Final answer:
Additional paid-in capital refers to the funds that a company receives from issuing stock that are above the stock's par value during an IPO or other offerings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Additional paid-in capital is a. The amount received for the issuance of stock in excess of the par value of the stock. When a company conducts an IPO (initial public offering) or subsequent stock offerings, it may set a nominal par value for each share. If the shares sell for more than this amount, the excess is recorded as additional paid-in capital. This is different from retained earnings, which are the net income retained in the corporation and not paid out as dividends. Additional paid-in capital does not include the number of shares issued or treasury stock considerations and is not an arbitrary amount representing legal capital.