What is Accounting Conservatism?

Accounting conservatism exhibits the potential worst scenarios in financial statements. This accounting method seeks to answer the volatility by selecting the situation with the most conservative income. Accountants practice this method to avoid overestimation of fiscal capacity. This practice includes waiting to recognize income until it is officially made because then reasonableness can be recognized.

How Does Accounting Conservatism Work?

In order to decrease negative prospects in accounting information, many professionals use a method called accounting conservatism. The method, characteristically conservative, prepares for small fiscal returns in addition to gross losses. Businesses employ this method to avoid the misperception of fiscal integrity or health. Accountant may employ accounting conservatism to many accounting practices internally. The standards for recognizing fiscal gains are much stricter than recognizing a loss in accounting conservatism. The principle of prudence is followed by greater prudence. Accounting conservatism also anticipates equal losses and gain. In order to recognize either, accountants must have meaningful verification. The verification is dependent on the company policies. Many recognize losses when there is an indication, but only substantiate fiscal gains until said gains materialize. In layman terms, conservative accounting prepares for losses but defers identification of profits. Conservative accounting is the opposite of aggressive accounting. As with any accounting practice, there are both advantages and disadvantage. In regards to advantage, the following are the common assets:

• Conservative accounting reduces volatility in regards to the company image.
• By giving an accessible representation of a business fiscal situation, the company smooths access to financing.
• The accounting method allows financial analysts to create objective and accurate forecasts.

As with all assets, there are disadvantages, as well:

• The forecasts may present a negative fiscal trend which is not representative of the actuality.
• Information is asymmetric.

Accounting Conservatism Methods

For companies that utilize accounting conservatism, following a stringent fiscal reporting is paramount. This policy adheres to the standard accounting principle of congruence. This requires all losses to be recorded in the expense statements. This expendable income stipulates an occurrence of cash or claims being exchanged known as an account receivable. In accounting conservatism, only when fiscal gains are actualized does it appear on the financial records. This methodology allows business to avoid over-reporting income. Likewise, accounting conservatism overestimates the possibility of negative transactions. For businesses that deal in goods or services often find in their ledger a high amount of assets that have not been actualized as customers still owe on accounts. 

Companies in similar situations choose to use accounting conservatism to give a more accurate account of the future fiscal climate. Other businesses may choose conservative accounting when assets and liability. This creates a conservative approach to the company's ledger. However, recent years have seen a change in business equity to reflect the equity structure than on the ledger. However, the calculation of economic value is based on the assets minus the liabilities. Conservative accounting ensures fiscal reporting is representative of the true economic health. This method of accounting can misused to over-report earnings at a later date. The can be for dubious reasons or simply because the method allots for a high estimate for unreliable income though it has been collected. This may lead to a distorted view of the companies fiscal state.

Related Topics

• What is Accounting? – Financial Accounting
• Who are Users of Accounting Information? – Financial Accounting
• What are Generally Accepted Accounting Principles? – Financial Accounting
  • What is the Accounting Principles Board? – Financial Accounting
  • GAAP Accounting Principles?
• Accounting Assumptions
• Accounting Constraints
• Accounting Conventions
  
  • Accounting Conservatism - Financial Accounting