Big bath: Difference between revisions

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An excessive 'big bath' provision was made in the earlier reporting period, reducing net assets and profits (or increasing losses) in the earlier 'bad' year.
An excessive 'big bath' provision is made in the earlier reporting period, reducing net assets and profits (or increasing losses) in the earlier 'bad' year.


The consequence would be to artificially increase profits in later periods.
The consequence is to artificially increase profits in later periods.


'Big bath' provisioning was particularly attractive to new managements as a way to assign blame to predecessors, while claiming credit for subsequent, partly artificial, improvements.
'Big bath' provisioning was particularly attractive to new managements as a way to assign more blame to their predecessors, while claiming more credit for subsequent, partly artificial, improvements.




Modern financial reporting standards aim to prevent this practice.
Modern financial reporting standards aim to prevent such manipulations.




== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Accruals accounting]]
* [[Conceptual framework]]
* [[Conceptual framework]]
* [[Provision]]
* [[Provision]]

Latest revision as of 17:30, 20 August 2024

Accounting - manipulation.

'Big bath' provisions are, or were, an accounting manipulation designed to boost profits and improve trends in future reporting periods.


An excessive 'big bath' provision is made in the earlier reporting period, reducing net assets and profits (or increasing losses) in the earlier 'bad' year.

The consequence is to artificially increase profits in later periods.

'Big bath' provisioning was particularly attractive to new managements as a way to assign more blame to their predecessors, while claiming more credit for subsequent, partly artificial, improvements.


Modern financial reporting standards aim to prevent such manipulations.


See also