are accounts payable business expenses 
no some people mistakenly believe that accounts payable refer to the routine expenses of a company s core operations however that is an incorrect interpretation of the term expenses are found on the firm s income statement while payables are booked as a liability on the balance sheet the bottom lineaccounts payable ap refers to the obligations incurred by a company during its operations that remain due and must be paid in the short term as such ap is listed on the balance sheet as a current liability typical payables items include supplier invoices legal fees contractor payments and so on 