An accrual of Rs.560 for telephone charges had been completely omitted...
Possible answer:
Omission of telephone charges accrual
Explanation:
When a business uses a telephone service, it may receive a bill at the end of the month or the beginning of the next month. However, the usage of the telephone service during a certain period should be recognized as an expense in that period, even if the bill has not yet been received. This can be done by making an accrual, which is an estimation of the expense based on the expected usage and the applicable rate. An accrual is a liability that represents the obligation to pay for the expense in the future, and it is recorded as a debit to an expense account and a credit to an accrual account.
In this case, it appears that an accrual of Rs.560 for telephone charges had been completely omitted, which means that the business did not recognize this expense in the period when it was incurred. This could happen due to various reasons, such as:
- Lack of awareness or understanding of accrual accounting principles
- Delay or error in recording the accrual due to the complexity or volume of transactions
- Intentional or unintentional manipulation of financial statements by omitting or delaying expenses
Consequences:
The omission of the telephone charges accrual could have several consequences, such as:
- Understatement of expenses, which could inflate the net income and the retained earnings of the business, leading to a misrepresentation of its financial performance and position
- Overstatement of cash flows, which could make the business appear more liquid than it actually is, as it would not have accounted for the liability to pay for the telephone charges
- Inaccuracy of financial ratios and benchmarks, which could affect the decision-making of investors, creditors, and other stakeholders who rely on these indicators to evaluate the business
Remedies:
To remedy the omission of the telephone charges accrual, the following steps could be taken:
- Calculate the amount of the accrual based on the usage and the rate of the telephone service for the period in question
- Record the accrual as a debit to the telephone expenses account and a credit to the telephone charges accrual account
- Adjust the financial statements and the related disclosures to reflect the accrual and its impact on the business's performance and position
- Review the internal controls and the accounting policies related to accruals to prevent similar omissions in the future
Conclusion:
The omission of a telephone charges accrual is a common mistake that can affect the accuracy and reliability of a business's financial statements. By understanding the principles and practices of accrual accounting, and by implementing effective controls and procedures, businesses can avoid such errors and enhance their financial reporting.
An accrual of Rs.560 for telephone charges had been completely omitted...
Telephone charges A/C. Dr. 560
to suspense A/C. 560
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