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Intro to Financial Accounting Study Guide

This document introduces accounting as a tool for decision making and distinguishes between financial and managerial accounting. It discusses the objectives and roles of accounting in business organizations. The document also defines the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and some key accounting concepts and assumptions used in preparing financial records and statements.

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Noreen Gonzaga
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
51 views4 pages

Intro to Financial Accounting Study Guide

This document introduces accounting as a tool for decision making and distinguishes between financial and managerial accounting. It discusses the objectives and roles of accounting in business organizations. The document also defines the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and some key accounting concepts and assumptions used in preparing financial records and statements.

Uploaded by

Noreen Gonzaga
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Accounting 1: Introduction to Financial Accounting

Module No 1 – Introduction to Accounting


Study Guide

Introduction
This module presents the primary definition and uses of accounting as a tool for
decision-making, will familiarize you with the different branches of accounting and
will acquaint you with the basic principles used in the preparation of financial
records.

Objectives
After working on this module, you should be able to:
1. Understand the basic accounting processes and its relevance to decision-
making processes.
2. Distinguish financial accounting from management accounting.
3. Have an overview of financial accounting processes that provide a basis for
the preparation of financial statements.
4. Understand the Generally-Accepted Accounting Principles .
5. Define double-entry bookkeeping and use it as a basis for recording
transactions.

1. Accounting and its role in business organizations


Accounting is the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating
economic information to permit informed judgments and decisions. The documents
which communicate these information about the performance of an accounting entity
in monetary terms, are called financial statements.
Often, accounting is aptly referred to as the language of business. This is
because plans and programs are often expressed in financial reports. Their results
are measured in terms of financial performance as well. Hence, a picture of an
entity’s wellness often mostly consists of accounting information.
But beyond business, many aspects of our lives are based on accounting:
personal financial planning, investments, income taxes, loans, etc. Throughout
different roles we take on in our lives, the knowledge of accounting is an added
advantage in performing such roles. However, we shall limit our scope of discussion
to a business entity and its various financial aspects.

2. Branches of Accounting
Different financial literature classify accounting into categories. But primarily,
there are two general categories under which all other categories may be classified
under. We shall focus our discussions on these two general categories:
2.1 Financial accounting refers to the accumulation and processing of accounting
information primarily aimed towards informing external users or those outside
the organization. These reports contain historical information and are
presented in the Financial Statements which must comply with Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles and the Philippine Financial Reporting
Standards to ensure uniformity and reliability. Tax accounting falls under
financial accounting but incorporates tax laws and limits into the process.
2.2 Managerial accounting pertains to information generated for use by an
organization’s management necessary for making timely decisions that will
affect the performance of the organization. Unlike financial accounting
information that follows stringent principles and standards, managerial
Accounting 1: Introduction to Financial Accounting

accounting reports are more varied and not subject to external regulations.
These pieces of accounting information also stem from historical data but are
more focused towards projecting future performance resulting from
management strategies and plans in an expedient and timely manner. Cost
accounting is a more detailed branch under management accounting that
focuses on manufacturing activities and costs.

Activity 1 (10mins)
Watch this concise video explaining how financial accounting varies from
managerial accounting from Accounting Stuff:
[Link]

3. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles


The Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS)/Philippine Accounting
Standards (PAS) make up the country’s Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP) governing the preparation of financial statements. These standards are
patterned after the revised International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and
International Accounting Standards (IAS) which are centered on the following basic
assumptions/principles:
a. Economic Entity Assumption. The business is separate from its owner/s
and therefore, records must also be kept separate from the latter’s
personal accounts.
Accounting 1: Introduction to Financial Accounting

b. Monetary Unit assumption. Accounting information pertain to economic


information which should be quantifiable and therefore, expressed in terms
of accepted currencies (Php in the Philippines).
c. Cost Principle. All resources should be recorded at the cash amount (or
equivalent) at the time the same was acquired.
d. Ful Disclosure Principle. All pertinent information, good or bad, are fully
reported.
e. Going-concern Assumption. A business is expected to continue to operate
and fulfill its obligations in the succeeding periods
f. Materiality Principle. All significant occurrences are disclosed while
events/amounts which will hardly impact any decision of the users of the
financial statements may be ignored.
g. Conservatism Principle. Expenses and losses are reported as soon as the
possibility of such has been established while revenues and gains are
reported only when realized.
h. Time Period Principle. Reports are prepared corresponding to specific time
periods to give context to information.
i. Matching Principle. Expenses are recorded at the same time period as
corresponding revenues are recognized.
j. Principle of Good Faith. All parties are presumed to be acting honestly.
i
Charles T. Horngren, et al., , Cost Accounting, A Managerial Emphasis, 15th ed. (New Jersey: Pearson
Education, Inc., 2015), 4

Common questions

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Financial accounting is aimed at providing historical financial information to external users, such as investors, creditors, and tax authorities. Its reports, such as financial statements, must comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) to ensure uniformity and reliability . Managerial accounting, on the other hand, is designed to provide internal decision-makers with timely information needed for planning and controlling operations. It does not follow external regulations and often uses projections and forecasts to aid in strategic planning .

The Monetary Unit Assumption supports financial reporting and analysis by ensuring that all accounting transactions are recorded in a stable currency unit, such as the Philippine Peso. This assumption enables the quantification of financial events, which is essential for presenting financial statements in a uniform format that can be easily interpreted and analyzed. By using a consistent currency to express financial information, businesses can present clear, comparable, and comprehensible statements to stakeholders, thereby facilitating accurate financial analysis and decision-making .

Understanding accounting is crucial for personal financial planning as it equips individuals with the skills to effectively manage their resources. The ability to identify, measure, and analyze economic activities enables better budgeting, investment decisions, and tax planning. Familiarity with accounting concepts helps in setting financial goals and tracking progress toward achieving them, as well as making informed decisions regarding loans and mortgages, thereby improving overall financial wellbeing .

GAAP ensures reliability and comparability in financial reporting through standardized principles. Principles such as the Cost Principle require that assets be recorded at their purchase cost, which maintains consistency across reporting periods. The Full Disclosure Principle ensures that all relevant information is transparently reported, enabling accurate assessments. Assumptions like the Monetary Unit, which mandates financial information to be quantifiable in currency, allow for comparability between businesses. By adhering to these principles, financial statements become more reliable for analysis and comparison .

The Going Concern Assumption under GAAP is integral in preparing financial statements as it assumes that a business will continue to operate indefinitely and fulfill its obligations. This assumption supports the continuity of using assets at unchanging values and avoids liquidation accounting. By operating under the going concern premise, accounting techniques such as depreciation and amortization are justified and help in presenting a balanced long-term financial view, which is essential for investors and creditors assessing the stability and future performance of a business .

The Matching Principle is crucial in financial accounting as it ensures that expenses are recorded in the same period as the revenues they help to generate. This correlation presents a more accurate picture of a company's profitability during a specific period, facilitating more precise financial analysis. By matching revenues and expenses, stakeholders can assess the true performance and financial condition of a business, making it easier to evaluate trends and operational efficiency over time .

The Full Disclosure Principle is critical because it ensures that all relevant financial information, both positive and negative, is fully disclosed in financial statements. This principle allows stakeholders, such as investors and lenders, to access all material facts that might affect their decisions regarding the business. By providing complete transparency, the Full Disclosure Principle enables stakeholders to make informed judgments about the financial health and future prospects of a company, thus enhancing the credibility and reliability of financial statements .

Double-entry bookkeeping provides several advantages for maintaining accurate financial records. It ensures that each financial transaction affects at least two accounts, which helps maintain the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) and facilitates error detection. This system improves the accuracy and reliability of financial records by providing a built-in method of verification through the checks and balances of debits and credits. As a result, double-entry bookkeeping supports the generation of comprehensive financial statements that accurately reflect the financial position and performance of a business .

The Conservatism Principle impacts financial statements by ensuring that expenses and losses are recognized as soon as they are probable, while revenues and gains are recorded only when they are realized. This principle acts as a safeguard against overstatement of financial health by emphasizing the need for caution in financial reporting. It promotes realistic reporting by prioritizing expected losses over anticipated gains, thereby ensuring that users of the financial statements do not make overly optimistic assessments based on the presented data .

The Economic Entity Assumption requires that business transactions be kept separate from those of the owners or other businesses. This principle ensures that the financial statements reflect only the financial activities of the business entity itself, thereby providing clarity and accuracy in financial reporting. By treating the business as a separate entity, the assumption provides a clear picture of the business's financial standing without mixing personal finances, which is crucial for reliable evaluation by external users .

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