Governmental Accounting Flashcards
6 characteristics of effective Gov financial reporting
Timeliness Consistency Comparability Understandability Reliability Relevance (difficult to achieve)
Accounting principles for
Gov
nfp
Government = GASB NFP = FASB
Separate fund financial statements should be presented for
Governmental and proprietary funds to report additional and detailed information about the primary government
The measurement focus for all governmental funds is
The flow of current financial resources
Modifies accrual basis is used
Primary users for governmental financial statements
Citizens/taxpayers, school boards, and investors and creditors. Internal users are not considered primary users.
Inter-period equity
Having current year revenues cover current year expenditures so that future taxpayers don’t end up paying for benefits provided to current tax payers
Modified accrual accounting
Revenues are recorded when they are measurable and available
Accrual accounting
Revenues are recorded when measurable and earned
Proprietary fund accounting
Accrual basis is used and measurement focus is the flow of economic resources
Government funds are MAC-GRSPP
M - modified A - accrual accounting C - current financial resource measurement focus G- general funds R- special Revenue S- debt Service P- capital Projects P- permanent
Proprietary and fiduciary funds have SPACE
SE-PAPI
SE- service ; enterprise
PAPI- pension, agency, private, investment
A- accrual accounting
C- carry fixed assets and long term debt
E- economic resources measurement focus
General fund
Accounts for everything not required to belong in another type of fund. Ordinary operations of a government unit
Special revenue fund
Account for revenue sources that are restricted or committed to be spent for specific purposes other than debt service or cap projects
Capital project funds
Funds that are restricted for construction or acquisition of capital facilities
Debt service funds
Fund restrictive or committed for debt service principal and interest expenditures
Enterprise fund (proprietary)
Accounts for business type activities that the public is the primary user on
(Often used for utilities, airports, and transit systems)
Accounts for fixed assets in a manner similar to a for profit organization
Internal service funds
Business type activities were other government agencies are the primary user
Fiduciary
Means money held for others
Pension trust funds
Assets held in trust to provide employee retirement benefits
Private purpose trust funds
Assets held in trust to benefit individuals
Not general public use
Statement of cash flows not required