Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and ...

In deciding how to keep the books for your business, you have two options: cash-basis accounting or accrual-basis accounting. The difference between them boils down to timing -- specifically, when you ...

Small business accounting would be much simpler if you got paid for all of your work right away and then paid for all your purchases as soon as you received the goods. The actual situation is more ...

There are two basic methods of accounting that businesses use to track and report revenues: the cash basis and the accrual basis. Under the accrual basis, revenues are recorded on a company's income ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Should small businesses use cash or accrual accounting? This question gets asked almost as much as “paper or plastic?” and “debit or ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Chip Stapleton is a Series 7 and Series 66 ...

First, let me say that the independent accounting professions promulgating “generally accepted accounting principles” (GAAP) for the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United ...

Globally, governments and the public sector are making slow but steady progress in adopting accrual-based accounting instead of cash-based accounting, according to a new report. Fully 56% of ...