Materiality Concept
The materiality concept suggests that an organization should focus on material facts only. In simple words, an organization should not waste its time on immaterial facts that do not help in determining its income for the period. In order to differentiate a fact as material or immaterial, one should consider its nature and the amount involved. Therefore, a fact will be considered material if the accountant believes that the information can influence the decisions of a user of the financial statements. For example, the original cost of stationery is insignificant to the users of financial statements. Hence they are not included in the closing stock of the statements and are shown under expenses. Similarly, suppose the company has incurred an expense on the marketing of the firm or its products. In that case, it will be shown in the financial statements as it is a material fact for the users and can change their decisions.
Accounting Concepts: Types, Examples & Principles
Theory Base of Accounting consists of accounting concepts, principles, rules, guidelines, and standards that help an individual understand the basics of accounting. These Concepts are developed over time to bring consistency and uniformity to the accounting process.
GAAP or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are the rules and procedures defined and developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) that an organization has to follow for the proper creation of financial statements consistent with the industry standards. The General Accepted Accounting Principles are also known as Accounting Concepts. The primary objective of GAAP is to ensure a basic level of consistency in the accounting statements of an organization. Financial statements prepared with the help of GAAP can be easily used by the external users of the accounts of a company.