Government Accounting Notes
Government Accounting Notes
- Maintenance and other operating expenses Debt Service Funds: Used to account for and
- refers to the expenditures to support report financial resources that are restricted,
the operations of the research project committed, or assigned to expenditures for
or program, such as, but not limited to principal and interest. Debt service funds
supplies and materials, transportation, should also report financial resources being
travel, utilities, repair, etc. accumulated for principal and interest maturing
in future years (other than those financed by
- Capital Outlays proprietary and fiduciary funds).
- refer to appropriations for the purchase
of goods and services, the benefits of Permanent Funds: Used to account for and
which extend beyond the fiscal year report resources legally restricted to the extent
and which adds to the assets of the that only earnings, and not principal, may be
University. used to support the reporting government’s
- programs.
“Role of Commission on Audit
- To define the scope of the examination - Proprietary
- Establish the techniques and methods - Proprietary funds are used to track and report
- Promulgate Accounting and auditing rules and government-owned business-like activities,
regulations such as utilities and transportation systems.
They follow accounting principles similar to
Three Types of Government Fund those used in the private sector, focusing on
- Governmental the measurement of revenues, expenses,
Governmental funds track the basic activities assets, and liabilities associated with these
of a government and serve as a catch-all for business-type activities. Proprietary funds are
any fund type or function not recorded within used to account for activities that receive
fiduciary or proprietary funds. Governmental significant support from fees and charges, and
funds use a modified accrual basis of are accounted for using the economic
accounting, reporting mostly readily available resources measurement focus. Funds in this
assets and liabilities expected to be used and group are classified into two fund types:
paid back within a year. Funds in this group are - Enterprise Funds: Used to account for any
classified into five fund types: activity for which a fee is charged to external
users for goods or services.
General Fund: This is the main operating fund
of the state. It is used to account for all Internal Service Funds: Used to account for
financial resources not accounted for and goods or services provided to other agencies,
reported in another fund. departments, or governments on a
cost-reimbursement basis.
Special Revenue Funds: Used to account for
and report the proceeds of specific revenue - Fiduciary
sources that are restricted or committed to - Fiduciary funds are those held by the
expenditure for specified purposes, other than government as trustees or custodians of
debt service or capital projects. resources for citizens, organizations, or other
governmental entities. These funds are not
Capital Project Funds: Used to account for and used by the government but are held for
report financial resources that are restricted, specific groups or activities. They are reported
committed, or assigned to expenditure for under the full accrual basis of accounting and
capital outlays, including the acquisition or are treated as separate entities with
self-balancing accounts. Funds in this group time, they are unable to sell their products or services
are classified into four fund types: for more than it costs to produce them.
- Pension Trust Funds: Used to account for Relationship with Stakeholders. Governments should
resources that are required to be held in trust meet a broader benchmark of accountability than
for the members and beneficiaries of defined businesses, as individual taxes paid do not directly
benefit pension plans, defined contribution correlate with services received. Citizens are
plans, other post-employment benefit plans, or interested in evaluating interperiod equity by
other employee benefit plans. determining whether current taxpayers and users fully
- financed the costs of providing current-period
- Investment Trust Funds: Used to account for services. Government financial reporting should
the external portion of investment pools and provide systematic and rational cost-of-service
individual investment accounts held in trust. information. In contrast, because business enterprises
- focus primarily on increasing shareholders’ equity,
- Private-Purpose Trust Funds: Used to account their financial reports show changes in equity of the
for all other trust arrangements under which enterprise during the current period.
principal and income benefit individuals,
private organizations, or other governments. Role of the Budget. For governments, a budget has
- special legal significance. Governmental budgets are
- Custodial Funds (Agency Funds): Used to expressions of public policy priorities and legally
account for money held by the government as authorize the raising of public resources and the
a custodian until distributed to the legal purposes for which public resources may be spent. In
owner/beneficiary. fact, governmental budgets can be the primary
- method by which citizens and their elected
Major Differences between Government and representatives hold the government’s management
Corporate Accounting financially accountable. For business enterprises, the
Organizational Purposes. The purpose of budget represents an internal financial management
governments is to enhance or maintain tool that is controlled entirely by management and is
the well-being of citizens by providing public services considered proprietary in nature.
in accordance with public policy goals. In contrast,
business enterprises focus primarily on wealth Construction Period theory
creation, interacting only with those segments of - For assets under construction, the
society that fulfill their mission of generating a financial Construction Period Theory shall be applied for
return on investment costing purposes. Bonus paid to the contractor
for shareholders. for completing the work ahead of time shall be
added to the total cost of the project.
Sources of Revenue. The principal source of revenue Liquidated damages charged and paid for by
for governments is taxation, which is a legally the contractor shall be deducted from the total
mandated involuntary nonexchange transaction cost of the project. Any related expenses
between individual citizens and businesses and their incurred during the construction of the project,
government. The principal source of revenue of such as taxes, interest, license fees, permit
business enterprises is voluntary exchange fees, clearance fee, etc. shall be capitalized,
transactions between willing buyers and sellers. and those incurred after the construction shall
form part of operating cost.
Potential for Longevity. Because of their ongoing
power to tax and because of the ongoing need for Moving average method
public services, governments rarely liquidate. The - The moving average method of costing shall
possibility of achieving longevity, however, is not as be used for costing inventories. This is a
likely for business enterprises. Business enterprises method of calculating cost of inventory on the
will go out of existence if, for an extended period of basis of weighted average on the date of issue.
The Accounting Unit shall be responsible in
computing the cost of inventory on a regular - Modified Accrual Method
basis. - Under the modified accrual basis,
income of an agency is recorded as
Sources of National Income “Deferred Credits to Income” and the
- The income of the National Government are appropriate receivable account is
classified into general income accounts and debited. The income account is
specific income accounts. The following recognized upon receipt of collection
comprise the general income accounts, among and the “Deferred Credits to Income”
others: account is adjusted accordingly.
- 1. Subsidy Income from National Government
- 2. Subsidy from Central Office - Cash Basis
- 3. Subsidy from Regional Office/Staff Bureaus - Cash basis of accounting shall be used
- 4. Income from Government Services for all other taxes, fees, charges and
- 5. Income from Government Business other revenues where accrual method
Operations is impractical. The income account is
- 6. Sales Revenue credited upon collection of the cash or
- 7. Rent Income its equivalent.
- 8. Insurance Income -
- 9. Dividend Income When do you recognize income for fines and
- 10. Interest Income penalties?
- 11. Sale of Confiscated Goods and Properties - Fines and penalties, either on tax revenues or
- 12. Foreign Exchange (FOREX) Gains other specific income accounts, shall be
- 13. Miscellaneous Operating and Service recognized as income of the year these were
Income collected
- 14. Fines and Penalties-Government Services
and Business The Manual presents the basic policies and principles
- Operations in accordance with the (PPSAS)
- 15. Income from Grants and Donations
Who is responsible over Government funds and
The specific income accounts of national government Property?
agencies are classified as follows: - Head of the Government Agency
- 1. Income Taxes
- 2. Property Taxes “To establish accountability, every agency officer shall
- 3. Taxes on Goods and Services be properly bonded in accordance with the law”
- 4. Taxes on International Trade and
Transactions ______ is a government-wide, harmonized budgetary
- 5. Other Taxes treasury and accounting code classification framework
- 6. Fines and Penalties-Tax Revenue (UACS) United Accounts Code Structure
- 7. Other Specific Incom
- Classification of Expenditures according to object of
Methods of Accounting of Income expenditures
- Accrual Method - Personal Services
- Accrual method of accounting shall be - pertain to all types of employee
used by national government agencies benefits, for example, salaries,
when income is realized (earned) bonuses, allowances, cash gifts, etc.
during the accounting period regardless
of cash receipt. Accounts receivable is - Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses
set up and the general or specific - pertain to various operating expenses
income accounts according to nature other than employee benefits and
and classification are credited. financial expenses, for example, travel,
utilities, supplies, etc.
- Financial Expenses
- pertain to finance costs, for example,
interest expense, bank charges, losses
on foreign exchange transactions.
- Capital Outlays
- pertains to capitalizable expenditures,
for example, expenditures on the
construction of public infrastructure,
acquisition costs of equipment, etc.