LIMITATION OF ACCOUNTING

LIMITATION OF ACCOUNTING:
There are certain misconceptions regarding financial statements. A common man presumes that an income statement shows the correct income or loss of the enterprises and that a balance sheet depicts a perfectly true and fair pictures of financial standing of that enterprises.
following are:

1. Recording only monetary items

As per accounting principles only the events measurable in terms of money are recorded in the books of accounts. But events of great importance if not measurable in terms of money are not accounted for.

For that reason recorded accounting information fails to exhibit the exact financial position of a business concern.

2. Time Value of Money

Under accounting system money value is treated constant. But the value of money always changes due to inflation. Under existing accounting systems accounts are maintained considering historical cost ignoring current changed value.

As a result the accounts maintained fail to exhibit the exact financial position of a business concern.

3. Recommendation of alternative methods

There exists application of alternative methods in determining depreciation of assets and valuation of stock etc.

Information regarding activities of business is expressed in a misleading way if an alternative method is used to achieve a particular object.

4. Restrain of Accounting Principles

Exhibited accounting information cannot always exhibit true and fair picture of a business concern owing to limitations of accounting principles used.

For example,

Fixed assets are shown after deducting depreciation. In case of inflation, the value of fixed assets shown in the accounts does not correspond to the real position.

5. Recording of past events

In Accounting past events are accounted for. But naturally there is no system of recording events that may occur in future.

6. Allocation of problem

Allocation process is an important problem in accounting system. The value of fixed assets is exhausted charging depreciation for allocated period.

The useful life of fixed assets is fixed up hypothetically which does not stand accurate in most cases.

7. Maintaining secrecy

Secrecy cannot be ensured for involvement of many employees in accounting work although maintaining secrecy is very important.

8. Tendency for secret reserves

Often management creates secret reserves intentionally by increasing or decreasing assets and liabilities for which total financial picture of an organization is not reflected.

9. Importance of form over substance

At the time of preparing accounts for a particular period emphasis is laid on form, table etc. instead of giving importance to exhibition of substantial information.

As per Company Act, preparation of balance sheet in the prescribed form is mandatory.

Although there are some limitations in present accounting system, accounting in the present day world has generally been accepted as a recognized profession.

Efforts are on throughout the world to overcome these limitations. Economic activities of any society without accounting are neither possible nor legal.