An easement in gross is an easement that attaches a particular right to an individual or entity rather than to the property itself. The easement in gross is often considered irrevocable for the life of the individual, but it can be rendered void if the individual sells the property upon which the easement request was based.
An income statement is one of the three important financial statements used for reporting a company’s financial performance over a specific accounting period, with the other two key statements being the balance sheet and the statement of cash flows. Also known as the profit and loss statement or the statement of revenue and expense, the income statement primarily focuses on the company’s revenues and expenses during a particular period.
A just say no defense is a strategy used by corporations to discourage hostile takeovers in which board members reject a takeover bid outright. The legality of a just say no defense may depend on whether the target company has a long-term strategy that it is pursuing, which can include a merger with a firm other than the one making the takeover bid, or if the takeover bid undervalues the company.
A valued marine policy is a type of marine insurance coverage that places a specific value on the insured property, such as the hull or cargo of a shipping vessel, prior to the event of a loss. In the absence of fraud, a valued marine policy will pay the specified value if a loss occurs. It differs from an unvalued, or open, marine policy, in which the value of the property would need to be proven subsequent to a loss through the production of invoices, estimates and other evidence.
An alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a tax that ensures that taxpayers pay at least the minimum. The AMT recalculates income tax after adding certain tax preference items back into adjusted gross income. AMT uses a separate set of rules to calculate taxable income after allowed deductions. Preferential deductions are added back into the taxpayer’s income to calculate his or her alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI), and then the AMT exemption is subtracted to determine the final taxable figure.
Price skimming is a product pricing strategy by which a firm charges the highest initial price that customers will pay and then lowers it over time. As the demand of the first customers is satisfied and competition enters the market, the firm lowers the price to attract another, more price-sensitive segment of the population. The skimming strategy gets its name from skimming successive layers of cream, or customer segments, as prices are lowered over time.
AG is an abbreviation of Aktiengesellschaft, which is a German term for a public limited company. This type of company shares are offered to the general public and traded on a public stock exchange. Shareholders’ liability is limited to their investment. The shareholders are not responsible for the company’s debts, and their assets are protected in case the company becomes insolvent.
A progressive tax is a tax that imposes a lower tax rate on low-income earners compared to those with a higher income, making it based on the taxpayer’s ability to pay. That means it takes a larger percentage from high-income earners than it does from low-income individuals.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable—to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. By practicing corporate social responsibility, also called corporate citizenship, companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental.
Variable death benefit refers to the amount paid to a decedent’s beneficiary that is based on the performance of an investment account within a variable universal life insurance policy, a financial product that functions as both insurance and an investment. This variable amount is in addition to a guaranteed death benefit, which is constant.