©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009 Solutions Manual, Chapter 3 119 Chapter 3 Adjusting Accounts and Preparing Financial Statements QUESTIONS 1
The cash basis of accounting reports revenues when cash is received while the accrual basis reports revenues when they are earned
The cash basis reports expenses when cash is paid while the accrual basis reports expenses when they are incurred and matched with revenues they generated
The accrual basis of accounting generally provides a better indication of company performance and financial condition than does the cash basis
Also, the accrual basis increases the comparability of financial statements from one period to the next
Thus, business decision makers generally prefer the accrual basis
Businesses that have major seasonal variations in sal