CHAPTER 15 Flashcards
Accounting
Measuring, interpreting, and communicating financial information to support internal and external decision-making.
Financial Accounting
The area of accounting concerned with preparing financial information for users outside the organization.
Management Accounting
The area of accounting concerned with preparing data for use by managers within the organization.
Bookkeeping
Recordkeeping; the clerical aspect of accounting.
Private Accountants
In-house accountants employed by organizations and businesses other than a public accounting firm; also called corporate accountants.
Controller
The highest-ranking accountant in a company, responsible for overseeing all accounting functions.
Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
Professionally licensed accountants who meet certain requirements for education and experience and who pass a comprehensive examination.
Public Accountants
Professionals who provide accounting services to other businesses and individuals for a fee.
Audit
Formal evaluation of the fairness and reliability of a client’s financial statements.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
Standards and practices used by publicly held corporations in the United States and a few other countries in the preparation of financial statements.
External Auditors
Independent accounting firms that provide auditing services for public companies.
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Accounting standards and practices used in many countries outside the United States.
Sarbanes-Oxley
The informal name of comprehensive legislation designed to improve the integrity and accountability of financial information.
Assets
Any things of value owned or leased by a business.
Owners’ Equity
The portion of a company’s assets that belongs to the owners after obligations to
Liabilities
Claims against a firm’s assets by creditors.
Accounting Equations
The equation stating that assets equal liabilities plus owners’ equity.
Double-Entry Bookkeeping
A method of recording financial transactions that requires a debit entry and credit entry for each transaction to ensure that the accounting equation is always kept in balance.
Matching Principle
The fundamental principle requiring that expenses incurred in producing revenue be deducted from the revenues they generate during an accounting period.
Accrual Basis
An accounting method in which revenue is recorded when a sale is made and an expense is recorded when it is incurred.