Q. What is Prepaid expense?

A prepaid expense is an asset pending assignment to expense such as prepaid rent, prepaid insurance and supplies on hand. Note that the character of these three adjustments is the same. Prepaid insurance When a company pays an insurance policy premium in advance, the purchase creates the asset prepaid insurance. This go forward payment is an asset because the company will receive insurance coverage in the future. With the way of time but the asset gradually expires. The part that has expired becomes an expense. To exemplify this point recall that in section 2 Micro Train Company purchased for cash an insurance policy on its trucks for the period 2010 December 1 to 2011 November 30. The journal entry prepared on 2010 December 1 to record the purchase of the policy was

The two accounts recitations to insurance are Prepaid Insurance (an asset) and Insurance Expense (an expense). Subsequent to posting this entry the Prepaid Insurance account has a USD 2400 debit balance on 2010 December 1. The Insurance Expense account contains a zero balance on 2010 December 1 for the reason that no time has elapsed to use any of the policy's benefits.