
Anonymous Author
Great overview of the balance sheet accounts and he goes into some accounts that are not normally utilized (e.g., treasury stock). Great training.

5
Member's Profile
I think the instructor did a good job of explaining things for this overview without getting bogged down in the details and I liked his examples.

5
Anonymous Author
The course was very interesting and a good refresher. The instructor provided a great number of examples making the information easy to grasp.

4
Member's Profile
This course has provided insight on balance sheet items most often overlooked at but is a vital part of the whole financial statement process.

5
Member's Profile
This was a great refresher on accounting basics. The presenter laid out everything in a very clear way that was easy to understand and retain.

5
Member's Profile
Great reminder of the basics of balance sheets. Some new topics to learn but mostly a refreshing course to apply to everyday accountants.

5
Member's Profile
This is a good overview of the balance sheet. It covers topics like deferred tax assets ad liabilties, deferred revenue, retained earnings.

4
Anonymous Author
Brief tutorial to remind you of what is on the balance sheet and how they interact. Good reminder on deferred tax assets and liabilities.

5
Anonymous Author
The course is very extensive and the author explains very well. The powerpoint slide is also interactive. Overall a nice refresher course.

5
Anonymous Author
Nice refresher on the balance sheet. I was a bit rusty on equity but the presentation did a good job with the examples and presentation.

5
Anonymous Author
The presenter was great. He took hard to understand topics and broke them down and explained them in an easy to understand way. Great!

5
Member's Profile
Wide and encompassing overview of the balance sheet and a good reminder on some of the more nuanced areas (DTL/A, Treasury Stock, etc.).

5
Anonymous Author
Good overview of prepaids, DTA/DTL, intangibles, and other aspects of the balance sheet that are often treated as lower-priority items.

5
Member's Profile
Great balance sheet overview. The sections that review deferred tax assets and liabilities was particularly helpful. Highly recommend.

2
Anonymous Author
It has been a very long time since I had an accounting class. The presentations seemed to speed through and it was difficult to follow.

5
Member's Profile
Good course on transactions taking place on the Balance Sheet you might not have seen in some time depending on your role or industry.

4
Member's Profile
Real world examples were helpful and interesting. The T accounting examples were also useful and aided in retention of the concepts.

5
Member's Profile
Great refresher on accounting concepts for professionals. In depth understanding on treasury stocks and concepts of Deferred Taxes.

5
Member's Profile
Really enjoyed the practical sense that the course was taught in referencing to SEC filed documents for large Fortune 500 companies.

5
Anonymous Author
Good basic review of the balance sheet. Basic items are briefly explained while more complex items are presented through examples.

5
Member's Profile
I found the tour a good review of the Balance Sheet. The instructor was easy to follow and was very knowagable about the material.

5
Member's Profile
Helpful overview of the topic. Not as much a detailed explanation of nuanced points, but good overview of the total balance sheet

5
Member's Profile
Fantastic and extremely clear instruction. A high-level overview, but with more "meat on the bone" than many comparable courses.

3
Member's Profile
Some of the questions on the final were very confusing and the videos did not offer a clear understanding of the examples given.

5
Member's Profile
The course is very technical and will help you get a better understanding of the balance sheet accounts that are not as common.

5
Anonymous Author
Enjoyable presentation with many practical examples of journal entries used to illustrate the concepts. Very effective lecture.

5
Member's Profile
Lots of information and detailed examples that clearly explain each topic and demonstrate how it applys to real-world accounting

5
Anonymous Author
Very good reminder of all the balance sheet items including prepaid, CapEx, contra Accounts, deferred Tax assets and liabilites

4
Member's Profile
The instructor was very knowledgeable and covered a lot of information. The supporting documentation was very helpful as well.

5
Member's Profile
Enjoyed the course more than I thought I would. NIce overview with dips into the more frequently occuring blance sheet items.

4
Anonymous Author
Great balance sheet overview. Was helpful for some lesser used account refreshers like deferred taxes and equity transactions

5
Member's Profile
I enjoyed the pace of the instructor. The information was explained in various ways to help drive home the point. Great CPE.

3
Member's Profile
Great overview of the Balance Sheet. The Treasury Stock presentation and the Balance Sheet Comparison were most helpful to me.

4
Anonymous Author
Although this course was presented very quickly, it was a good high-level overview of different parts of the balance sheet.

3
Anonymous Author
Very simple course, to be honest non interesting for me. I would expect more complicated material when read the description.

5
Member's Profile
Great overview of several courses I took in college. I liked the instructor's examples for some of the more abstract topics.

4
Anonymous Author
Nice basic course for a tour of the balance sheet, detailing some of the less used or understood areas of the balance sheet.

5
Anonymous Author
Some of the subjects were more basic than others but I enjoyed the refresher on deferred tax assets/liabilities and equity

5
Anonymous Author
Overall good review course that offers a refresher for those that do not spend a lot of time looking at the balance sheet.

4
Anonymous Author
Very basic overview of the balance sheet line items. Most appropriate for someone with no or limited accounting knowledge

5
Anonymous Author
Covered lots of topics important to a more difficult concept in accounting. These concepts need particular extra practice.

5
Anonymous Author
Good overview of balance sheet items of companies, and their relationship to income statement, retained earning statement.

5
Anonymous Author
Great teaching skills, he makes it very clear and easy to understand even though some of this material is pretty complex.

5
Member's Profile
Course is very well organized and covers a great deal of material. Really enjoyed the videos which are very informative.

4
Anonymous Author
Course was very educational but could be dry at parts. Maybe something could be added to make it a little more gripping.

4
Anonymous Author
Overall a great course. Philip made this course very entertaining compared to other CPE courses I have taken in the past

4
Member's Profile
The illustrations and storytelling style were a nice break from the format of most other courses. Made it more engaging.

4
Anonymous Author
Excellent material & well presented. Actual case studies very helpful. One negative only … presenter spoke too fast.

5
Member's Profile
Good overview and the course was directly related to the test. Nice to have the downloadable .pdf documents as well.

5
Member's Profile
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4
Member's Profile
A good little review of some things you rarely work with. I can't think of the last time I worked on treasury stock.

5
Anonymous Author
The instructor explained the topics in an easy to understand and consistent manner. This is a nice refresher course.

5
Member's Profile
Amazing Presentation and I liked the real life examples, very few are able to give most recent real life examples...

5
Member's Profile
Enjoyable course. It was nice to review accounts that I no longer work with and gain knowledge I can apply at work.

5
Anonymous Author
The course covered the topics as described. The instructor was thorough and I appreciated the real world examples.

5
Anonymous Author
This was very helpful to me. The instructor was very knowledgeable and the examples were very clear and concise.

5
Anonymous Author
The instructor and the examples he gave for each lesson were relevant and easy to follow. Great refresher course!

5
Anonymous Author
The use of real-life and personal examples really enhanced the course. I enjoyed the instructor's candor as well.

5
Anonymous Author
good little course to take slides are amusing, presenter gets to the heart of topic quickly and has good examples

5
Anonymous Author
This is a great class for an overview of the balance sheet succinctly presented, but yet very clear and helpful.

5
Member's Profile
Very informative course and very well presented. Lots of information delivered in a very easy to understand way.

5
Member's Profile
very well done. Made the subject matter understandable. Examples help with the learning and recall of the items.

5
Member's Profile
This course was all meat and potatoes. Provided a great review from my days sitting through accounting classes.

4
Member's Profile
Good comprehensive course. A lot of material for one course. May have been better to break into shorter pieces

5
Anonymous Author
A great way to remember the basics of accounting. The author explains in detail, gives many necessary examples.

5
Anonymous Author
This is a great course about general accounting concepts related to the balance sheet. Would highly recommend.

4
Member's Profile
The slides for this course are really busy, so it makes it a bit hard to follow. They need to be toned down.

2
Anonymous Author
I did not like the pace of the course. Instructors delivery was very bland, not much inflection in voice, etc.

4
Member's Profile
This presentation was well done by a knowledgeable presenter. It was a great review for items not often used.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course offering high-level balance sheet tour touching on key balance sheet accounts. Highly recommend.

5
Member's Profile
The lessons tried to simply concepts with practical examples. Great refresher course delivered in a great way.

5
Anonymous Author
I do not have a lot of experience with balance sheets, so this course was a great way to gain some knowledge

3
Anonymous Author
This course would be helpful for Accounting personnel. It goes into more depth about balance sheet methods.

4
Member's Profile
Lots of good info here on issues I don't deal with much, still good to be able to speak to them when asked.

5
Anonymous Author
Lots of information covered in a short amount of time. Great instructor, but be prepared to move quickly!

5
Member's Profile
Good course. Solid overview of balance sheet material. Test questions aligned with slides. Informative.

5
Member's Profile
This is a great course for those who are unfamiliar with some of the trickier areas of the balance sheet.

4
Anonymous Author
Recommend. This is a great course to jog memories about balance sheet accounts that may not be everyday.

4
Member's Profile
I was a good refresher to balance sheets when the last time I heard of them was in my accounting I class

5
Member's Profile
Good reinforcement of basic concepts that we don’t use in our day to day work but might use in future

5
Anonymous Author
This was a helpful course that used the allotted time to effectively meet the stated learning objectives

5
Member's Profile
Great refresher on the components of the balance sheet with real-world examples in the course material.

4
Member's Profile
Easy review of the various Balance Sheet accounts including Assets, Liabilities and the Equity section.

5
Anonymous Author
I would recommend taking this course. Easy to follow and the instructor was good. Kept me interested.

5
Anonymous Author
One of my favorite instructors on the platform! Explanations are well thought out and easy to follow.

5
Member's Profile
I thought this class was great, and included very useful information to learn about the balance sheet

5
Anonymous Author
Content was good. Delivery was excellent. I will probably will take other classes in the future.

4
Anonymous Author
This course provided a lot of information and provided a good overview of the balance sheet accounts

5
Anonymous Author
The course is such a review of the Balance Sheet and really speaks to its name "Balance Sheet Tour."

4
Anonymous Author
Good refresher for deferrals and accruals. Lots of Good slides with reference to the subject matter.

4
Anonymous Author
This course had a lot of real-life examples which made the concepts easier to apply and understand.

5
Member's Profile
This instructor is brief and to the point. He doesn't mess around and gets the information to you.

4
Anonymous Author
Very efficient refresher on core accounting knowledge. Concentrated on the most important concepts.

5
Anonymous Author
Balance Sheet Tour was a great refresher course. Instructor and concepts were easy to understand.

5
Anonymous Author
A bit difficult to understand, but the slides and examples really helped. Overall would recommend.

5
Anonymous Author
This was a very informative webinar! I appreciated the explanations regarding bad debt acounting.

5
Member's Profile
Helpful, but quick! Be prepared to have a jam-packed CPE class. This is a good course, fast paced

5
Member's Profile
This was a nice refresher course, touching upon what may be regarded as a bit confusing concepts.

5
Anonymous Author
The real world examples were helpful. Broad discussion of the balance sheet was a good overview.

5
Member's Profile
good examples of famous companies are taken and explained very well. Nice wording and phrasing.

5
Member's Profile
Presentation included many real life examples which made it more interesting and understandable.

4
Member's Profile
Course was good, not great. Explanations were not always detailed enough to be truly insightful.

5
Anonymous Author
An in-depth revisitation of how deferred revenues and liabilities affect balance sheet reporting

5
Member's Profile
Good breakdown of Treasury Stock and Tax Deferral accounting implications for the Balance Sheet.

4
Anonymous Author
Nicely challenging course - reviews basics required to meet standards and industry expectations

5
Anonymous Author
Balance Sheet Tour is a great course. It is easy to follow and with good examples. Well done.

5
Anonymous Author
Fun slides for a broad range of topics. Great introduction to topics I was unfamiliar with.

4
Anonymous Author
Excellent insights into balance sheet accounts and practical examples demonstrating their use.

4
Member's Profile
Course we very informative and detailed. Kept my attention, and provided some good insights.

5
Anonymous Author
The lesson gives a great overview of the balance sheet accounts and proper accounting entries.

5
Member's Profile
Good to go over the refresher course. It was well worth the time to go through the training.

5
Anonymous Author
Lots to absorb here if it's not in your daily activities / experience. Good refresher course.

3
Member's Profile
Some of the explanations are not very clear and confusing or at least not explained properly.

5
Member's Profile
This was a great course that i found very ionformative on all aspects of the balance sheet.

4
Anonymous Author
Good refresher course on sections of the balance sheet that may not be commonly encountered.

5
Anonymous Author
This course brings up some good drivers, especially for deferred tax assets and liabilities.

5
Anonymous Author
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5
Member's Profile
Mr. de Vroe is engaging and interesting. He uses real examples to demonstrate his teachings.

5
Member's Profile
This was a much needed refresher! I felt like I was in Accounting 101 again. Great course!

4
Anonymous Author
the course refreshed my knowledge to accounting theories, Thanks for Mr.Philip' great work.

5
Anonymous Author
Good content...............................................................................

5
Member's Profile
Great slides and examples. Enjoyed real world company information like Facebook and google.

1
Anonymous Author
exam excessively hard for a two hour course. I appreciate the extensive slide deck though.

5
Anonymous Author
The topics have been very nicely and understandable presented. I really enjoyed this class.

5
Member's Profile
The course is an overview of basic concepts with recent examples. I recommend this course.

5
Anonymous Author
I enjoyed learning the different portions of the balance sheet. It was very informative.

5
Member's Profile
Well-organized and clear. Anyone teaching tax and/or financial accounting would benefit.

5
Anonymous Author
Very thorough explanations. Concepts are broken down for beginners to easily understand.

5
Member's Profile
Good material and didactic on the course. Easy to follow, mainly the real life examples.

5
Anonymous Author
The is a very informative course. It was great, very detailed, and easy to understand.

5
Member's Profile
Good basics on the balance sheet. Each section is broken up into proper timed lessons

5
Anonymous Author
This is a great course for understanding the various components of the Balance Sheet!

5
Anonymous Author
The examples and graphics were helpful in understanding the balance sheet. Thank you!

4
Member's Profile
Some topics were too elementary but, overall, the presenter did a good job. Thank you.

5
Anonymous Author
Interesting course - much to learn for a non-accountant - highly recommend for anyone

5
Member's Profile
This is a great review of the balance sheet tour. It is concise and yet comprehensive.

5
Member's Profile
Thought the course was very well set up and concepts were very well explained. Thanks!

5
Member's Profile
Good overview of and refresher of the balance sheet. Appreciate Philip's instruction.

4
Member's Profile
more than a tour. highly technical exam and some questions didn't seem to be covered.

4
Member's Profile
It's really an overview of goodwill, prepaid accounts and accrual vs cash accounting.

5
Member's Profile
Recommended class about accounting which gives you a good refresher on key concepts!

5
Member's Profile
Very good instructor really enjoyed the numerous real-life company examples provided.

5
Anonymous Author
I enjoyed the content and the presentation. I would recommend this course to anyone.

5
Member's Profile
I enjoyed how the course covered all sections of the Balance Sheet in great detail.

3
Anonymous Author
provides a solid basic understanding of accounts less considered on the balance sheet

5
Member's Profile
Excellent summary of less well understood areas of the balance sheet. Well explained.

5
Member's Profile
The session flowed very well, and the supporting documents helped immensely. Bravo!

5
Member's Profile
This course has a very brief but very thorough description of all main BS accounts.

5
Member's Profile
great class, I love taking accounting classes. The information is very interesting.

3
Member's Profile
I didn't care for all the pictures. They were distracting from the actual message.

5
Anonymous Author
I enjoyed the simplicity of explanation from the author. Very good course overall.

4
Anonymous Author
Not bad course and simple to follow. Very good review of Balance Sheet Sections.

5
Member's Profile
Good refresher on the balance sheet with some actual examples of public companies.

5
Anonymous Author
Great class. Deeper dive into some topics that I don't deal with on a regular basis

4
Member's Profile
Great refresher of the balance sheet. really like the way the lesson is broken up.

3
Anonymous Author
good training for basic accounting principals. no surprises. quick to get through.

5
Member's Profile
Slides were easy to follow and understand, good overall tour of the balance sheet.

5
Member's Profile
This is a really good course to refresh memory. Well structured and to the point.

3
Anonymous Author
This section is not very helpful in real world. Please add more on CAPEX section.

5
Anonymous Author
Beneficial course for refreshing knowledge of some of the lessor known accounts.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course for reviewing purpose. The examples using in the course are useful.

5
Anonymous Author
This course provided a real good overview of some of the balance sheet accounts

5
Anonymous Author
great general informational course. good reminder of basic accounting knowledge

5
Anonymous Author
Simple and useful examples of more complicated B/S items; excellent instructor.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course, nice to have a refresher in areas that do not come up every day.

5
Anonymous Author
Quick refreshment for the basics , decent information, and practical example .

4
Member's Profile
This course was more detailed and the exam more challenging than I expected.

4
Anonymous Author
Some concepts covered were basic but good review of more nuanced BS accounts.

5
Member's Profile
This course was very useful to review and rejuvenate the accounting concepts.

4
Member's Profile
Good refresher course of the balance sheet. Enjoyed the real life examples.

5
Member's Profile
Great instructor. The real life examples are simple and easy to understand.

5
Member's Profile
Not as easy as advertised. Took too much for granted but came away learning

3
Anonymous Author
Tricky course. Not the best deck to go through. I think it can be improved.

5
Anonymous Author
it as a good refresher, but it is just an overviews of some difficult issues

5
Anonymous Author
Very detailed from the perspective of a person without an accounting degree.

5
Anonymous Author
detailed examples of corporations accounting statements. good presentation.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course to sharpen up on some slightly less common balance sheet items.

5
Member's Profile
Good course. Made me think. A lot of this was in the cobwebs of my brain.

5
Anonymous Author
Good overview of balance sheet effects of different types of transactions

4
Anonymous Author
Great examples from companies. Liked the presentation and how it was made.

5
Anonymous Author
Very good course thank you very much Very good course thank you very much

5
Member's Profile
Great course, very helpful. Would recommend to others looking to get CPEs.

5
Anonymous Author
Useful reminder of some key balance sheet concepts and where to find them.

3
Member's Profile
I felt the slides were very broad & didn't include all useful inforamtion.

5
Anonymous Author
This course provided a good review of long forgotten balance sheet topics.

5
Member's Profile
Nice review of balance sheet basics. This course will knock your socks off

4
Member's Profile
Some of the slides I found confusing; I did learn a number of new things.

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent review of balance sheet for novices and experienced personnel.

5
Anonymous Author
Good review of less traditional balance sheet accounts and accounting.

4
Anonymous Author
Good summary of less talked about accounts. Lots of info on the slides.

5
Anonymous Author
Good overview. Good coverage of topics on the asset and liability side.

5
Member's Profile
Very clear explanation of complex topics, good review of basic concepts.

5
Member's Profile
Great overview of rare balance sheet topics that are not often discussed

3
Anonymous Author
The class had many sections. It was complex but rewarding. Very intense.

5
Anonymous Author
Fun coverage of some of more unusual and interesting accounting concepts

5
Anonymous Author
This course is basic, however it covers all the important part in depth.

5
Anonymous Author
Easy to understand and follow. Basic concepts with real world examples.

5
Anonymous Author
.......................................................................

5
Anonymous Author
Good course, informative and good presentation of important information

4
Anonymous Author
Just writing this so that I get 50 characters in and get the CPE cert.

3
Anonymous Author
This was a information course but the slides were difficult to process.

4
Anonymous Author
Good fundamental overview of the balance sheet accounts for beginners.

5
Anonymous Author
Concise overview of the balance sheet, including more advanced topics.

5
Anonymous Author
Had a lot of information some rudimentary, but other parts interesting

5
Anonymous Author
I would recommend this course to any CPA working on their CPE credits.

3
Member's Profile
a bit difficult for the test but the lecture was quite fun. thank you.

5
Anonymous Author
Refresher on deferred tax liability was a concise and easy to follow.

4
Anonymous Author
Clearly presented course. It moved along quickly with no wasted time

5
Anonymous Author
Great course on balance sheet learning. Really recommend this class.

4
Anonymous Author
Very thorough overview however a bit too much built into one lesson.

5
Anonymous Author
clear instruction, useful information. good review for balance sheet

5
Anonymous Author
Made some hard topics easier to understand. Thank you for your time.

3
Anonymous Author
The speaker was at times hard to understand due to the heavy accent.

5
Anonymous Author
Thank you! This is a fun and easy class that covers basic elements.

5
Anonymous Author
Good class on many of the balance sheet accounts and their meanings

5
Anonymous Author
Treasury stock is hard! But this class helped break it down easily.

5
Anonymous Author
Great refresher course on the basics of key balance sheet accounts!

5
Anonymous Author
Good, I like it. It was in an overall sense Basic and substantive.

4
Member's Profile
Well presented, easy to follow, not dull. Informative and relevant.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course! I like the instructor provides real-life examples.

5
Anonymous Author
This course is a good refresher and overview of the balance sheet.

4
Member's Profile
Good Course on balance sheet. I recommend users to go this course.

4
Anonymous Author
Decent broad overview of many balance sheet subjects. Well taught.

5
Member's Profile
Good viewpoint on asset versus liabilities. Good examples of each.

5
Member's Profile
Good course to understand basics of balance sheet. Would recommend

4
Anonymous Author
I enjoyed this course and would recommend it......................

5
Anonymous Author
Good course and engaging presenter with clear examples throughout.

5
Member's Profile
Good course that was a good refresher on topics and helpful....

5
Anonymous Author
The course was easy to follow and informational. Would recommend.

5
Anonymous Author
Good and concise course, provides useful and relatable examples.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course for balance sheet review, easy to follow and concise.

5
Anonymous Author
Nice basic review of the balance sheet. No prerequisites needed.

4
Anonymous Author
Great real world examples and a very comprehensive presentation.

4
Member's Profile
Good general balance sheet overview. Has some complex sections.

4
Member's Profile
overall good course....i am not fully understanding stock part..

5
Anonymous Author
Very good refresher of the various aspects of basic accounting.

3
Anonymous Author
NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FOR BIBBER BUSINESS AND I DEAL WITH SMALLER

5
Anonymous Author
Nice overview and reminder of some core accounting information.

3
Member's Profile
This was a good class and informative. I will use it for work.

5
Member's Profile
Enjoyed the course, very detailed and thorough in limited time

4
Member's Profile
Very basic review, but some reminders on less-frequent topics.

5
Member's Profile
Nice simple overview of the balance sheet. Solid refresher.

4
Anonymous Author
Detailed refresher on the balance sheet. Lots of information.

5
Anonymous Author
Alot of information to intake! Very knowledgeable instructor.

3
Anonymous Author
pretty decent. thank you for the course. It was pretty good.

3
Member's Profile
For non-accountants, this was too much info to be tested on.

5
Member's Profile
The syllabus is a bit simple, but I got all the info I needed

5
Anonymous Author
Good review of various balance sheet accounts and operations.

5
Anonymous Author
it was an easy course and good refresher of the balance sheet

4
Anonymous Author
Good overall course to review components of the Balance Sheet

5
Anonymous Author
Good revision of fundamentals. Very simple and comprehensive

4
Anonymous Author
instructor provided a good refresher on balance sheet topics

5
Anonymous Author
This course was a nice refresher on all things balance sheet

5
Member's Profile
A good review of the balance sheet. Many helpful insights.

5
Anonymous Author
Thank you very good overview. Will definitely recommend.

5
Anonymous Author
interesting course overall regarding balance sheet accounts

5
Anonymous Author
This course is a great refresher on the Balance sheet tour.

5
Member's Profile
Excellent, comprehensive review of balance sheet concepts.

5
Anonymous Author
ok! great course! materials are very good, great teacher!

5
Member's Profile
Love the story telling and humor; makes it easier to learn

5
Anonymous Author
Information was presented efficiently and informatively.

4
Anonymous Author
Great course of balance sheet tour which add value to me

4
Anonymous Author
I enjoyed this course, and I found it very informative.

5
Member's Profile
really good, quick overview of lesser travelled accounts

5
Anonymous Author
Conside and interesting presentation of the information.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course. Clear and on point instructional materials.

5
Anonymous Author
Great Course, information was clear and easy to follow.

4
Member's Profile
The course is insightful, i got to learn a lot from it.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was very informative. Lots of information.

3
Anonymous Author
Informative and Engaging CPE Course, Highly Recommended

4
Anonymous Author
Course was what it was supposed to be, dry and tedious.

2
Anonymous Author
The questions were not worded correctly, poor grammar.

5
Anonymous Author
Great topic that is still relevant and is foundational

5
Anonymous Author
Great review of the balance sheet and its components.

5
Anonymous Author
Very interesting course with lots of good information

5
Member's Profile
Some question wording is a little tough to follow.

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent succinct course with real world examples.

5
Anonymous Author
Detailed explanation of the balance sheet accounts.

5
Member's Profile
we need a complete course on treasury stock and EPS

3
Member's Profile
A decent amount of information in a concise manner.

5
Anonymous Author
Lots of topics covered in a very well done manner.

5
Member's Profile
Very helpful and insightful into the balance sheet

5
Anonymous Author
very information and great course. learned a lot.

5
Member's Profile
good

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Course Questions and Answers(4 Questions)
User picture

What is the date that this class was published? Is goodwill still not amortized under GAAP? Is it amortized under IFRS?

Member's Profile

We published the "Balance Sheet Tour" on the illumeo site in March 2018, and the goodwill video that is part of it was researched and written in March 2017.

Under US GAAP and IFRS, goodwill is never amortized. Instead, management is responsible for valuing goodwill every year and to determine if an impairment is required. If the fair market value goes below historical cost, an impairment must be recorded to bring it down to its fair market value. See FASB statement 142 (issued in June 2001).

I do remember the days when goodwill was amortized over a period of maximum 40 years, back when I joined a large multinational company in the 90s. When the rules changed from yearly amortization of goodwill to annual impairment test (US GAAP 2001, IFRS 2005), companies that had done or were planning to do acquisitions involving significant goodwill were (obviously) relieved as that was no longer a drag on earnings. Goodwill impairments (if they occur) are generally represented as one-off, recurring, non-cash write-offs. Still painful, but "framed" as an unusual item.

Please note that other intangible assets that occur during an acquisition (trade names, etc., see the intangible assets video) are subject to amortization over the useful life of the assets. However, if companies focus mostly on EBITDA, then that amortization charge is outside their main performance metric.

Member's Profile

After completing a couple of other courses - I wish I could go back to improve my rating, here! I would like to continue taking courses presented by this instructor!

Member's Profile

Thank you so much, Lorri! That is a wonderful compliment. I have 5 courses in total on illumeo that cover a wide variety of topics, so you have 4 to go! ;-)

Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
  Prepaid Expenses4:38
  Prepaid Expence Examples3:59
  Capital Expenditures versus Operating Expenditures6:54
  Accumulated Depreciation1:58
  Contra Account4:27
  What is "Goodwill"?8:47
  Intangible Assets5:45
  Deferred Tax Assets4:39
  Deferred Tax Liabilities5:37
  Asset Impairment3:46
  Bad Debt Accounting8:14
  Deferred Revenue4:22
  Accruals8:28
  Retained Earnings5:50
  Treasury Stock and Share Buyback Accounting5:27
  Balance Sheet Comparison9:08
CONTINUOUS PLAY
  Balance Sheet Tour1:31:57
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Balance Sheet TourPDF
  Balance Sheet Tour Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW AND TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam