英语词汇“accounting concepts”的翻译、意思、用法、释义-英汉经管词典

accounting concepts(accounting principles; fundamental accounting concepts) The basic theoretical ideas devised to support the activity of accounting. As accounting developed largely from a practical base, it has been argued that it lacks a theoretical framework. Accountants have therefore tried to develop such a framework; although various concepts have been suggested, few have found universal agreement. In the UK, four have traditionally been seen as fundamental:

• the going-concern concept assumes that the business is a going concern until there is evidence to the contrary, so that assets are not stated at their break-up value;

• the accruals concept involves recording income and expenses as they accrue, as distinct from when they are received or paid;

• the consistency concept demands that accounts be prepared on a basis that clearly allows comparability from one period to another;

• the prudence concept calls for accounts to be prepared on a conservative basis, not taking credit for profits or income before they are realized but making provision for losses when they are foreseen.

These four principles were laid down in Statement of Standard Accounting Practice (SSAP) 2, Disclosure of Accounting Policies; they were also recognized in the EU’s Fourth Company Law Directive and the UK Companies Acts together with a fifth principle, the accounting entity concept. From 2000 SSAP 2 was superseded by Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 18, which stated that the consistency concept and the prudence concept should no longer be regarded as fundamental. FRS 18 also identified four key objectives of financial information that can be regarded as fundamental principles: comparability, relevance, reliability, and understandability. The Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in 2013 likewise emphasizes these qualities, together with those of timeliness, materiality, and completeness. The same qualities are recognized in the International Accounting Standards Board’ Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting.