Discovering How Depreciation Affects All Financial Statements 188
Mastering Costs 189
Defining costs and expenses in the business world 190
Satisfying the matching principle 190
Identifying product and period costs 191
Learning which costs are depreciated 191
Distinguishing among Depreciation Methods 194
Walking through the straight-line method 196
Accelerating by using declining balance 196
Calculating sum-of-the-years’-digits 197
Using the units-of-production method 198
Seeing how the methods compare 198
Figuring partial year depreciation 199
Preparing a Depreciation Schedule 200
Chapter 13: Learning about Inventory Cost Flow Assumptions 203
Discovering How Inventory Valuation Affects the Financial Statements 204
Do Service Companies Have Inventory? 205
Classifying Inventory Types 206
Accounting for merchandising company inventory 206
Accounting for manufacturing company inventory 208
Getting to Know Inventory Valuation Methods 210
Specific identification 211
Weighted average 211
First-in, first out (FIFO) 211
Last-in, first-out (LIFO) 212
Comparing inventory cost-flow assumptions 212
Preparing an Inventory Worksheet 216
Part 5: Analyzing the Financial Statements 217
Chapter 14: Using Ratios and Other Tools 219
Learning about Liquidity Measurements 220
Figuring the current ratio 221
Putting the acid test to work 222
Working with working capital 223
Measuring Profitability 224
Explaining trend analysis 224
Focusing on return on investment 225
Homing in on return on equity 227
Exploring Activity Measures 227
Accounts receivable turnover 228
Inventory turnover 228
Number of days’ sales in accounts receivable 229
Analyzing Financial Statements 230
Using horizontal analysis 230
Comparing with vertical analysis 231
Using Common Size Financial Statements 232
Chapter 15: Got Your Dictionary Ready? Reading Explanatory Notes and Disclosures 235
Realizing How Corporations Should Govern Themselves 236
Identifying Corporate Characteristics 236
Reviewing Common Explanatory Notes 239
Leveling the playing field among financial statements 239
Explaining significant accounting policies 240
Looking for important event disclosures 244
Putting the Onus on the Preparer 249
Chapter 16: Studying the Report to the Shareholders 251
Why Private and Public Companies Treat Annual Reports Differently 252
Fulfilling Three Purposes 253
Serving a marketing and PR function 253
Stating financial performance and goals 253
Meeting regulatory requirements 254
Reading the Annual Report to Shareholders 254
Meeting the chair of the board of directors 255
Highlighting key financial data 255
Touting company achievements 257
Looking into the future 257
Getting to know key management and board members 258
Walking through the Form 10-K 259
Facing page: Identifying the affected company 259
Part I: Learning more about the registrant 260
Part II: Revealing the company’s financial performance 260
Part III: Identifying management and corporate governance 264
Part IV: Exhibits, financial statement schedules, and signature 264
Part 6: Feeling Brave? Tackling More Advanced Financial Accounting Topics 265
Chapter 17: Accounting for Emerging Issues 267
Reviewing Different Technological Effects on Financial Accounting 268
Working in a digital world 268
Discussing transitional recording 272
Introducing the Pharmaceutical Industry 273
Booking pharmaceutical transactions 274
Crediting Research and Development Costs 279
Walking through the background of research and development (R&D) 280
Explaining the effect on relevant industries 281
Realizing constraints for costs and expenses 281
Reporting in the books 282
Recognizing Losses 282
Different types of business interruptions 282
Properly expensing or accruing costs 284
Chapter 18: Accounting for Income Taxes 285
Identifying Financial Income versus Taxable Income 286
Figuring out financial income 287
Taking a look at taxable income 287
Explaining why the two incomes differ 289
Taking Advantage of Net Operating Losses 292
Identifying loss carrybacks 292
Understanding loss carryforwards 293
Presenting a Side-by-Side Comparison of Book and Tax Calculations 294
Taking Deferred Tax Liabilities or Assets to the Balance Sheet 295
Chapter 19: Accounting for Leases 297
Reviewing Lease Basics 298
Identifying leasing advantages 298
Introducing the lessor and lessee 299
Accounting for the Lessee 300
Looking at operating leases 300
Walking through finance leases 302
Presenting a finance lease on the financial statements 304
Accounting for the Lessor 305
Operating leases 305
Direct financing leases 306
Sales-type leases 307
Chapter 20: Reporting Changes in Methods and the Correction of Errors 309
Coping with Accounting Changes 310
Reporting changes in accounting principles 310
Changing a company’s estimates 316
Understanding changes in reporting entities 318
Dealing with Errors 319
Reviewing common types of errors 319
Letting counterbalancing errors lie 320
Restating the financial statements 321
Part 7: The Part of Tens 323
Chapter 21: Ten Financial Accounting Shenanigans 325
Reporting Revenue in the Wrong Period 325
Reporting Fictitious Income 326
Increasing Income with Misleading Events 327
Shifting Expenses Between Periods 327
Misclassifying Cash 328
Failing to Record Liabilities 329
Reporting Liabilities in the Wrong Period 329
Not Disclosing Related-Party Transactions 330
Capitalizing Normal Operating Expenses 331
Deleting Transactions 331
Chapter 22: Ten Accounting Career Opportunities 333
Certified Public Accountant 334
Consultant 335
Corporate Accountant 335
Forensic Accountant 336
Government Accountant 337
Information Technology Auditor 338
Income Tax Accountant 338
International Accountant 339
Non-Accounting Accountant 339
Not-for-Profit Accountant 340
Index 341
Warren Buffett said that “accounting is the language of business.’’ And for many accounting and business students, the obscure terminology of accounting makes fluency hard to achieve. Financial Accounting For Dummies can help to demystify abstract concepts in a straightforward, friendly way. With step-by-step examples and real-world scenarios practice, it helps you grasp the fundamentals of accounting until you’re ready to interpret, analyze, and evaluate corporate financial statements like you’ve been doing it all your life.
Packed with easy-to-understand examples, this book takes you from the big three financial statements all the way through to income taxes. Or join the anti-fraud squad by discovering how to spot the ten most common accounting shenanigans.
Grasp introductory financial accounting course material Explore common concepts financial professionals use to compile reports Understand leases, free cash flow, and statement analysis Learn accounting for small businesses Whether you’re studying for your bachelor’s, MBA, or MAcc, you’ll find everything you need to speak the language of finance like a native—and use it to get to wherever you want to go!