Page 37 - Accounting Principles (A Business Perspective)

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amounts and composition of its assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity change. However, the equality of the
basic accounting equation always holds.
An accounting transaction is a business activity or event that causes a measurable change in the accounting

equation, Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders’ equity. An exchange of cash for merchandise is a transaction. The
exchange takes place at an agreed price that provides an objective measure of economic activity. For example, the
objective measure of the exchange may be USD 5,000. These two factors—evidence and measurement—make
possible the recording of a transaction. Merely placing an order for goods is not a recordable transaction because no
exchange has taken place.
A source document usually supports the evidence of the transaction. A source document is any written or
printed evidence of a business transaction that describes the essential facts of that transaction. Examples of source

documents are receipts for cash paid or received, checks written or received, bills sent to customers for services
performed or bills received from suppliers for items purchased, cash register tapes, sales tickets, and notes given or
received. We handle source documents constantly in our everyday life. Each source document initiates the process
of recording a transaction.
Underlying assumptions or concepts

In recording business transactions, accountants rely on certain underlying assumptions or concepts. Both
preparers and users of financial statements must understand these assumptions:
• Business entity concept (or accounting entity concept). Data gathered in an accounting system
relates to a specific business unit or entity. The business entity concept assumes that each business has an
existence separate from its owners, creditors, employees, customers, other interested parties, and other
businesses.

• Money measurement concept. Economic activity is initially recorded and reported in a common
monetary unit of measure—the dollar in the United States. This form of measurement is known as money
measurement.
• Exchange-price (or cost) concept (principle). Most of the amounts in an accounting system are the
objective money prices determined in the exchange process. As a result, we record most assets at their
acquisition cost. Cost is the sacrifice made or the resources given up, measured in money terms, to acquire
some desired thing, such as a new truck (asset).
• Going-concern (continuity) concept. Unless strong evidence exists to the contrary, accountants

assume that the business entity will continue operations into the indefinite future. Accountants call this
assumption the going-concern or continuity concept. Assuming that the entity will continue indefinitely
allows accountants to value long-term assets, such as land, at cost on the balance sheet since they are to be
used rather than sold. Market values of these assets would be relevant only if they were for sale. For
instance, accountants would still record land purchased in 1988 at its cost of USD 100,000 on the 2010
December 31, balance sheet even though its market value has risen to USD 300,000.
• Periodicity (time periods) concept. According to the periodicity (time periods) concept or

assumption, an entity’s life can be meaningfully subdivided into time periods (such as months or years) to
report the results of its economic activities.

Accounting Principles: A Business Perspective 38 A Global Text