Additional Paid-In Capital vs. Contributed Capital (2024)

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What is Additional Paid-in Capital vs. Contributed Capital?

The shareholders’ equity section of the balance sheet contains related amounts called additional paid-in capital and contributed capital. The key difference between additional paid-in capital vs. contributed capital is that the latter is referred to as the total value of cash and assets that shareholders provided to a company in exchange for the company’s shares. Additional paid-in capital refers to the value of cash or assets that the shareholders provided over and above the par value of the company’s shares.

Additional Paid-In Capital vs. Contributed Capital (1)

Additional paid-in capital and contributed capital are also reported differently on the balance sheet under the shareholders’ equity section. The additional paid-in capital is reported in a separate account. Whereas, contributed capital is combined and is the sum of the common stock and additional paid-in capital accounts.

What is Additional Paid-in Capital?

Additional paid-in capital is the amount paid for share capital above its par value. It is also commonly known as the “contributed capital in excess of “par” or “share premium.” Essentially, the additional paid-in capital reveals how much money investors paid for the shares above their nominal value.

Remember that the par value of a stock is usually a small amount (e.g., $0.10 or $0.01) that appears on stock certificates. In some cases, the par value can even be lower than $0.01. The par value must not be confused with the market value of shares. Par value indicates the minimum value at which a company may sell its shares to investors. On the other hand, the market value of shares is determined by the transactions occurring in the market.

Additional paid-in capital is recorded on a company’s balance sheet under the stockholders’ equity section. The account for the additional paid-in capital is created every time when a company issues new shares to or repurchases its shares from shareholders. Note that the transactions with the company’s shares in the secondary market do not affect the company’s paid-in capital since it does not receive any cash for the transactions.

What is Contributed Capital?

Contributed capital (also known as the paid-in capital) is the total value of a company’s equity purchased by investors directly from a company. In other words, it indicates the total amount of money that the shareholders paid to a company to acquire their stakes in it.

A company’s contributed capital includes the value paid for equity through initial public offerings (IPOs), direct public offerings, and public listings. Essentially, contributed capital includes both the par value of share capital (common stock) and the value above par value (additional paid-in capital).

Contributed capital is reported on the balance sheet under the shareholders’ equity section. On the balance sheet, the contributed capital contains two separate accounts: common stock account and additional paid-in capital.

Related Readings

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Additional Paid-In Capital vs. Contributed Capital (2024)

FAQs

Additional Paid-In Capital vs. Contributed Capital? ›

contributed capital is that the latter is referred to as the total value of cash and assets that shareholders provided to a company in exchange for the company's shares. Additional paid-in capital refers to the value of cash or assets that the shareholders provided over and above the par value of the company's shares.

What is the difference between contributed capital and additional paid in capital? ›

Additional paid-in capital is the amount of money shareholders pay above the par value of a stock. The contributed capital is the sum of the par value and the APIC. In a company's balance sheet, the shareholders' equity section will include the contribution of capital or contributed capital.

What is an example of additional paid in capital? ›

For example, a company may issue its shares for $1 each. However, investors may be willing to pay $2 per share to invest in the company. Additional paid-in capital represents the extra $1 investors paid to the company above its original $1 par value.

How do you solve additional paid in capital? ›

APIC represents the proceeds a company receives from a stock offering over and above the stock's par value. APIC is recorded in the shareholders' equity portion of a company's balance sheet. The APIC formula is APIC = (Issue Price – Par Value) x Number of Shares Acquired by Investors.

What are the advantages of additional paid in capital? ›

Benefits of Additional Paid-in Capital

The company doesn't have to make any payment to the investor; even dividends are not required. Furthermore, investors do not have any claim on the company's existing assets.

Is contributed capital and paid in capital the same? ›

Contributed capital, also known as paid-in capital, is the cash and other assets that shareholders have given a company in exchange for stock. This is the price that shareholders paid for their stake in the company.

Is additional paid in capital the same as contributed surplus? ›

The contributed surplus is the amount of capital from the issuance of shares above the par value. Also known as additional paid-in capital, the surplus is recorded in shareholders' equity on the balance sheet.

Can additional Paid In capital be negative? ›

Neither can be negative. If a company issued common stock with a par value ($. 01 or greater), the common stock and paid in capital in excess of par stock would both be positive. Retained earning can certainly be negative to reflect losses.

How is additional paid in capital taxed? ›

For businesses, APIC enhances the equity base without generating immediate taxable income. It represents capital received from shareholders beyond the nominal value of shares issued and, as such, does not constitute revenue or profit that would be subject to corporate income tax.

Which is not included in paid in capital? ›

Paid in capital is only comprised of funds received from the sale of stock; it does not include proceeds from ongoing company operations.

Does APIC close to retained earnings? ›

Additional paid-in capital does not directly boost retained earnings but can lead to higher RE in the long term. Additional paid-in capital reflects the amount of equity capital that is generated by the sale of shares of stock on the primary market that exceeds its par value.

Do distributions reduce additional paid-in capital? ›

Key Takeaways

Additional paid-in capital is an accounting term used to describe the amount an investor pays above the stock's par value. Since cash dividends are deducted from a company's retained earnings, there is no effect on the additional paid-in capital.

What does additional Paid in capital means? ›

The additional paid-in capital (APIC) represents the excess amount paid in total by investors above the par value of a company's shares. In other words, the additional paid-in capital is the amount that investors are willing to pay over the par value of the company's shares.

What is contributed paid in capital? ›

Contributed capital, which is also known as paid-in capital, is the cash and other assets given to a company by shareholders in exchange for stock. Contributed capital is the part of money shareholders have invested in a company by purchasing shares.

What is additional paid in capital on tax return? ›

Additional Paid-In Capital

This balance sheet item comprised additions to the corporation's capital from sources other than earnings. These sources included receipts from the sale of capital stock in excess of stated value, stock redemptions or conversions, and similar transactions.

What does additional capital contribution mean? ›

Additional Capital Contribution means any contribution to the capital of the Company in cash, property, or services by a Limited Partner made subsequent to the Limited Partner's initial Capital Contribution.

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