GENERALLY
ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES
|
BUSINESS
ENTITY CONCEPT |
The accounting for a business or organization is kept separate from the personal affairs of its owner, other business or organization. |
|
CONTINUING
CONCERN CONCEPT |
Assumes that a business will continue to operate unless it is known otherwise. |
|
PRINCIPLE
OF CONSERVATISM |
The accounting
for a business should be fair and reasonable.
The results should not overstate nor understate the affairs of
the business. |
|
OBJECTIVITY
PRINCIPLE
|
The accounting will be recorded on objective evidence. Different people looking at the evidence will arrive at the same value for the transaction.
|
| REVENUE
RECOGNITION CONVENTION |
Revenue should be taken into account at the time the transaction is completed. |
|
MATCHING
PRINCIPLE |
Each expense
related to revenue earned must be recorded in the same accounting period
as the revenue it helped to earn. |
|
TIME
PERIOD CONCEPT |
Accounting
takes place over specific time periods known as fiscal periods.
The fiscal periods should be of equal length when used to measure
the financial progress of the business. |
|
COST
PRINCIPLE |
Accounting
for purchases must be recorded at their cost price. |
|
CONSISTENCY
PRINCIPLE |
Accountants
should apply the same methods and procedures from period to period.
When changes are made, they must be explained clearly on the
financial statements. |
|
MATERIALITY
PRINCIPLE |
Accountants
are required to use GAAPs except when to do so would be expensive or
difficult and where it makes no real difference if the rules are ignored. |
|
FULL
DISCLOSURE PRINCPLE |
Any and all information that affects the full understanding of a company’s financial statements must be included with the financial statements |