引言

市面上关于美国会计准则的原版书籍非常少，而翻译成中文的书籍几乎没有。其主要原因是美国会计准则不象中国的企业会计准则或国际财务报告准则，后者均只有一个发布机构。而针对US GAAP，FASB、AICPA、APB、SEC等若干个机构发布的相关财务会计的规定均构成了GAAP的组成部分，必须将其系统地汇总整理方有可参考性，否则若想要获得某一经济业务的详细会计处理而去FASB网站查找准则原文无异于大海捞针。除了Wiley GAAP以外，这两本书籍是又一值得购买和珍藏的关于美国会计准则的参考书籍，这两本书分等级（Level A、Level B、C and D） 对美国会计准则包括其最新发布的规定做了详细地阐述，相信会对您在学习和应用美国会计准则时带来有力的帮助。

编者的话

内容提要

The GAAP Guide Level A, in both the text and on the accompanying easy-to-use CD-ROM, analyzes authoritative GAAP literature contained in Level A of the GAAP hierarchy, established by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 69, which include FASB Statements and Interpretations, as well as APB Opinions and Accounting Research Bulletins. It is written in clear, comprehensible language. Each pronouncement is discussed in a comprehensive format that makes it easy to understand and apply. Practical illustrations and examples demonstrate and clarify specific accounting principles. The 2009 edition covers up to FAS-163 and contains the following specific information: · Changes in the GAAP hierarchy promulgated in FAS-162 (The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). · Changes required by FAS-141(R) (Business Combinations). · Reporting requirements for noncontrolling interests required by FAS-160 (Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements). · Amendments to FAS-133 found in FAS-161 (Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities). · Recently issued FAS-163 (Accounting for Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts). Accounting pronouncements are organized alphabetically by topic under two general areas: generally accepted accounting principles and specialized industry accounting principles. Pronouncements covering the same subject are incorporated into a single chapter, so that the authoritative information is easily accessible. The Practice Pointers explicate, in plain English, how to apply the standards just discussed. Observations enrich the discussion by presenting interesting aspects of GAAP, such as conflicts within the authoritative literature. To facilitate research, the GAAP Guide Level A includes extensive references to pertinent paragraphs of the original pronouncements. Where applicable, topics related to international standards are cross-referenced to CCHs International AccountingFinancial Reporting Standards Guide. Material can be located several ways: the Cross-Reference shows the chapter in which a particular pronouncement is discussed and where to find its useful counterpart in the proposed FASB codification; the Index provides a quick page reference; and the chapters table of contents list all topics covered and the page on which they begin. The GAAP Guide Level A meets accounting industry standards overseen by the peer review system and contains a document covering the peer review of this book.

作者介绍

Jan R. Williams, Ph.D, CPA, is the Pilot Corporation Chair or Excellence and Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he has been on the faculty since 1977. He received a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Arkansas and is a CPA licensed in Arkansas and Tennessee. Dr. Williams has, for many years, been actively involved in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, and several other professional organizations. Throughout his career, he has taught continuing professional education for CPAs. In 1994, Dr. Williams received the Outstanding Accounting Educator Award from both the Tennessee Society of CPAs and the AICPA. He was president of the American Accounting Association in 1999-2000 and has authored or co-authored five books and more than 70 articles and other publications on issues related to financial reporting and accounting education. Joseph V. Carcello, Ph.D., CPA, CMA, CIA, is the Ernst & Young Professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Management at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Carcello also is co-founder and Director of Research for the University s Corporate Governance Center. He has taught continuing professional education courses for two of the Big 4 accounting firms, the AICPA, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Institute of Management Accountants, and the Tennessee and Florida Societies of CPAs. He has provided consulting services to public companies on revenue recognition and on Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Dr. Carcello has served the Securities and Exchange Commission as an expert witness. Dr. Carcello is the co-author of CCH s GAAS Guide. He is also the co-author of a funded research study by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission titled Fraudulent Financial Reporting: 1987-1997, An Analysis of U.S. Public Companies and of a research monograph, Fraud-Related SEC Enforcement Actions Against Auditors: 1987-1997, published by the AICPA s Auditing Standards Board. Dr. Carcello served on COSO s Small Business Controls Guidance Task Force. He currently serves as Vice President-Finance for the American Accounting Association, a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board s (PCAOB) Standing Advisory Group, and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors Professional Issues Committee.

目录

预读

2009 GAAP GUIDE LEVEL A
CHAPTER 1
ACCOUNTING CHANGES
CONTENTS
Overview　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．01
Background　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．02
Changes in Accounting Principle　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．05
Illustration of the Application　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．07
Accountiting Principle
Disclosure　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．11
Changes in Accounting Estimate　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．11
Illustration of Current and Propective Method　　　　　　　1．12
Disclosure　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．13
Changes in Reporting Entity　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．13
Disclosure　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．13
Corrections of Errors in Previously Issued Financial
Statements　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．14
Illustration of Corrtction
Finacial Statelnents　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．14
Disclosure　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1．17
of Error in Proviously lssued
Related Chapters in 2009 GAAP Guide Level A　　　　　　　　　　1．17
Related Chapters in 2009 GAAP Guide Levels B，C，and D　　　　1．17
Related Chal ters in 2009 International Accounting／
Financial Reporting Standard S Guide　　　　　　　　　　　1．18

OVERVIEW

Accounting changes are broadly classified as (a ) changes in an accounting principle，(b)changes in an accounting estimate, and (c)changes in the reporting entity(FAS一154,par．2a)．CorrectiotIS oferrors in previously／issued financial statements are not accounting；changes but are covered 117 the same accounting literature because of their similar-ity(FAS一154，par．1)．
Two different accounting methods are used within GAAP to account for accounting changes and corrections of errors：(1)currentand prospective method，and(2)retroactive restatement method．These methods are not alternatives--the authoritative literature is specific concerning which method is to be used for each type ofaccounting change or correction of error．
GAAP for accounting changes prepared in conformity with GAAP authorita tive literature：
FAS一111 Rescission of FASB Statement No．32 and Technical Corrections
FAS一154 Accounting Changes and Error Corrections
FIN一1 Accounting Changes Related to the Cost of Inventory

BACKGROUND
Changes in accounting principle,estimate,and entity are described in the authoritative 1iterature as follows：
· Change IN accounting principle--Results from the adoption of a generally accepted accounting principle different from the one used previously for financial reporting purposes．The term principle includes not only principles and practices，but also methods of applying them(FAS一154，par．2c)．
· Change in accounting estimate--Necessary consequence of periodic presentations of financial statements and the many estimates and assumptions that und erlie those statements．A change in estimate results in a change in the carrying value of an existing asset or liability or a change in the future accounting treatment of an existing asset or liability(FAS一1 54，par．2d)．
· Change in accountill tltit A special type of change in accounting principle that results when the reporting entity is different from that of previous periods．This type of change iS characterized by(a)presenting consolidated or combined financial statements in place of individual company

2009 GAAP GUIDE LEVEL B, C AND D
CHAPTER 1
ACCOUNTING CHANGES
CoNTENTS
CoNTENTS
Overview 1．01
Level C
EITF Issues 1．03
84—9 Deposit Float of Banks 1．03
06—9 Reporting a Change in(or the Elimination of)a
Previously Existing Difference between the
Fiscal Year—End of a Parent Company and That
of a Consolidated Entity or between the
Reporting Period of an Investor and That of an
Equity Method Investee 1．04
EITF／FASB／SEC Staff Announcements 1．05
Topic D-1
Implications and Implementation of an
EITF Consensus 1．05
Related Chapter in 2009 GAAP Guide Levels B,C,and D 1．06
Related Chapters in 2009 GAAP Guide Level A 1．06
Related Chapters in 2009 International Accounting／Financial
Reporting Standards Guide 1．06

0VERVlEW
Accounting changes are broadly classified as(a)changes in an accounting principle，(b)changes in an accounting estimate，and (C)changes in the reporting entity．Corrections errors in prevlously issued financial statements are not accounting changes but are covered in the same accountin；fiterature because 0，tl~eir similarity·
Three different accounting methods are used to account tor accounting changes and corrections of errors：(1)current and prospective，(2)retrospective application，and(3)restatement．These ethods are not alternatives--the authoritative literature lS specific concerning which method should be used for each type of accounting change or correction of error．

GAAP for accounting changes apply to financial statements prepared in conformity with GAAP and are found in the following pronouncements included in the highest level of the SAS一69 GAAP
hierarchy：
FAS一73Reporting a Change in Accounting for Railroad Track Structures
FAS一111Rescission of FASB Statement No．32 and Technical C orrections
FAS一154Accounting Changes and Error Corrections
FIN一1Accounting Changes Related to the Cost of Inventory
FIN一20Reporting Accounting Changes under AICPA Statements of Position

Coverage of the pronouncements is available in the 2009 GAAP Guide Level A，Chapter 1，Accounting Changes
The EITF consensus positions discussed in this chapter are additional sources of GAAP concerning accounting changes．

LEVEL C
EITF Issues
Issue 84．9 Deposit Float of Banks
OVERVIEW
Until the end of 1983,it had been common practice for banks to record customers deposit as cash and liabilities to customers,and to pay interest from the date of deposit.
However, the December 31,1983,financial statements of at least two banks showed that they had netted and liabities related to some of theri customersdeposits. One bank justified not recognizing assets or liabilities for deposit float(amounts，deposited in the form of checks and similar items drawn on other banks or institutions that a bank has accepted but has not yet collected) by characterizing itself as an agent for its customers until theri checks had been collected.
ACCOUNTlNG ISSUES
1．Should banks be permitted to change their accounting by delaying recognition of customer deposits of checks as assets and liabilities until after having collected funds from the bank on which the checks were drawn?
2．Would a change in method of accounting for customer deposits be considered an accounting change under APB一20?
EITF CONSENSUS
1．The EITF did not reach a consensus on this xssue，because AcSEC had issued a Notice to Practitioners in the September24，1 984，issue of The CPA Letter(reprinted as Appendix G of Practice Bulletin No．1)．AcSEC believed that banks should not change their accounting and continue recording deposit float as assets and liabilities．
2．The EITF reached a consensus that a change in treatment of deposit float is not merely a matter of classification but would constitute a change in accounting principle，because it relates to asset and liability recognition issues．However，the Task Force opposed such a change，stating that it would be extremely difficult to justify it as a preferable accounting meth— od as a result of AcSEC’S issuance of the Notice to Practitioners and established practice．