Premium Essay

Government Accounting

In:

Submitted By selu
Words 300
Pages 2
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1-1

a. The similarities of accounting for profit-seeking and G&NP organizations include:

1. Double-entry system of accounts. 2. Most accounting mechanics, e.g., basic transaction documents, journals, ledgers, charts of accounts. 3. Where a G&NP organization has a business-type activity, e.g., a municipal electric utility, the accounting largely parallels that for a similar private business (e.g., electric utility).

b. Among the unique aspects of G&NP organization accounting are:

1. Fund accounting—designed to separate resources according to the purposes for which they may be used and to account for their uses and balances. 2. Budgetary control techniques—to help assure appropriations are not overexpended and all resources due the G&NP organization are received by it.

Question 1-2

a. A fund of a government organization is an independent fiscal and accounting entity. Each fund has a separate self-balancing set of accounts in which are recorded the resources segregated for specific purposes, the related liabilities and residual equity (fund balance or net assets), and the changes therein. Financial statements typically must be presented to report the financial position and operating activities of a fund of a government.

b. As the term is generally used in commercial accounting, a "fund" merely indicates that a portion of an organization's assets is set aside and/or restricted to certain uses, e.g., a petty cash fund or a bond sinking fund. Such "funds" are not separate accounting entities, but are accounted for by establishing appropriately titled asset and liability accounts within the organization's general ledger.

c. No, the creation of a fund does not constitute authority to spend or obligate its resources. In most not-for-profit organizations, particularly governments, authority to spend or...

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Accounting for Government

...Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Entities True / False Questions 1. Special purpose governments generally provide a wider range of services to their residents than do general purpose governments. True False 2. Examples of general purpose governments include cities, towns, and public schools that receive tax revenue to finance the services they provide. True False 3. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is the body authorized to establish accounting principles for all state and local governments, both general purpose and special purpose. True False 4. The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is the body authorized to establish accounting principles for all government entities. True False 5. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is the body authorized to establish accounting principles for all colleges and universities and health care entities. True False 6. Neither governmental nor not-for-profit entities have residual equity that can be distributed to owners. True False 7. A characteristic common to governmental and not-for-profit organizations is that they do not exist to provide goods or services at a profit or profit equivalent. True False 8. The needs of users of government financial reports are the same as those of users of business entity financial reports. True False 9. The Federal Accounting Standards...

Words: 6249 - Pages: 25

Premium Essay

Government Accounting

...Chapter 07 Accounting for the Business-type Activities of State and Local Governments   True / False Questions   1. | For proprietary funds, governments generally present a statement of net position in a format that displays assets, plus deferred outflows of resources, less liabilities, less deferred inflows of resources, equals net position.     True    False |   2. | Internal service funds of one government may not provide goods or services, on a cost-reimbursement basis, to other governments.     True    False |   3. | Revenues of internal service funds should be recognized only when they are expected to be available in time to pay current liabilities of the fund.    True    False |   4. | Internal service funds should account for operating expenditures on the accrual basis.    True    False |   5. | Internal service funds account within the fund for any long-term liabilities to be serviced from revenue derived from fund operations.    True    False |   6. | Internal service funds should not account for depreciation of capital assets used in their operations, since this would, in effect, charge the government twice for the same assets.    True    False |   7. | Internal service funds are intended to operate on taxes or other financing sources authorized by the legally enacted revenue budget for each year; therefore, they are classified as governmental funds.    True    False |   8. | The net position of an internal service fund consists...

Words: 10674 - Pages: 43

Free Essay

Government Accounting Chapter 1

...Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting: Theory and Practice, 10e (Freeman) Chapter 1 Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting—Environment and Characteristics 1. Which of the following would not be considered a government or nonprofit organization? A. A software company that sells software exclusively to state and local governments. B. A public elementary school. C. A church. D. A private trust organized for charitable purposes. (Answer: A; Easy; LO1) 2. Which of the following activities would most likely be accounted for as a business-type activity? A. Fire protection. B. Recreation. C. Water operations. D. Street maintenance. (Answer: C; Moderate; LO1) 3. Prior to the creation of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in 1984, which of the following organizations had the greatest influence over accounting concepts, principles, and standards for the state and local governments? A. The National Council on Governmental Accounting (NCGA) B. The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). C. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). D. The Comptroller General of the United States. (Answer: A; Moderate; LO1) 4. Which of the following is considered a health and welfare organization? A. Secondary schools. B. Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). C. Child protection agencies. D. United Way. (Answer: C; Easy; LO2) 5. Which of the...

Words: 1569 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Cost Accounting & Federal Government

...Cost Accounting and the Federal Government Washington will spend $782 billion more from 2000 to 2003 than it did between 1996 and 1999--an increase of $5,000 per household. With public demand to reduce federal spending, the Federal Government is rethinking the way that it provides goods and services. In order to cut spending the Federal Government is looking for new approaches to old problems. The biggest problem being, accountability. One approach to the accountability problem is to implement managerial cost accounting practices throughout the Federal Government and it’s programs. Cost accounting would help the government focus policy and funding decisions around relevant information. It would help program managers in monitoring performance and in reporting results to Congress and the taxpayers. The five standards for managerial cost accounting that have been suggested are: 1. Accumulating and reporting costs of activities on a regular basis for management information purposes. 2. Establishing responsibility segments to match costs with outputs. 3. Determining the full cost of government goods and services. 4. Recognizing the costs of goods and services provided by one federal entity to another. 5. Using appropriate costing methodologies to accumulate and assign costs to outputs. The costs in a federal government cost accounting system would be divided into two categories: program costs and costs not assigned. Each of these has sub-categories. Program...

Words: 597 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Government Accounting Hw Ch.8

...four basic differences between the information content of the fund financial statements and the government-wide financial statements are: In the fund financial statements, the current financial resources measurement focus and modified accrual basis of accounting are used. In the governmental type funds the measurement for those funds are converted to the economic resources measurement focus and accrual basis of accounting. The second difference is that the fund statements concentrate on individual major governmental and enterprise funds. A third difference is that fund statements include the fiduciary funds but exclude the discretely presented component units. The government wide statements exclude the fiduciary funds but include the discretely presented component units. 2. The column headings generally used in governmental wide statement of net position are governmental activities; business type activities; total of those two columns; discretely presented component units. 3. The three components of net assets in the government wide statement of net position are: 4. The purpose of a classified statement of net position is to be able to realize which statements are restricted, unrestricted or invested in capital assets. 5. The three categories of revenues that are deducted from expenses to compute the net expenses or revenues for each function or program shown in the government wide statement of activities are: Charges for services; Program-specific operating grants and contributions;...

Words: 464 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Acc 460 Government and Nonprofit Accounting

...The Financial Accounting Standards Board, the guideline making association for sound accounting standards, has issued two guidelines influencing the charitable part. These models will have the most noteworthy effect on philanthropies in more than 20 years. The two guidelines are Financial Accounting Standard No. 116, managing commitments made & got, & Financial Accounting Standard No. 117, managing monetary articulation group. Agreeability with both models is needed for a considerable length of time completion December 31, 1995 & past, with a discretionary one year delay for little associations which are those with yearly consumptions under $1000000 & aggregate possessions short of what $5000000. The effect of FAS 116 & 117 is extensive to the point that all levels of operations at a charitable will be influenced - not only the bookkeeping office. For instance, advancement officers will need to know the accurate terms of commitments keeping in mind the end goal to accurately record them under the new norms, lawful help may be required to focus the best possible treatment for blessing trust additions & misfortunes, & machine support may be obliged to suit the new reporting prerequisites. The accompanying is an outline of the two new gauges. FAS 117 on Financial Statement Display:- A set of monetary proclamations ought to incorporate an accounting report, articulation of action, proclamation of money streams &, for intentional wellbeing & welfare...

Words: 1133 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Acc460( Government and Non-Profit Accounting )Complete Class

...ACC460( Government and Non-Profit Accounting )Complete Class Click This Link to Get The Tutorial: http://www.myhomeworkspot.com/ACC455-Corporate-Taxation-Complete-Class-002.htm Week 1 Individual Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Analysis Paper Prepare a 350- to 700-word paper comparing and contrasting GASB and FASB accounting. Explain the objectives of the two standards boards and how they are similar and different. Describe how the modified accrual basis of accounting differs from full accrual accounting. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Discussion Questions DQ 1 Log into http://www.charitynavigator.org/. Choose a good charity and a bad charity and explain why you feel they should labeled good or bad. DQ 2 What is fund accounting? How does it compare to proprietary accounting? Why is fund accounting necessary? What are the major fund types? DQ 3 What are some examples of government and not-for-profit organizations? How do businesses measure success? How do government organizations measure success? DQ 4 What is the purpose of CAFR? What are the components of CAFR? Why is the Federal Government not subject to GASB 34? How do government-wide financial statements add information not available in fund financial statements? Week 2 Individual Ch. 1, 2, & 3 Textbook Exercises Resources: Ch. 1, 2, & 3 of Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting Prepare written...

Words: 1543 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Government Regulation in the Accounting Industry

...Running Head: GOVERNMENT REGULATION IN THE ACCOUNTING INDUSTRY Government Regulation in the Accounting Industry Rebecca Gregory Kaplan University Outline Introduction Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 • Brief History of the Securities Act of 1933 • Objectives of the Securities Act of 1933 • Summary of the Securities Act of 1933 • Necessity of the Securities Act of 1934 • Summary of the Securities Act of 1934 • Peat Marwick Fraud/Scandal The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 • Brief History of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 • Summary of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 • Kellogg Brown & Root LLC Fraud/Scandal Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) • The Purpose of SOX • Summary of SOX • US Bank of Seattle Fraud/Scandal Conclusion Government Regulation in the Accounting Industry The Great Depression and the Crash of 1929 led the United States into the beginning of new regulations. The first of these regulations was the Securities Act of 1933, which had a goal of prohibiting deceit, misrepresentation, and fraud in the sale of securities. The abusive practices of many banks and Wall Street firms resulted in the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1934. It was established by The Securities Act of 1934 and gave the SEC power to monitor the sale of securities in the U.S. As a result of SEC investigations in the 1970's, it was discovered that many businesses were making payments to foreign officials for the purpose...

Words: 2860 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

1-2. Identify and Describe the Five Environmental Differences Between Governments and for-Profit Business Enterprises as Identified in the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s Why Governmental Accounting and

...430 Governmental Accounting (Online) Chapter 1 Questions 1-2. Identify and describe the five environmental differences between governments and for-profit business enterprises as identified in the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s Why Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting Is-and Should be-Different. 1. Organizational Purposes-A governments organizational purpose is to provide public services for the well-being of citizens regardless of profit. Whereas a for-profit business’s organizational purpose is to generate a profit for the owner while providing services to the public. 2. Sources of Revenues-A for-profit business’s source of revenue is its net income (total revenues (sales)-total expenses). A government’s source of revenue is mainly from taxes. 3. Potential for Longevity-State and local governments rarely go out of business, because they are given the ability to tax. For this reason, governments view accounting operations on a long-term basis instead of short-term. Governments focus on maintaining services and how to meet future demands. 4. Relationship with Stakeholders-Since a Governments main source of revenue is taxes, which are paid by citizens; they are required to account for these public funds. Whereas a business can use its resources as it chooses. 5. Role of Budget-Business’s prepare a budget for planning and control purposes and are normally not provided to creditors or investors. Governments on the other hand...

Words: 1140 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Acct 567 Funds, Statements, Taxes, Accounting for Government and Nfp Keller

...ACCT 567 Funds, Statements, Taxes, Accounting for Government and NFP Keller PLEASE DOWNLOAD HERE! HTTP://WWW.STUDENTSWITHSOLUTIONS.COM/VIEW-TUTORIAL.ASPX?TUTORIALID=14604 ACCT 567 Funds, Statements, Taxes, Accounting for Government and NFP Keller 1. Explain the primary differences between ad valorem taxes, such as property taxes, and other taxes that generate derived tax revenues, such as sales and income taxes. How does accounting differ between these classes of taxes? http://www.studentswithsolutions.com/view-tutorial.aspx?TutorialId=14555 2. Can you name the statements which should be prepared by all not-for-profit organizations? http://www.studentswithsolutions.com/view-tutorial.aspx?TutorialId=14558 3. Name a budgetary account of a governmental fund http://www.studentswithsolutions.com/view-tutorial.aspx?TutorialId=14559 4. How are the major funds of a state or local government determined by a governmental entity? http://www.studentswithsolutions.com/view-tutorial.aspx?TutorialId=14556 5. Agency funds pay interest and principal on long term debt? http://www.studentswithsolutions.com/view-tutorial.aspx?TutorialId=14557 6. A refuse collection service can be accounted for by using one of several different funds. The service could be a part of the general fund, it could be a special revenue fund or an enterprise fund. What circumstances would determine which fund would be the most appropriate to use? http://www.studentswithsolutions...

Words: 1990 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

China's Budget System

...China’s budgetary system Year III Finance and Banking Balea Calin Dobrovolschi Natalia 2012 Content Introduction………………………………………………………………..pg 3 Traditional Budget Accounting…………………………………...……… pg 3 1.Taxonomy of Chinese Accounting……..…………….......................... pg 3 1.1 The Domain of Budget Accounting……….…………...………... .pg 3 1.2 Chinese units……………………………………………………... pg 4 2. Public Financial Management Process……………………..……….. pg 4 Conventional Budget Accounting …………………………………………pg 5 1. Overall and Unit Budgets…………………….…………………….. pg 5 2. Characteristics of the Chinese Budget Accounting System ….….…..pg 6 2.1 Accounting as a Budget Tool…………………….…………….. pg 6 2.2 Characteristics…………….…………………….……………… pg 7 The 1994 Budget Law………………………………..…………………… pg 8 1. Scope…….……………………………………………………….....pg 8 2. Institutional structure…………………………………………….....pg 8 3. Budget policy……………………………………………………….pg 9 3.1 General Policy…………………………………………………. pg 9 3.2 Separate Revenue System……………………………………....pg 9 3.3 Dual Budgeting System………………………………………...pg 10 3.4 Functional Classification of the Budget………………………...pg 10 3.5 Increased Budgetary transparency………………………………pg 11 3.6 Increased Effectiveness in resource utilization………………….pg 11 Further development………………………………………………………...

Words: 4741 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

Basic Accounting Concepts

...Basic Accounting Concepts and Business Structures Accounting is referred to by many as the language of business. Accounting is used throughout the business world and around the globe. Business accounting starts with (GAAP) which stands for Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; “These are guidelines or, more precisely, a group of objectives and conventions that have evolved over time to govern how financial statements are prepared and presented” ("What Are Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? | Government Bodies & Offices from AllBusiness.com," 2010). Those who report financial statement information must be aware of GAAP. The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) is responsible for establishing and maintaining GAAP. GAAP Hierarchy The hierarchy of GAAP is broken into four categories consisting of A, B, C and D. Category A holds the most authority. This category establishes the principles set forth by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). Category B consists of technical bulletins, audit and accounting guidelines which adhere to the American Institute of CPA’s standards and are cleared by the FASAB. The C category consists of “technical releases from the Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee of the FASAB” ("Generally Accepted Accounting Principles," n.d.). The last category is D; this category consists of implementing guides which are published by the FASAB. These guides also provide practices which are common and...

Words: 879 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Budgets and Funds

...Budgets and Funds — The City of Portland Introduction In each government organization’s management systems, the budget plays a significant role which reflects its policy, goals, and priorities. To understand better, it is necessary to know the purpose and function of budget. This paper will talk about why and how to use budgets and funds in governmental accounting by analyzing the budget of the city of Portland. First of all, I will introduce the fund system of accounting and compare the different budgets for funds. Second, I will analyze the budget of Portland to give an idea that how they use funds according to their purpose and restrictions, and how this can be conveyed to the voters so they can ask the right questions to make a good choice in the election. Last, I will give my opinion on how government can explain the budgets used more effectively for the public to understand. Fund System and Budget To understand how budget be used, it is necessary to know the fund system of accounting first. Overall in governmental accounting there are three broad categories of fund types: governmental funds, proprietary funds, and fiduciary funds. First, the governmental funds, which are taxed based, receive sales tax, property tax, vehicle tax, and other state and federal taxes as their main source of revenues. There are five types of funds in this category: general fund, special revenue funds, capital projects funds, debt service funds, and permanent funds. Second, proprietary...

Words: 1528 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Numbers Game

...not stuck with helping people with their taxes. There are some pros and cons in becoming an accountant. If one choses to become an accountant one could make good money. As you graduate college you will have to choose some type of path. Like I said there are many jobs one could do once you get that pesky degree in accounting. As Hallinston (2013) states in his article one could become a CPA. A CPA is a Certified Public Accountant and they do the broadest of jobs. Some things of those include bookkeeping, managing your client’s finances, preparing taxes and auditing financial statements. With that your clients could be individuals, companies, corporations, governments and non-profit organizations. (Hallinston 2013). Another job you could chose is Management accountant. Now with this you would be recording and analyzing the financial information of a company (Hallinston 2013). As this type of accountant you would prepare budgets and taxes, evaluate performance, and perform cost accounting and asset management. Also you may have to prepare financial reports for shareholders, creditors, tax authorities and regulatory bodies. So I guess you could say this field of accounting is a bit narrower (Hallinston 2013). Another major job you can do after graduating college and getting certified as a...

Words: 914 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Examples of How to Writ Dissertation

...AN INSTITUTIONALIST STUDY ON THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN A GOVERNMENT- LINKED ORGANISATION NORHAYATI BINTI MOHD ALWI UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA 2009 AN INSTITUTIONALIST STUDY ON THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN A GOVERNMENT-LINKED ORGANISATION by NORHAYATI BINTI MOHD ALWI Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am especially indebted to my supervisor, Dr. Siti Nabiha Abdul Khalid for her constant guidance, limitless support and patience throughout the period of my study. There is no way that I would be able to repay the kindness and caring that she has shown to me. I am thankful to Assoc. Professor Dr. Yuserrie, for giving valuable inputs to my study and also to others in the School of Management, who have helped me in some way or another. I would like to acknowledge the comments made by Professor Lee Parker and other participants of the Global Accounting and Organisational Change Conference, held in Melbourne, Australia in July 2008. A special thank you is also dedicated to Professor John Burns for the insightful comments on the research. I am also indebted to my employer International Islamic University Malaysia and the Ministry of Higher Education for providing the financial support. Thanks so much also to the respondents for their willingness to share some of their thoughts and experiences, which have made my data collection easier than I would ever...

Words: 8361 - Pages: 34