Changes from Tenth Edition
The chapter has been updated. Additional topics include proforma earnings, EBITDA and SEC financial report certification and affirmation requirements for CEO’s and CFO’s.
Approach
Undoubtedly, the accrual idea is the most difficult of all basic accounting matters for the student to grasp. As a matter of fact, we sometimes say that the proper recognition of revenue and expense is the only important accounting problem. Although this is an exaggeration, it is not far from the truth. The text and cases in this chapter constitute only a beginning in understanding and it is to be expected that students will understand the matter thoroughly only after they have attacked it from several different angles.
Sometimes we ask the class “Suppose a company received a lawyer’s bill for $1,000. Explain all the different ways in which this bill could be recorded in the accounts.” The answer is that if the bill relates to services rendered in a prior year (or accounting period) but not recorded in that time, it is nevertheless an expense of the current year; if it represents a charge for a previous year that was recorded in that year, the payment of the bill merely represents a decrease in a liability; if it represents a charge in the current year, it is recorded as an expense; and if it represents a retainer for services to be rendered in the following year it is recorded as an asset, prepaid expense.
It may be desirable to introduce a number of short questions of this type in order to hammer home the accrual concept. It is suggested, however, that problems relating to depreciation be deferred, as this is an intricate matter which is perhaps best left until Chapter 7.
Students should always be required to use the word “revenue” rather than the word “income.” They may find it difficult to do this because “income” is still used erroneously in some