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; recording ithe economic activites of a business
Private accountants
In-house accountants employed by organizations and businesses other than public accounting firm; also called corporate accountants
Controller
The highest-ranking accountant in a company; responsible for overseeing all accounting functions
Certified public accountants (CPA)
Professionally licensed accountants who meet certain requirements fro 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 if a client’s financial statements
Generally accepted accounting principles
Standards and practices used by publicly held corporations in the U.S. in the preparation of financial statements
External auditors
Independent accounting firms that provide auditing services for public companies
International financial reporting standards
Accounting standards and practices used in many countries outside the U.S.
Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)
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
Liabilities
Claims against a firm’s assets by creditors
Owner’s equity
The portion of a company’s assets that belongs to the owners after obligations to all creditors have been met
Accounting equation
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 revenue they generate during an accounting period
Accrual basis
An accounting method in which revenue is recorded when a sale is made and an expense record when it is incurred
Cash basis
An accounting method in which revenue is recorded when payment is received and an expense is recorded when cash is paid