Why is it important to keep paid-in capital separate from earned capital?
These are two completely different earnings and have different sources. Paid-in capital represents funds from the owners and from stockholders from the sale of stocks while earned capital represents the net profit the company is earning. These two should be kept separate so that it is clear where the capital came from. It would be untruth full to show on financial statements (specifically the balance sheet) that equity is say earned capital when perhaps it is all paid-in capital. This specific information can mislead investors and creditors.
As an investor, is paid-in capital or earned capital more important? Explain why.
As an investor knowing both; paid-in capital and