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Accounting information provides useful information about business transactions and events. Those who provide and use financial reports must often select and evaluate accounting alternatives. The FASB statement on qualitative characteristics of accounting information examines the characteristics of accounting information that make it useful for decision-making. It also points out that various limitations inherent in the measurement and reporting process may necessitate trade-offs or sacrifices among the characteristics of useful information.

Instructions

a) Describe briefly the following characteristics of useful accounting information.

1. Relevance (4) Comparability

2. Faithful representation (5) Consistency

3. Understandability

b)For each of the following pairs of information characteristics, give an example of a situation in which one of the characteristics may be sacrificed in return for a gain in the other.

1. Relevance and faithful representation.

2. Relevance and consistency.

3. Comparability and consistency.

4. Relevance and understandability.

c) What criterion should be used to evaluate trade-offs between information characteristics?

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a)

(1) Relevant information helps users predict the results of past, present, and future events or affirm or rectify previous expectations.

(2) Faithful representation is an agreement made between financial information and economic event and is considered to show emerging from completeness, objectivity and free from error.

(3) Understandability is an association between users who differ widely in their extent to understand or utilize the information and decision-specific qualities of information.

(4) Comparability improves comparisons among the information about the two different firms at a specific point in time.

(5) Consistency improves comparisons among the information about the same firms at two different points in time.

(b)

(1) Predictions of future operating outcomes and projections of future cash flows may be greatly related to a few decision-makers.

(2)Proposal of new accounting methods may be more suitable for many decision- makers than the current ones.

(3) There is quite a variation among acceptable accounting procedures and methods to aid comparability between firms.

(4) Sometimes, appropriate information is exceptionally complex. Judgement is needed in ascertaining the optimum trade-off between relevance and understandability.

(c)

Even though the trade-offs lead to the loss of some desirable quality of information, the overall outcome should be information that is more beneficial for decision making.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Accounting Information 

Accounting information is defined as the accounting statements produced by the process of book-keeping and accounting, that is, trading account, profit and loss account and balance sheet.

02

Explanation for statement ‘a’ 

  1. Relevance is one of the two basic decision-specific features of beneficial accounting information. Relevant information is proficient in creating a difference in a decision. Relevant information helps users predict the results of all events, whether past, present or future or affirm or rectify previous expectations.

  2. Faithful representation is another basic decision-specific feature of beneficial accounting information. Reliable information can be based upon to show the conditions and events that it is considered to define. Representational faithfulness is an agreement made between accounting information and the economic event it is considered to show occurring fromneutrality, wholesomeness and error-free.

  3. Understandability is a user-specific feature of information. Information is understandable when it allows one to consider its importance. Understandability is an association between users who differ entirely in their capability to understand and the decision-specific nature of the information.

  4. Comparability implies that information about firms has been made and shown in the same way. Comparability improves comparisons between information about various firms at a specific point in time.

  5. Consistency implies that the firm has implemented unvarying procedures and policies from one cycle to the other. Consistency improves comparisons between information about a similar firm at two distinct points in time.

03

Explanation for statement ‘b’ 

  1. Predictions of future operating outcomes and projections of future cash flows may be greatly considered by some decision creators. However, they would not be error-free as compared to historical cost information about prior transactions.
  2. Many decision-makers may consider new accounting methods more than current methods. However, if prevalent, they would undermine consistency and make comparisons of a firm鈥檚 outcomes over difficult times.
  3. There is much variation among acceptable accounting procedures and methods. To ease comparability among firms, implementing only one accepted accounting method for a specific transaction is needed. However, it can hinder the consistency of those firms varying to the new methods.
  4. Sometimes, considered information is far more complex. Judgement is needed in ascertaining the optimum trade-off between understandability and relevance. Information about the impact of general and specific price alterations may be greatly considered but not comprehendible by all users.
04

Explanation for statement ‘c’ 

Accounting information gives beneficial information about the transactions as well as events of the business. Those who supply and use financial reports must usually select and estimate accounting substitutes. Even though the trade-offs lead to the loss of some desirable information quality, the whole outcome should be information that is more beneficial for making a decision. It also highlights different disadvantages present in the measurement and listing process that may require trade-offs or sacrifices among the features of beneficial information.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Question: BE2-5 (L03) Presented below are three different transactions related to materiality. Explain whether you would classify these transactions as material.(

a) Blair Co. has reported a positive trend in earnings over the last 3 years. In the current year, it reduces its bad debt allowance to ensure another positive earnings year. The impact of this adjustment is equal to 3% of net income.

(b) Hindi Co. has an unusual gain of \(3.1 million on the sale of plant assets and a \)3.3 million loss on the sale of investments. It decides to net the gain and loss because the net effect is considered immaterial. Hindi Co.'s income for the current year was \(10 million.

(c) Damon Co. expenses all capital equipment under \)25,000 on the basis that it is immaterial. The company has followed this practice for a number of years.

Which of the following statements about the IASB and FASB conceptual frameworks is not correct?

(a) The IASB conceptual framework does not identify the element comprehensive income.

(b) The existing IASB and FASB conceptual frameworks are organized in similar ways.

(c) The FASB and IASB agree that the objective of financial reporting is to provide useful information to investors and creditors.

(d) IFRS does not allow use of fair value as a measurement basis.

Question: An accountant must be familiar with the concepts involved in determining earnings of a business entity. The amount of earnings reported for a business entity is dependent on the proper recognition, in general, of revenues and expenses for a given time period. In some situations, costs are recognized as expenses at the time of product sale. In other situations, guidelines have been developed for recognizing costs as expenses or losses by other criteria.Instructions

  1. Explain the rationale for recognizing costs as expenses at the time of product sale.
  2. What is the rationale underlying the appropriateness of treating costs as expenses of a period instead of assigning the costs to an asset? Explain.
  3. In what general circumstances would it be appropriate to treat a cost as an asset instead of as an expense?
  4. Some expenses are assigned to specific accounting periods on the basis of systematic and rational allocation of asset cost. Explain the underlying rationale for recognizing expenses on the basis of systematic and rational allocation of asset cost.
  5. Identify the conditions under which it would be appropriate to treat a cost as a loss.

Identify which basic principle of accounting is best described in each item below.(a) Norfolk Southern Corporation reports revenue in its income statement when the performance obligation is satisfied instead of when the cash is collected.(b) Yahoo! recognizes depreciation expense for a machine over the 2-year period during which that machine helps the company earn revenue.(c) Oracle Corporation reports information about pending lawsuits in the notes to its financial statements.(d) Gap, Inc. reports land on its balance sheet at the amount paid to acquire it, even though the estimated fair value is greater.

Question: (Qualitative Characteristics) Recently, your uncle, Carlos Beltran, who knows that you always have your eye out for a profitable investment, has discussed the possibility of your purchasing some corporate bonds. He suggests that you may wish to get in on the 鈥済round floor鈥 of this deal. The bonds being issued by Neville Corp. are 10-year debentures which promise a 40% rate of return. Neville manufactures novelty/party items.

You have told Uncle Carlos that, unless you can take a look at Neville鈥檚 financial statements, you would not feel comfortable about such an investment. Believing that this is the chance of a lifetime, Uncle Carlos has procured a copy of Neville鈥檚 most recent, unaudited financial statements which are a year old. These statements were prepared by Mrs. Andy Neville. You peruse these statements, and they are quite impressive. The balance sheet showed a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10 and, for the year shown, the company reported net income of $2,424,240.

The financial statements are not shown in comparison with amounts from other years. In addition, no significant note disclosures about inventory valuation, depreciation methods, loan agreements, etc. are available.

Instructions

Write a letter to Uncle Carlos explaining why it would be unwise to base an investment decision on the financial statements that he has provided to you. Be sure to explain why these financial statements are neither relevant nor representationally faithful.

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