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Chapter 2: Question 25Q (page 61)

Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No.5 identifies four characteristics that an item must have before it is recognized in the financial statements. What are these four characteristics?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Four characteristics that an item must possess in order to be recognized in the financial statements include:

  • Understandability
  • Relevance
  • Reliability
  • Comparability

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Financial Statements

Financial statements are annual statements that disclose the financial performance and business activities of a firm. These statements are regarded as a means for decision-making by the management as well as outsiders like investors and shareholders, government authorities as well as creditors and financiers.

02

Four characteristics of financial statements

Four characteristics are essential for an item to be recognized in the financial statements. They are:

  • Understandability: The information must be presented in such a way that it is easily understandable by the users of the financial statements. The additional information should also be provided as a supporting footnote so as to help in clarification.
  • Relevance: The information provided must be suitable to the needs of the users so that it influences their decisions. This may include reporting appropriate information or information whose misstatement could affect the economic decisions of users.
  • Reliability: The information must be reliable in nature, which means it must be free from error and should not mislead the users.
  • Comparability: The information must be comparable in nature, which means it can be used to compare with the financial information presented in previous or future accounting periods, so as to enable the users in assessing the performance and financial position of the business.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(Elements of Financial Statements) Ten interrelated elements that are most directly related to measuring the performance and financial status of an enterprise are provided below.

Assets Distributions to owners Expenses Liabilities Comprehensive Income Gains Equity Revenues Losses Investments by owners

Instructions

Identify the element or elements associated with the 12 items below.(a) Arises from peripheral or incidental transactions.

(b) Obligation to transfer resources arising from a past transaction.

(c) Increases ownership interest.

(d) Declares and pays cash dividends to owners.

(e) Increases in net assets in a period from nonowner sources.

(f) Items characterized by service potential or future economic benefit.

(g) Equals increase in assets less liabilities during the year, after adding distributions to owners and subtracting investments by owners.

(h) Arises from income statement activities that constitute the entity’s ongoing major or central operations.

(i) Residual interest in the assets of the enterprise after deducting its liabilities.

(j) Increases assets during a period through sale of product.

(k) Decreases assets during the period by purchasing the company’s own stock.(l) Includes all changes in equity during the period, except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

Question: For each item below, indicate to which category of elements of financial statements it belongs.

(a) Retained earnings (f) Loss on sale of equipment

(b) Sales (g) Interest payable

(c) Additional paid-in capital (h) Dividends

(d) Inventory (i) Gain on sale of investment

(e) Depreciation (j) Issuance of common stock

Three expense recognition methods (associating cause and effect, systematic and rational allocation, and immediate recognition) were discussed in the text under the expense recognition principle. Indicate the basic nature of each of these expense recognition methods and give two examples of each.

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 “ground floor” 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’s 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’s 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.

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.
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