Glossary – Q

Canadian System of National Accounts glossary – Q
Term Definition
Quadratic minimization A method of adjusting the level of a sub-annual series so that its yearly sum matches the annual in such a way that the period-to-period movements of the original series are preserved as much as possible. This is achieved by taking the discrepancies between the slopes (first differences) of the original and the unknown adjusted series, summing the squares of these differences and then finding the unknown series for which this sum is minimal. Squared differences are taken to ensure that terms with opposite signs do not cancel one another.
 
Quadruple-entry accounting The double-entry accounting principle gives rise to a pair of matching debit and credit entries within the accounts of a single unit involved in a transaction. For example, recording the sale of output requires not only an entry in the production account of the seller but also an entry of equal value, often described as the counterpart, in the seller's financial account to record the cash, or short-term financial credit, received in exchange for the output sold. As two matching entries are also needed for the buyer, the transaction between the buyer and seller must give rise to four simultaneous entries of equal value in a system of macroeconomic accounts covering both the seller and the buyer. In general, a transaction between two different institutional units always requires four equal, simultaneous entries in the accounts of the System of National Accounts (that is, quadruple entry accounting) even if the transaction is a transfer and not an exchange and even if no money changes hands.
 
Source: System of National Accounts 2008, paragraph 2.52

French: Comptabilité en partie quadruple
Quantity The quantity of a homogeneous product may be expressed by the number of items, weight, length or volume. For a complex commodity, the description of the quantity may be a bundle of attributes, which in addition to such characteristics as colour, size, material composition, or method of production, may also include such qualitative features as the geographical location or purpose of production. Commodities with different physical characteristics and products of different quality are generally taken as different products.
 
Quantity relative The ratio of the quantity of a specific product in one period to the quantity of the same product in some other period.
 
Quasi-corporation A quasi-corporation is a) either an unincorporated enterprise owned by a resident institutional unit that has sufficient information to compile a complete set of accounts and is operated as if it were a separate corporation and whose de facto relationship to its owner is that of a corporation to its shareholders; or b) an unincorporated enterprise owned by a non-resident institutional unit that is deemed to be a resident institutional unit because it engages in a significant amount of production in the economic territory over a long or indefinite period of time.
 
Component of: Enterprise

Composed of: Establishments

Source: System of National Accounts 2008, paragraph 4.42

French: Quasi-société
Quebec pension plan Consists of the operations of the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan, established in 1966.

See also: Institutional sectors, Social security scheme, Pension plan, Pension fund
 
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