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Liefertest
Bauabschluss
Mar 5, 2020 09:05
4 yrs ago
57 viewers *
German term

Betriebskostenabgrenzungen

German to English Bus/Financial Accounting
Unsicherheiten bei der Ermittlung von Betriebskostenabgrenzungen

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No more context I can add, unfortunately. I can't decide between accruals of operating costs or delimitations of operating costs and it doesn't appear to be a term that is in common use.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 deferred operating costs
5 +1 cut-off of operating costs
4 operating cost accruals
2 +1 (time) apportionment/s/ of overheads
4 -1 deferral of operating expenses

Discussion

Chris Pr Mar 7, 2020:
Daniel ...the fact that a "substantive difference" to an existing entry is expected may also not add much traction to your assertions (which may or may not be reasonable)...?
Daniel Arnold (X) Mar 7, 2020:
Hey, but the asker did not ask for Periodenabgrenzung but only Abgrenzung. I understand you, the cut-off might describe it in an accountant-lingo and of course there are accruals of expenses. But ordinarily, and I have translated many reports and accounting documents that deal with what I call deferrals, it means the date and amount of a deferral if we are dealing with operating expenses. I personally havent come across an accrued operating expenses position, but many deferred ones. Operating expenses are rarely accrued, but I give you that, they may even be accrued, but the asker can determine that in line with her context Cheers
Steve Robbie Mar 7, 2020:
Dan You are right that this is about allocating expenses to the correct financial period. But I think your grasp of the terminology is hazy.

No context, admittedly, but we are most likely talking about Periodenabgrenzung. Anything else most likely be described in other terms - and wouldn't be either deferral or cut-off in English.

The process of Periodenabgrenzung in general is referred to in English using the word "cut-off" (no one said anything about a "cut-off date"). This is standard accountancy and auditing terminology, appears in international auditing standards (cited by me) and countless other places. You would most definitely use it in all formal contexts.

You say "expenses are deferred, income is accrued". Sorry, but that's so wrong it's almost offensive. Both income and expenses can be either deferred or accrued. This is basic stuff that you learn no later than week 2 of a basic bookkeeping course, so please look it up.

Re "costs": Germans like to distinguish Kosten from Aufwendungen, but we anglophones don't draw the same hard distinction, and it's quite OK to use "costs" and "expenses" interchangeably... Steve
Daniel Arnold (X) Mar 7, 2020:
Hi Steve, I just wanted to explain why I think "cut-off date" doesn't cut it. If, say in an audit report, there is exactly this phrase the asker has quoted, then that would mean that the treatment of (at least some) operational expenses (not costs, the terminology simply doesnt support that choice) with respect to their allocation between financial years is either questionable or uncertain. That's what it would mean. But the "Abgrenzung" has - at least - two dimensions: the date (I give you your cut-off date) AND the amount. It follows that "cut-off date" doesnt cut it because it omits the amount of the operating expenses that are to be "deferred". I hope that explains it a bit better. There may even be more dimensions to "Abgrenzung", such as allocation between subsidiaries, etc. The Abgrenzung is a multi-dimensional concept that can include the date, the amount, the entity, the currency, the governing law, what have you.... Best, Dan
Steve Robbie Mar 6, 2020:
Cut-off If you want a word that covers the process of both deferring and accruing expenses, that word is "cut-off" - see suggestion below.

The underlying idea is sometimes referred to as the 'matching principle' - income must be recorded in the same period as the corresponding expense.
Leighton Jacobs Mar 5, 2020:
Either deferred or accruals I believe that both of the suggestions ("deferred operating costs" and "operating cost accruals") are correct and it depends on how these costs have been recorded/the time-frame.
Deferred and accruals are not synonyms and should not be used as such. Deferred expense is an asset on the balance sheet while accrued expense is a liability. As such it depends on whether the costs in question have been payed for in advance or are still owed and have been accrued.
The German "Abgrenzung" simply refers to recording costs within the time frame in which they are actually incurred but does not indicate whether prepaid or accrued in nature (so this can only be discovered by looking at the wider context). Two helpful sources:

https://www.bauprofessor.de/public/main/contlandingpage.aspx...

http://oer2go.org/mods/en-boundless/www.boundless.com/accoun...

Proposed translations

+2
15 mins
Selected

deferred operating costs

"The Company’s balance sheet included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 indicates that it has deferred operating costs of $688,732 ....."

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1521945/000089710113...
Peer comment(s):
agree Birgit Gläser : Although it is technically an accrual, the preferred term for balance sheets is "deferred" as far as I am aware
5 hrs
agree Cillie Swart : seems plausible, thanks for sharing
609 days
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
28 mins

(time) apportionment/s/ of overheads

Low CL - confidence level - as no idea what these BK are: 1. gen. operating costs 2. property service charges or 3. corporate charges on income.
Example sentence:

Apportionment of Overhead: Method # 2. Secondary Distribution: In a factory a product does not pass through Service department (S), but service department renders service to production departments for carrying on production function

Reference:

http://www.qsstudy.com/accounting/basis-of-apportionment-of-overheads

Peer comment(s):
agree Kartik Isaac
1 day 1 hr
Thanks, merci vielmals und danke! Sometimes the easiest route to a general answer is not always the obvious choice.
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1 hr

operating cost accruals

accrued operating costs
Reference:

https://www.linguee.com/english-german/search?source=auto&query=Betriebskosten+abgrenzungen

https://translate.google.com/?sl=en#view=home&op=translate&sl=de&tl=en&text=Betriebskostenabgrenzungen

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+1
1 day 11 hrs

cut-off of operating costs

The word for Abgrenzung in this sense is ‘cut-off’. Here, you could write e.g. ‘uncertainties regarding the cut-off of operating costs.

"Cut-off’ is a standard term in accountancy and auditing – see links below for examples. In essence it means ensuring that all transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period, which is exactly what zeitliche/periodengerechte Abgrenzung means.

Abgrenzung (zeitlich)
Eine zeitliche Abgrenzung erfolgt dann, wenn Geschäftsvorfälle periodenbereinigt werden, um die genaue Zuordnung von Kosten und Gewinnen zu gewährleisten.
https://www.rechnungswesen-verstehen.de/lexikon/abgrenzung-z...

Zeitliche Abgrenzung von Aufwendungen und Ertragen
(with explanation) here:
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-322-87128-2_...

Wichtigste Aufgabe der Finanzbuchhaltung ist die Ermittlung des Gewinns einer bestimmten Periode, in der Regel des Wirtschaftsjahres eines Unternehmens. Dabei werden alle Geschäftsvorfälle erfasst, die zur aktuellen Periode gehören. Dennoch gibt es immer wieder auch Vorgänge, die zu verbuchen sind und nicht zum laufenden Wirtschaftsjahr gehören. Diese Beträge müssen abgegrenzt werden – dies wird als periodengerechte Abgrenzung bezeichnet.
https://www.unternehmerportal.info/periodengerechte-abgrenzu...

Cutoff—transactions and events have been recorded in the correct accounting period.
(From International Standard on Auditing 315)
https://www.ifac.org/system/files/downloads/a017-2010-iaasb-...

Cut-off
A process that aims to ensure that matching transactions are accounted for in the same accounting period. For example if a company takes delivery of an item of trading stock on the last day of the year a cut-off procedure would ensure that both the stock item and the associated purchase invoice (creditor) are included in the balance sheet. See accruals basis.
https://www.uhy-uk.com/newcastle/insights/resources/glossary...

Cutoff testing. Audit procedures are used to determine whether transactions have been recorded within the correct reporting period. For example, the shipping log can be reviewed to see if shipments to customers on the last day of the month were recorded within the correct period.
https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/audit-procedures.ht...


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Note added at 1 day 12 hrs (2020-03-06 21:07:04 GMT)
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I am assuming, of course, that this text is about preparing accounts...
Peer comment(s):
agree Johanna Timm, PhD : https://www.promietrecht.de/kalte-Betriebskosten/Abrechnung/...
1 hr
neutral Daniel Arnold (X) : I just dont think that that's the best choice you would use in reporting. there's no doubt that "deferral" is the correct accounting term, it may even be concerned w/sth. else than the cut-off date, cant help it, the proper accounting term is deferral
19 hrs
Not true. Read the sources, Google it, ask an accountant. I'm an accountant (have practised in the UK and Germany). It's a perfectly acceptable standard term (if not, why would it feature in Intl. Auditing Standards?) & the best translation of Abgrenzung
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-1
2 days 7 hrs

deferral of operating expenses

In accounting, this is a situation where the determinations made with respect to the deferral of certain operating expenses is questionable. the accounting terms are "deferral" and "operating expenses".
Peer comment(s):
neutral Steve Robbie : Deferrals are only one side of the coin. At the period end, you also have to make accruals for costs incurred but not billed. The term that covers both and describes the process in general is cut-off.// Google "expense accrual"- basic accounting knowledge
53 mins
no but this is specifically about operating expenses, you dont accrue these, so there is no point in that. expenses are deferred, income is accrued.
disagree Chris Pr : Baltant plagiarism, simple as... ;)
1 day 14 hrs
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