Adjusting and Closing

Fundamental Accounting Principles

Adjusting与Closing就是为了调和财务记录的连续性与财务报告的间断性之间在Accrual Basis之下的矛盾。

goto P.137 Exhibit 4.18 Summary of Adjustments and Financial Statement Links

Adjusting and Closing - Before-Adjusting

可见所谓的adjusting就是将资产负债类账户与费用收益类账户进行调整;将期间账户的情况adjust为期末情况。

把Adjusted Trial Balance中的Revenues、Expenses、Withdrawals都给阉割(close)了即得于Post-closing Trial Balance. goto P.174

Adjusting and Closing - Post-Closing-Trial-Balance

“The post-closing trial balance is the last step in the accounting process.”

窃以为Closing Process真的纯粹只是个形式。goto P.171 Exhibit 5.1 Closing Process

Adjusting and Closing - Closing-Process

①②Expenses & Revenue汇入Income Summary时(难道即是中文里所谓的“轧账”?),其实即得net income。(此时的income summary其实就是net income)

③④Income summary (net income) & withdrawals汇入Owner’s Capital;可见与下图一致

Adjusting and Closing - Working-Paper

所以在Closing Process之后的Owner’s Capital(也即Post-closing Trial Balance(Revenues & Expenses被阉割)中的Owner’s Capital)实际上和Balance Sheet(Revenues & Expenses未被阉割)中的Owner’s Capital是一样的。

看起来Closing Process唯一拿得出手的milestone就是生成了p.174的Exhibit 5.4 Post-Closing Trial Balance。即将Revenues & Expenses阉割掉了的Adjusted Trial Balance,也即Post-closing Trial Balance。

并且考察p.175 Exhibit 5.5 General Ledger,

Adjusting and Closing - General-Ledger

可见post的过程也十分脑残。其中的Withdrawals、Revenues and Expenses accounts都只需在最后balance的相反方向上记一笔与最终balance相等的数额即完成closing。

唯二有些不同的就是Income Summary和Owner’s Capital的closing。可以发现,Income Summary的第一笔closing是与Revenue血拼;第二笔是与Expenses血拼;第三笔是与Owner’s Capital血拼,至0。而Owner’s Capital第一笔是与Income Summary血拼;第二笔是与Withdrawals血拼。

另外还可以看出的是,Adjusted Trial Balance反映的并非de facto的情况。

goto P.173 Exhibit 5.3中的Adjusted Trial Balance,其中的Owner’s Capital为30,000.而现实中的这个(出财务报表的)时点上,由于Revenues、Expenses、Withdrawals的存在,Owner’s Capital实际上已不是30,000了。所以由Adjusted Trial Balance生成各财务报表的顺序是:

  • Revenues/Expenses照搬并轧出net income从而生成Income Statement。
  • Adjusted Trial Balance中的Capital与Withdrawals及Income Statement中的Net income照搬并轧出不同于Adjusted Trial Balance中Capital的SCOE(Statement of Changes in Owner’s Equity)中的Capital(这个是真实的)从而生出SCOE。
  • Adjusted Trial Balance中的Assets & Liabilities及SCOE中的Capital照搬并汇总以生成Balance Sheet.

Post-closing Trial Balance中的都是真实的。例如,Capital跟Balance Sheet中的一样。