Cash and Accrual Basis for Accounting

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Cash and Accrual Basis for Accounting ACC/290 There are few differences between accrual versus cash basis accounting. The defining difference in when a transaction is recorded. In cash basis accounting businesses record the cash (credit, check, etc) when it is given or received. For instance, if they place an order for supplies they only record when the supplies are paid for not entered into accounts payable to be reconciled later. Another instance is recording rent when it is paid not delineating what is promised (unearned rent revenue) and when it is paid (rent revenue). Basically cash basis account doesn’t account for what is owed but what is owned. However, Cash basis accounting excels at tracking actual assets, cash on hand in particular. Cash is operating revenue; businesses cannot pay employees without some type of cash. Accrual basis accounting records the transaction immediately in a type of account, such as accounts payable, money owed to other companies for services; or accounts receivable “money owed by its debtors” ("Google.com", 2012). Later when the business pays out or is paid; they perform a balance by debiting one account and balancing by credit the corresponding and opposite account. Tracking the relationship between purchase and sale easier, something cash basis accounting fails at. In general, accrual basis accounting is preferred at tax time and for medium to large business. The classic example is expense. Let us say a company finances an addition to its existing building in December of 2012. They can claim that loss in 2012 through accrual basis accounting because the expense is recorded at the time of the financing, not when payments are made in January 2013. For small companies that have a simpler organization and less capital or investments to leverage, cash basis accounting can be more beneficial because they have set

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