Capitalized


Capitalized

Recorded in asset accounts and then depreciated or amortized, as is appropriate for expenditures for items with useful lives longer than one year.

Capitalize

In accounting, to recognize expenses on long-term liabilities over a long period of time. This allows a company to spread out its expenses so they do not appear to reduce profits at any particular time. For example, a company may have a $1 million profit and a $1 million loan to acquire machinery for its factory. If it does not capitalize the loan, its balance sheet will show no profit for that year. Capitalizing the loan allows the company to recognize the liability over a certain period, usually the usable life of the machinery.