Financial Reporting Flashcards
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What is the primary objective of accounting?
To measure income
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What is the most authoritative set of accounting pronouncements?
The FASB Codification
All pronouncements fall under the Codification umbrella
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What are the 2 Levels of Authority within the FASB codification?
Authoritative and Non-Authoritative
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How does managerial accounting differ from financial accounting?
Managerial Accounting has a timeliness focus
Managerial Accounting is not required to follow GAAP
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Which financial reports are required to be filed with the SEC?
Form 10K - Annual and Audited
Form 10Q - Quarterly and Reviewed
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What is the focus of financial reports for individual companies?
Focus is on the needs of users to help them make decisions and assessments about the company
Does not make assessments of the economy
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What are the Primary Constraints of Financial Reporting?
Cost vs. Benefit
Materiality
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What are the Secondary Constraints of Financial Reporting?
Consistency - Year vs. Year
Comparability - Company vs. Company
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What are the Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reporting?
Relevance & Faithful Representation
Relevance - Makes a difference to the user
Includes:
Predictive Value - Future Trends
Confirming Value - Past Predictions
Materiality - Could affect User Decisions
Faithful Representation
Includes:
Completeness - Nothing omitted that would impact the decision-making of a user
Neutrality - Information is presented is without bias
Free from Error - No material errors or omissions
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What are the Enhancing Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reporting?
Comparability Verifiability Timeliness and Understandability
Comparability - Allows users to compare different items among various periods
Verifiability - Different people would reach a similar conclusion on the information presented
Timeliness - Information is made available early enough to impact the decision making of users
Understandability - Information is easy to understand
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How does Conservatism affect the recording of accounting transactions?
When an estimate is necessary due to uncertainty conservatism chooses the best option that won’t overstate the financial position of the company
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What is an accrual?
Earned (Revenue) or Incurred (Expense) but no Cash Receipt/Outlay yet
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What is a deferral?
Cash Receipt/Outlay but not Earned (Revenue) or Incurred (Expense)
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What is recognition in accounting?
When an item is recorded and included in the financial statements
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Describe fair value with respect to an asset
The price you would receive if you sold the asset
Assumes asset is at its highest and best value
Assumes asset is sold at its most advantageous market to get the best price possible
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What market assumptions are made in a fair value assessment?
Buyer and Seller are not Related
Buyer and Seller are Knowledgeable
Buyer and Seller are able to transact - i.e. This isn’t a hypothetical transaction for Fair Value measurement purposes. The buyer actually does have the $10M to purchase the asset you’re trying to value at $10M
Buyer and Seller are both motivated to buy/sell
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What items are included in a Level 1 input in the fair value hierarchy?
Price quotes or market prices
For example NYSE or NASDAQ
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What items are included in a Level 2 valuation input?
Interest rates
Prime rate
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What items are included in Level 3 inputs of the fair value hierarchy?
Unobservable inputs such as assumptions or forecasts
Lowest priority for valuation
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What are acceptable valuation techniques for fair value?
Market approach - uses market transactions and prices to value the asset
Income approach - uses present value discounts earnings
Cost approach - uses replacement cost to value the asset
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What are current assets?
Cash
Inventory or Assets expected to be converted or consumed during a business’ operating cycle
Deferred Gross Profit on Installment Sales (Contra Asset)
Receivables expected to be collected in 12 months or less
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What are current liabilities?
Liabilities that will use current assets during the present operating cycle
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What is an accrued liability?
Expense that has been incurred but not paid
Example: rents payable
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What is a deferred revenue?
A type of current liability
Payments that have been received but cannot be recorded as revenue yet
Example: Tenant pre-pays rent - Landlord still must perform to earn it and is a liability until this happens
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When are revenues recognized?
When they have been earned; i.e. company has performed
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What is a gain?
Increase in equity from an activity or event that is not central to the main activities of the business
Can be operating or non-operating