
Accruals in financial records refer to the practice of recording expenses and revenues when they are earned or incurred, rather than when the cash is received or paid.
This approach is often used in accounting to match revenues and expenses in the same period, providing a more accurate picture of a company's financial performance.
For example, if a company provides services to a client in December but receives payment in January, the revenue would be recorded in December, not January. This is because the service was earned in December, even though the payment was not received until later.
Accruals can include items such as wages earned by employees but not yet paid, rent owed to landlords but not yet paid, and accounts payable to suppliers for goods received but not yet paid.
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What Is Accrual?
Accruals refer to the recording of revenues a company has earned but has yet to receive payment for, and expenses that have been incurred but the company has yet to pay.

Accrual accounting is based on the matching principle, which states that all revenue and expenses must be reported in the same period and matched to determine profits and losses for the period.
The matching principle requires that revenues should be recognized when earned and expenses should be matched at the same time as the recognition of revenue.
Accrual accounting differs from cash accounting, which only records income and expenses when cash is received and paid.
In accrual accounting, transactions are recognized as soon as they occur, whereas in cash accounting, transactions are not recognized until money changes hands.
Accrual accounting provides an accurate view of financial health, but it's a more complex method than cash accounting.
Accruals are a key concept in accrual accounting, and understanding them is crucial for businesses to accurately report their financial performance.
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Accrual Methods
Accruals are a crucial part of accrual accounting, and they refer to revenues a company has not yet received payment for and expenses companies have not yet paid.

There are four types of accruals typically recorded on the balance sheet when following the accrual accounting method. These include revenues and expenses that are not yet recorded in the financial statements.
The accrual accounting method provides a more accurate picture of a company's financial health compared to cash accounting. It recognizes income and expenses as soon as the transactions occur, rather than waiting for the cash to change hands.
This method is particularly useful for large and complex business entities, such as construction firms that may win long-term projects without full cash payment until completion.
Under accrual accounting, companies can recognize a portion of revenue and expenses corresponding to the proportion of work completed, providing a more accurate depiction of their financial position.
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Types of Accruals
Accruals are a crucial concept in accounting, and understanding the different types can help you make sense of your company's financials. Accruals refer to revenues a company has not yet received payment for and expenses it has not yet paid.

Accrued revenue occurs when a company has delivered a good or provided a service but hasn’t yet received payment. This is common in cases of long-term projects, milestones, and loans. For example, a landlord may rent out a storefront for $2,500 per month, paying each month’s rent on the first day of the following month.
Accrued expenses, also known as accrued liabilities, occur when a company incurs an expense it hasn't yet been billed for. This means the company received a good or service that it will pay for in the future. For instance, a company may rely on a utility like an internet connection to conduct business throughout the month of January but won't receive its bill until the end of March.
Accrued revenues or assets are income or assets yet to be received but where an economic transaction has effectively taken place. This can include goods or services provided on credit, such as electricity consumption, where the consumer uses the electricity before being billed at the end of the month.
Accrued expenses refer to when a company makes purchases on credit and enters liabilities in its general ledger, acknowledging its obligations to its creditors. This can include interest expense accruals, supplier accruals, and wage or salary accruals.
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Here are some examples of accrued expenses:
- Interest expense accruals – interest expense that is owed but unpaid
- Supplier accruals – operating expenses for goods or services rendered by a third-party supplier
- Wage or salary accruals – salaries owed to employees who work for part of the month without having received their fully earned monthly salary
Accounting Standards
Accounting Standards dictate that accruals should be recognized in the financial statements when certain conditions are met.
Accruals are a type of accounting adjustment that matches revenues and expenses with the period in which they occur, rather than when cash is received or paid.
This means that if a company provides a service or sells a product but hasn't received payment yet, the revenue should still be recorded in the financial statements.
The accounting standard for accruals is based on the principle of matching, which aims to match the costs of generating revenue with the revenue itself.
For example, if a company provides a service in one month but doesn't receive payment until the next month, the revenue should be recorded in the month the service was provided, not in the month the payment was received.
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Examples and Process
Accruals can be a bit tricky to understand, but let's break it down with some examples. Accrued revenue occurs when a company has delivered a good or provided a service but hasn’t yet received payment.

Accrued expenses, also known as accrued liabilities, occur when a company incurs an expense it hasn't yet been billed for. This can happen when a company receives a good or service that it will pay for in the future.
Examples of expenses to accrue include subaward services performed where the invoice has not yet been received and/or processed, recharges which have not yet shown up as expenses in the Actuals Ledger, and travel which occurred within the award period but the expense has not yet been recorded in the Actuals Ledger for the award.
Accrued expenses can be seen in cases where a company relies on a utility, like an internet connection, to conduct business throughout the month of January, but pays for it quarterly. In this scenario, the expected cost of internet for the month will need to be recorded as an accrued expense at the end of January.
Accruing for expected award expenses involves recording the cost estimate for a product or service that was delivered during the award period but has not yet been recorded in the General Ledger. This is often handled through accrual journals directly in BFS.
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Here are some examples of accrued expenses:
- Subaward services performed where the invoice has not yet been received and/or processed
- Recharges which have not yet shown up as expenses in the Actuals Ledger
- Travel which occurred within the award period but the expense has not yet been recorded in the Actuals Ledger for the award
- Utility expenses, like internet, that a company incurs but hasn't yet been billed for
Key Concepts
Accruals are a fundamental concept in accounting that can be a bit tricky to understand at first, but trust me, it's worth getting a handle on.
Accruals refer to the recording of revenues a company has earned but hasn't yet received payment for, and expenses that have been incurred but the company hasn't yet paid.
In accrual accounting, businesses can better anticipate revenues while tracking future liabilities, which is a big plus. This helps demystify accounting ambiguity and provides a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Accruals can be categorized into four main types: accrued revenues or assets, accrued expenses, accrued liabilities, and deferred revenues or expenses.
Here are some examples of accrued expenses: interest expense accruals, supplier accruals, wage or salary accruals, and travel expenses that occurred within the award period but haven't yet been recorded.
Accrued expenses occur when a company incurs an expense it hasn't yet been billed for, such as a utility expense that won't be paid until the end of the quarter.
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Accruals can include things like subaward services performed where the invoice hasn't yet been received, recharges that haven't shown up as expenses, and travel expenses that occurred within the award period but haven't yet been recorded.
Accrued revenues or assets are income or assets that are yet to be received but where an economic transaction has effectively taken place, such as providing services or delivering goods on credit.
Some common examples of accrued revenues include electricity consumption, where a company provides utility to its consumer prior to receiving payment, and accrued capital expenditures, where a company receives PP&E but hasn't yet paid for it.
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Sources
- https://financeandbusiness.ucdavis.edu/systems/kuali/fiscal-close/accrual-defer
- https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/what-is-accrual-accounting
- https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/accrual-accounting-guide/
- https://www.irs.gov/publications/p538
- https://controller.berkeley.edu/cga/award-closeout/closeout-accruals
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