ECONOMICS

Detailed explanation-1: -The decision of whether to expense or capitalize an expenditure is based on how long the benefit of that spending is expected to last. If the benefit is less than 1 year, it must be expensed directly on the income statement. If the benefit is greater than 1 year, it must be capitalized as an asset on the balance sheet.

Detailed explanation-2: -To capitalize is to record a cost or expense on the balance sheet for the purposes of delaying full recognition of the expense. In general, capitalizing expenses is beneficial as companies acquiring new assets with long-term lifespans can amortize or depreciate the costs. This process is known as capitalization.

Detailed explanation-3: -In finance, capitalization is a quantitative assessment of a firm’s capital structure. Here it can refer to the book value cost of capital, which is the sum of a company’s long-term debt, stock, and retained earnings. The alternative to the book value is the market value or market capitalization.

Detailed explanation-4: -An expense is the cost of operations that a company incurs to generate revenue. It is simply defined as the cost one is required to spend on obtaining something. As the popular saying goes, “it costs money to make money.”

Detailed explanation-5: -Typical examples of corporate capitalized costs are items of property, plant, and equipment. For example, if a company buys a machine, building, or computer, the cost would not be expensed but would be capitalized as a fixed asset on the balance sheet.