GAAP Principles, Assumptions and Considerations

Learning Objectives

• To discuss the history of GAAP and why the accounting and GAAP principles are of strategic importance to the profession.
• To analyze the GAAP assumptions, principles, and considerations and their application.
• To explain the GAAP rules and standards.
• To analyze how to apply GAAP principles, assumptions, and considerations to the financial statements.

Course Description

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are a set of rules that encompass the details, complexities, and legalities of business and corporate accounting. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) uses GAAP as the foundation for its comprehensive set of approved accounting methods and practices.

Compliance with these GAAP principles is built on three rules that eliminate misleading accounting and financial reporting practices. These rules create consistent accounting and reporting standards, which provide prospective and existing investors with reliable methods of evaluating an organization’s financial standing.

They include: 

• The basic accounting principles, assumptions, and considerations. 
  • Assumptions are considered a statement that is presumed to be true without concrete evidence to support them.
  • Considerations are areas that govern the accountant’s ability to make decisions.
  • Principles are the rules and guidelines that companies must follow when reporting financial data. These principles include cost, disclosure, going concern, matching, Revenue recognition, professional judgment, and conservatism.
• Rules and standards issued by the FASB and its predecessor, the Accounting Principles Board (APB).
• Generally accepted industry practices.

As per GAAP, companies are responsible for providing reports on their cash flows, profit-making operations, and overall financial conditions. There are three major financial statements required under GAAP:

• Income statement 
• Balance sheet 
• Cash flow statement

Presentation of the Financial Statements by GAAP is governed by ASC-205. The Standard defines the following as a full set of financial statements: 

• Financial position at the end of the period 
• Earnings, which may be shown in a separate statement or within one continuous statement of comprehensive income 
• Comprehensive income for the period in one statement or two consecutive statements 
• Cash flows during the period 
• Investments by and distributions to the owners during the period. 

This CPE Accounting course will focus on the GAAP principles for the proper preparation of financial statements. We will highlight the concepts in ASC 205 regarding the presentation of those financial statements.

Our CPE courses on GAAP might be of interest to you.

Overview

• GAAP History

  6 mins
• What is Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF)

  16 mins
• GAAP expectations

  27 mins
• GAAP Principles

  35 mins
• Balance sheet principle analysis

  55 mins