What is an Accounting Research Bulletin?

Accounting Research Bulletins are the documents issued Committee on Accounting Procedure (CAP), which was part of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). These documents were issued between 1938 and 1959 in an effort to rationalize the general accounting practice. Most of the bulletins were created from the results of research by the Committee in Accounting procedure to address the problems which were most prevalent and concern the business community.

How are Accounting Research Bulletins Used?

The Accounting Research Bulletins were not binding rules in themselves; they were more like explanations of the existing rules. The Accounting Research Bulletins were discontinued after 1959 as the Committee of Accounting Procedure was dissolved under a recommendation from the Special Committee on Research Program. Accounting Principles Board replaced the Committee of Accounting Procedures and in later years it got replaced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The Accounting Research Bulletins were superseded by the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) which became effective after September 2009. However, some of its points have been integrated into Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Today in the United States, the corporate financial reports are required to follow the rules of Accounting Standards Codification. This codification is recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as authoritative guidelines.