Equity vs Assets

Accounting Tutorials

Difference Between Equity vs Assets

Equity is obtained by subtracting liabilities from assets be it owner’s equity or shareholder’s equity. Assets are defined as those which help the business manufacture and generate operating revenues.

In this article, we look at the differences betwen Equity vs Asset

What is Equity?

Owner’s equity or shareholders equity is that part of the balance sheet which we get by subtracting liabilities from assets. Whenever the owner of a company decides to start a business it requires resources in order to buy property machinery and other things to manufacture products and start and run the business. There are two sources of funds in order to buy all the assets required to run a business. One of the sources of funds is debt and the other sources of funds are equity. Equity is part of sources of funds which is funded by the owners of the company. Equity comprises of various other subparts which adds up to the owner’s equity, they are contributed capital, retained earnings, treasury stocks, preferred shares and share of minority interest which is also known as non-controlling interest.

What are Assets?

Assets are that part of a company which helps the business to manufacture products and generate operating revenue. Assets are the resources that are required by the business to run and grow the business. A lot of line items in the balance sheet adds up together to form the total assets in the balance sheet. Those line items are cash and cash equivalents which comprises cash and short term financial assets which are as liquid as cash. Assets also include all machinery, property, and plant, which are mainly fixed assets which are reported as the gross fixed asset which includes the component of depreciation. Cash and PPE form the major part of assets for a business. Other assets comprise of accounts receivable, deferred tax assets, financial assets, prepaid expenses. The asset side of the balance sheet also includes intangible assets; one of the popular intangible assets is goodwill which is created while acquiring a new company. These are the most important assets through the list is not comprehensive.

The accounting equation followed is – Assets= Liabilities + Equity

Equity vs Assets Infographics

Here we provide you with the top 8 difference between Equity vs Assets

Equity vs Assets – Key Differences

The key differences between Equity vs Assets are as follows –

Equity is made up of contributed capital, retained earnings, treasury stocks, preferred shares and share of minority interest. Assets are made up of cash and cash equivalent, property, plant, equipment, account receivables, deferred tax assets, and intangible assets.
Equity is not affected by depreciation whereas depreciation has an impact on the assets. Gross fixed assets together with depreciation form net fixed assets.
Equity is that fund which is required to create the resources whereas assets are those resources which are required to run a business.
In a balance sheet to balance it equities can be achieved by subtracting equities from liabilities. We obtain assets by summing up assets and the liabilities in the balance sheet.
While reporting equity it is reported as the balance in book value. It is entirely on each asset whether it should be reported in the balance sheet on market value or book value.
There is no classification of equities but assets can be classified as either tangible or intangible assets.

Equity vs Assets Head to Head Difference

Let’s now look at the head to head difference between Equity vs Assets

Basis – Equity vs Assets	Equity	Assets
Definition	Owner’s equity or shareholders equity is that part of the balance sheet which we get by subtracting liabilities from assets.	Assets are that part of a company which helps the business to manufacture products and generate operating revenue.
Line Items	Equity comprises of contributed capital, retained earnings, treasury stocks, preferred shares and share of minority interest.	Assets comprise of cash and cash equivalent, property plant and equipment, deferred tax, accounts receivables, deferred tax assets and intangible assets
Depreciation	There is no effect of depreciation in equity	Fixed assets are reported in the balance sheet as gross fixed assets and are netted with accumulated depreciation to come up with net fixed assets.
Nature	Equity is the source of fund required to create the resources	Assets are the resources required to run a business
Accounting Equation	When following the accounting equation to balance the balance sheet, equity can be arrived subtracting liabilities from equities.	Assets are arrived at by summing up assets and liabilities in the balance sheet
Link with Income Statement	Retained earnings which are part of equity increases every quarter as the net income after paying of a dividend is added to retained earnings.	Depreciation is an operating expense in the income statement. Assets in the balance sheet are depreciated either using a simple method or DDM method every quarter.
Market value or Book value	Equity is reported in the balance in book value.	It depends on the individual asset whether an asset is reported in the balance sheet on market value or book value.
Classification	No such classifications can be done in case of equities.	Assets can be classified either on the basis of its liquidity which is current assets or fixed assets. And also can be classified as either tangible assets or intangible assets.

Conclusion

Both equities vs assets are part of the balance sheet. The accounting equation used to equate the balance sheet is assets equal liabilities plus equity. Equity is the sources of the funds required to create assets in order to run and grow a business. On the other hand, assets are economic resources required to run the business. Assets can be classified as fixed assets or current assets on the basis of the liquidity of the assets. All the three financial statements get connected with the various line items of both assets vs equities.