The share premium account represents the difference between the par value of the shares issued and the subscription or issue price. It’s also known as additional paid-in capital and can be called paid-in capital in excess of par value. This account is a statutory reserve account, one that’s non-distributable.
Now we need to calculate the total amount of reserves and surplus, which is the sum of the general reserve, share premium account. The shares are said to be issued at a premium when the issue price of the share is greater than its face value or par value.
Key Difference – Share Capital vs Share Premium
The key difference between share capital and share premium is that while share capital is the equity generated through the issue of shares at face value, share premium is the value received for shares that exceed the face value.
Any amounts paid in excess of $1.00 for the share are then referred to as a share premium reserve. This is a concept used by publically listed companies, where shares have a face value (again, normally $1.00) however the market sets the price and it won’t be $1.00 on the stock exchange.
Securities premium cannot be used as working capital. According to Section 52 (2) of the Companies Act, 2013, the securities premium can be applied only for the following purposes: (i) Issuing fully paid bonus shares to the members.
Thus, land and building, plant and machinery, motorcar, furniture, jewellery, route permits, goodwill, tenancy rights, patents, trademarks, shares, debentures, securities, units, mutual funds, zero-coupon bonds etc. are capital assets.
Share premium: Though , as per definition of ‘free reserves’ , share premium is not ‘free reserve’ because dividend cannot be declared out of share premium. However, ‘share premium’ is considered just like free reserves for many of purposes as per specific provisions.
Shares are considered to be issued at a premium if the amount received for issued shares is greater than the face value of shares. The premium is calculated by finding the difference between the share issue price and the par value of shares offered for sale.
In accordance with article 3 of the Companies (Reduction of Share Capital) Order (SI 2008/1915), the reserve created on such reduction can be treated as a realised profit and, therefore, it may be distributed to shareholders or used to buy back shares.
What is capital reserve account?
A capital reserve is a line item in the equity section of a company’s balance sheet that indicates the cash on hand that can be used for future expenses or to offset any capital losses. It is derived from the accumulated capital surplus of a company and is created out of its profit.
A share premium account can be used to write off certain expenses, such as the cost of underwriting, commissions paid, and certain discounts. The accounts can also be used to issue bonus shares.
Share capital is the money a company raises by issuing common or preferred stock. The amount of share capital or equity financing a company has can change over time with additional public offerings.
The share premium reserve is normally treated as a non-distributable reserve. It can be used to cover expenses related to the issuing of shares, or to issue bonus shares.
Share Application or share allotment or Share capital A/c all are personal accounts as they represent money from the shareholders and when money is due, these are to be debited because of the rule “Debit the receiver”.
The profit earned from the issuance of shares at premium is called as capital profit and is credited to a separate account which is known as the Securities Premium Account.