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Direct Method of Cash Flow

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This article presents the argument of widespread use of the direct method with regards to presenting a statement of cash flows. In the author’s research they found that many balance sheets and cash flow statements do not articulate. Changes in the current asset and liability account balances are often presented significantly different on the cash flow statement than on the balance sheet. Upon examining a sample of approximately 10,000 sets of public financial statements it was found that many unexplained differences existed between the expected operating cash flow measures and the amount reported in the company’s respective cash flow statement. The purpose of this paper is to alert FASB that requiring companies to use the direct method for reporting operating cash flows can greatly improve accounting practice. This requirement improves the quality of financial reporting for all parties involved. This article encompasses several different audiences. Perhaps the most significant one is the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The authors believe that the FASB’s conclusions revolved around incorrect interpretations about the simplicity of the indirect method and the complexity of the direct method. In consideration of this assumption the author’s believe that FASB should readdress the issue of reporting requirements concerning the statement of cash flows. Another large audience for this article is the field of accounting education. The authors conclude that accounting

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