Week 1 - Class Notes Flashcards
- What is the informational role for financial accounting in securities markets?
Accounting records inform creditors and investors, ensuring securities/stocks/bonds are bought and sold at appropriate prices.
U.S. GAAP.
US GAAP = “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.” A set of standards based on some underlying principles that guides the preparation of financial statements. Uses accrual accounting
Accrual accounting
Transactions are recorded in the books when business activities occur regardless of when the cash effect takes place. (Ex: a company might sell some products to a customer and the customer takes the product and promises to pay at a later day. Well, that company can go ahead and record the sales as revenues in its books. Even it hasn’t received the cash from the customer. As long as the customer is expected to pay.)
- What is accounting?
Accounting is a system of recording, categorizing, summarizing, and communicating financial information about an organization to those who might be curious.
Why is accounting called the language of business?
Well, because it communicates information to help decision-makers make really good economic decisions. And then it communicates the results or the financial consequences of those decisions to others that need to understand them.
The financial books
(Ex: annual report) Audience: external parties, like investors or creditors Obj: communicate economic performance and financial position of the org Rules: US GAAP, IFRS, Specific country GAAP Authority: SEC -> FASB, IASB, specific country authority
The management books
(Ex: budget reports or product profitability reports) Audience: internal, management itself Obj: to facilitate management decision making in the org Rules: None Authority: Management
The tax books
(Ex: tax return) Audience: tax authorities Obj: to facilitate the collection of tax revenue by the gov Rules: Tax code Authority: Tax authority (IRS)
Accounting Standards
promote consistency/comparability across companies BUT allow managers some discretion
- Which of the following are correct about U.S. GAAP? (Select all that apply)
1) Accounting Standards promote consistency/comparability across companies, but allow managers some discretion 2) GAAP stands for “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” 3) U.S. GAAP uses accrual accounting 4) U.S. GAAP is a set of standards that guide the preparation of financial statements
Who set the GAAP standards?
Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
SEC established
created by US Congress with Securities Exchange Act of 1934 b/c of stock market crash of 1929
SEC does
regulates the issuance and trading of securities
SEC delegated
SEC delegated the preparation of accounting standards to the Financial Accounting Standards Board. A private organization, not-for-profit. 7-member board that has five year renewable terms, and they have an extensive staff support.
10 K
annual filing, end of the year (After Q4 - 10 K)
10 Q
Quarterly filing (Q1, Q2, Q3)
8 K
must be filed with the SEC when a company encounters or undergoes a material event.
Who makes sure the “rules” are followed?
Generally speaking, four parties: 1) management, 2) the independent auditor, 3) the audit committee of the board of directors and the board itself, 4) and then regulators, the legal systems and the securities market.
Role of management
prepares the financial statements, SOX
Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002
Implemented in response to extensive financial reporting fraud in late 90’s (Ex: Enron, Worldcom)
Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002
1) Communicated and clarified reporting responsibilities. 2) Stiffened or enhanced the penalties associated with misreporting. 3) Explicitly placed the responsibility on the CFO and CEO. Now, both have to personally sign off on the financial statements and are subject to criminal penalties if misreporting is found to have occurred.
Role of the Independent Audit Firm
express an opinion, reasonable assurance, nut not fool-proof
Role of the Audit Committee of the board
1) Appoint and hire the external audit firm to conduct the audit. 2) They make sure the results of that audit is adequately made available and the appropriate details are made available to the board of directors and to shareholders. So that the appropriate parties know the results of the audit and what the controversies were, if any.
Role of the regulators, legal system, and the securities markets
1) Regulators, such as the SEC, will investigate if there is some suspicion of fraudulent or misreporting. 2) Shareholders might band together and file a lawsuit against a company if they suspect that there’s some misreporting. 3) Security prices (stock) will move up and down in response to investors’ concerns about integrity in financial reporting.
- Who make sure the rules of financial reporting are followed? (Select all that apply)
Management, Independent auditor, Audit committee of the board of directors, Regulators, legal system, and securities market
IFRS
IFRS = “International Financial Reporting Standards”
IASB
IASB = “International Accounting Standards Boards”
LIFO
last in, first out
- Although Luann just briefly discussed accounting standards outside the U.S., which accounting standards are important for this course?
Accounting standards inside the U.S., called the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).