first-in, first-out

first-in, first-out (FIFO)

An accounting procedure for identifying the order in which items are used or sold. With FIFO, the oldest remaining items are assumed to have been sold first. During a period of inflation this procedure tends to keep costs low for accounting purposes; it results in higher reported profits and a greater tax liability, however. Compare last-in, first-out.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.