Does the government need to know the accounting information of the business for decision making purposes?
|
The accounting process provides financial data for a broad range of individuals whose objectives in studying the data vary widely. Three primary users of accounting information were previously identified, internal users, external users, and government/IRS. Each group uses
accounting information differently and requires the information to be presented differently. Accounting supplies managers and owners with significant financial data that is useful for decision making. This type of accounting is generally referred to as managerial accounting. Some of the ways
internal users employ accounting information include the following: External UsersTypically called financial accounting, the record of a business’ financial history for use by external entities is used for many purposes. The external users of accounting information fall into six groups; each has different interests in the company and wants answers to unique questions. The groups and some of their possible questions are:
Some of the ways external users employ accounting information include the following:
General-purpose financial statements provide much of the information needed by external users of financial accounting. These financial statements are formal reports providing information on a company’s financial position, cash inflows and outflows, and the results of operations. Many companies publish these statements in annual reports, also known as a 10-K or a 10-Q (quarterly report). The annual report contains the independent auditor’s opinion as to the fairness of the financial statements, as well as information about the company’s activities, products, and plans. Typically, the best place to find these reports for a public company can be on their website under the Investor relations section. Financial statements used by external entities are prepared using generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. We will discuss the language of GAAP further in later sections. Government/IRSGovernment agencies that track and use taxes are interested in the financial story of a business. They want to know whether the business is paying taxes according to current tax laws. The language in which tax-related financial statements are prepared is called IRC or Internal Revenue Code. Tax preparation will be outside the scope of this course. Important Points to Remember
Monthly Plan
Yearly Plan
Log in through your institution journal article Accounting Information and Decision-Making: Some Behavioral HypothesesThe Accounting Review Vol. 43, No. 3 (Jul., 1968) , pp. 469-480 (12 pages) Published By: American Accounting Association https://www.jstor.org/stable/244070 Read and download Log in through your school or library Subscribe to JPASS Unlimited reading + 10 downloads Journal Information The Accounting Review is the premier journal for publishing articles reporting the results of accounting research and explaining and illustrating related research methodology. The scope of acceptable articles embraces any research methodology and any accounting-related subject. The primary criterion for publication in The Accounting Review is the significance of the contribution an article makes to the literature. Publisher Information The American Accounting Association is the world's largest association of accounting and business educators, researchers, and interested practitioners. A worldwide organization, the AAA promotes education, research, service, and interaction between education and practice. Formed in 1916 as the American Association of University Instructors in Accounting, the association began publishing the first of its ten journals, The Accounting Review, in 1925. Ten years later, in 1935, the association changed its name to become the American Accounting Association. The AAA now extends far beyond accounting, with 14 Sections addressing such issues as Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence/Expert Systems, Public Interest, Auditing, taxation (the American Taxation Association is a Section of the AAA), International Accounting, and Teaching and Curriculum. About 30% of AAA members live and work outside the United States. Rights & Usage This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Why does the government need to know about accounting information?Federal and State Governments require tax returns and other documents often prepared by accountants. Banks or lending institutions may use accounting information to guide decisions such as whether to lend or how much to lend a business. Investors will also use accounting information to guide investment decisions.
How important is accounting to businesses and the government?Accounting plays a vital role in running a business because it helps you track income and expenditures, ensure statutory compliance, and provide investors, management, and government with quantitative financial information which can be used in making business decisions.
Why financial accounting information is needed for decisionFinancial accounting helps managers create budgets, understand public perception, track efficiency, analyze product performance, and develop short- and long-term strategies, among several other decisions aided by accounting figures.
Why government are interested in accounting information of a business?The government is interested in accounting information because it wants to know earnings or sales for a particular period for the purpose of taxation. Government also needs accounting information for compiling statistics concerning which in turn helps in compiling national accounts.
|
