Key Concepts in Understanding Accounting and the Importance of Financial Statements

Statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which refers to a set of rules, standards, and practices. They are used throughout the accounting industry to prepare and standardize financial statements that are issued and help investors and creditors compare companies within the same industry. Companies are expected to follow generally accepted accounting principles when they report their financial information. GAAP affects the measurement of economic activities and the disclosure of information about activities. It also affects the preparation and summarization of economic information, and the record keeping of measurements at average intervals.

International Reporting Standards (IFRS) are standards that are aimed as a global language that is common for affairs of business, to make sure that the accounts of the company can be understood and are of a certain standard that applies worldwide. IFRS are

GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) determine the content and format of financial statements. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) requires publicly traded companies to issue annual audit. Concerns are about adequacy of disclosure; and behavioral implications are secondary.

In the world today, the use of IFRS is the most common accounting method. They are accounting principles that have been adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). In 2002, the European Union (EU) required firms listed on their markets to use IFRS when presenting their consolidated financial statements. By 2009, the EU and over 100 countries now use IFRS or are converging to them (Reineking, C., Chamberlain, D. H., Rudolph, H. R., & Smith, L. M., 2013).

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), are guidelines that allow each accountant supervision upon financial reporting. It stimulates a cohesive environment to comprehend all aspects of finances in various business. The standard that FASB has worked identifies the sources of accounting principles and the blueprint for choosing which principle to use in the preparation of financial statements. According to Intermediate Accounting Wiley, the standard categorizes the major sources of GAAP consist

In the U.S., Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are accounting rules used to prepare, present, and report financial statements for a wide variety of entities, including publicly traded and privately held companies, non-profit organizations, and governments. The term is usually confined to the United States; hence it is commonly abbreviated as US GAAP or simply GAAP. However, in the theoretical sense, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles encompass the entire industry of accounting, and not only the United States. Outside the academic context, GAAP means US GAAP.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are the various methods, rules, practices, and other procedures that have evolved over time in response to the need to regulate the preparation of financial statements. They are primarily set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), a private sector entity with representatives from companies that issue financial statements, accounting firms that audit those statements, and users of financial information. Other bodies that contribute to

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) describes a common method or modality by which the financial reporting of different business organizations is carried out. Initially, different countries used to have their distinct and separate standards of financial reporting. Financial reports are possibly obtained from the financial statements of any business organization. A financial statement as principle mode enables a company to present its f0inalncial information to the outsiders who may have the interest of having the knowledge of a company's financial status. They give the position of a company's financial status, comprehensive income statement, cash flow statement, and equity changes statement.

Every company is a little bit different from the last. They produce different products, or provide different services. Some companies are small town corporate start-ups, while others are giant national mega-conglomerates. Amidst all the potential differences, however, there is one large similarity. The Generally Accepting Account Principles (GAAP). When it comes down to it, all companies are playing by the same rules. Some rules can apply more to one company than another, but everyone uses the same rulebook. GAAP tells a company how to record, calculate, explain, or present anything and everything that could ever possibly occur.

The purpose of financial statement is to provide entities form employee’s to government organizations to include all stakeholders viable and reliable information that effects strategic decisions. With the differences between the U.S. GAAP and IFRS pose problems over the an acceptable accounting flaws that exist with in standards of accounting practice relevant to manipulate the system that has been adopted. Via Turner Investments (2016) a CPA blogger says "Anyone who believes all countries can embrace international accounting standards and use those standards in the same way is dumber than a sack of rocks, The New York Times Web site.” Additionally, as cited by Hassan (2015) of Zhou and Chen that “the reason why banks manipulate earnings is supported by three arguments: signaling argument, income smoothing or earnings management argument and capital management argument” (p. 93). Further in concern, is a statement by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that the “U.S. GAAP must go” declared in Forbes.com that the system can “collapse under its own weight” due to playing and construing financial records (Turner Investments, 2016). The regulation heavy U.S GAAP bares constraints and needs to be more user-friendly as with the IFRS standards given way to a universal international accounting system reflective of the times we live in.

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) consist of various rules and principles which are used for

Chapter 1 explains the most common principles in accounting or finance in which all financial reports occur. Through the process of GAAP and the financial reporting criteria it will help the students have a better understanding of all the statements and will provide with a correct process to conduct an analysis. A substantial review and statements of international accounting is also included in this chapter. Many of the users that are included in the financial statements of a company are the general public, regulatory authorities, labor unions, employees, lending institutions, suppliers, security analysis, stock holders, bondholders, and managers. We can conclude that all of these complete the external and internal stakeholder divisions in a company. They will use the data from the financial reports to conduct decisions. These kinds of reports are so important for a company due to the fact that it will help stakeholders in their decision making. What this chapter is about is the proper way to in utilizing financial reporting information. It is all a really easy from of understanding of the traditional assumption and accounting principles in the accounting criteria. The GAAP refers to the generally accepted accounting principles and what it means is the principles that have the desired authoritative support. The correct and most formal process of conducting the principles that are known today in our country started with Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934. There are 10 elements

Financial statements are an important part of any company. The financial statements provide potential investors, as well as the company’s management and creditors, with useful information about the financial position of the company. The financial statements of a company comprise the income statement, the balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows. Financial statements are important, but understanding and being able to use the information presented in financial statements to make decisions is also very important.

While many would not consider taking an accounting course unless they intended to pursue a career in accounting, the concepts that are taught in these courses help to further strengthen an individual's understanding of business and finances. Furthermore, many key concepts that are taught at an intermediate level can be translated to other aspects of running a business, whether an individual is an entrepreneur or he or she is working for someone else, or if an individual wants to invest in stocks and bonds.

Accounting is a very important term to our modern society. It is the career for men and women who at the start have their eyes set on top positions in industry, management, government, and general business. Accounting is a basic need of every businessmen, from the operator of a filling station to the government of the United States. It’s so important to our society. None of the business organization can operate without is. They are there-somewhere-in every business. In small business, people use pen, ink and skill keep the