Published by: Anu Poudeli
Published date: 28 May 2023
Regardless of when the cash is collected or paid, accrual accounting is an accounting approach that detects and records financial transactins as they happen. In order to provide a more realistic view of a company's financial performance and situation, it focuses on matching revenues with expenses in the period in which they are incurred.
The accrual accounting process depends heavily on adjustments. They are essential to make sure that financial statements accurately reflects a company's financial situation particularly at the end of an accounting period.
Regardless of when the actual cash transactions take place, accrual accounting ia an accounting approach that records revenues and expenses as they are incurred. By identifying economic events as they occur rather than when the cash is recieved or paid, this strategy gives a more accurate financial picture of a company. In accrual accounting, adjustments are performed to make sure that financial statements accurately match up income and expenses in the time period in which they occur.
Here are some key concepts related to accrual accounting and adjustments:-
1. Revenue Recognition: In accrual accounting, regardless of when cash is paid, revenue is recognized when it is earned. This means that even when payment is anticipated to be recieved in the future, income is recorded when products are delivered or services are rendered.
2. Expenses Recognition: Similar to income, expenses are recorded at the period of incurrence rather than at a time of payment. Costs like salary, rent, utilities, and depreciation are included in this.
3. Accruals: Adjustments are done to account for income or costs that have already been incurred but not yet been reported. For instance, an accrual will be made to recognize the revenue in the December financial statements if a company offers services to a customer in December but anticipates payment in January.
4. Prepayments/ Deffered Revenue: Prepayments happen when a business gets paid for products or services before they are delivered. An adjustments is done to gradually recognize the revenue when the goods and services are delivered in order to accurately match revenue with the appropriate period.
5: Depreciation and Amortization: To spread the cost of these assets throughout their useful lives, adjustments are made for depreciation ( for tangible assets) and amortization( for intangible assets). In each accounting period, this adjustments records a portion of the asset's value as a cost.
6. Bad Debts: A corporation adjusts its accounting tp record the expected amount of uncollectible accounts as an expense when it anticipate that it won't be able to obtain payment from customers for goods and services delivered on credit.
7. Inventory Valuation: For the value of inventories, adjustments might be needed. For instance, if inventory's market value is less than its recorded cost, the lowerof cost or market value principle may need to be adjusted.
8. Accrued Expenses: Expenses that have beem incurred but not yet paid for are referred to as accrued expenses. Salary arrears, interest arrears, and utility arrears are a few examples. To account for these costs in the financial statements, adjustments are made.
9. Accrued Revenues: Revenues that have been earned but not yet been paid out in cash are referred to as a accrued revenues. For instance, a business can have rendered services to a client but not been paid . The financial statements are adjusted to reflects the revenue.
These are only a few instances of how accrual accounting changes are performed. Adjustments are necessary to comply with the matching principle, which tries to align revenues and expenses in the proper accounting periods, and they make sure that financial statements give a more realistics picture of a company's financial condition and performance.