Wiley GAAP for Governments 2013: Interpretation and Application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for State and Local Governments

PREFACE

Governmental accounting is a specialized area that has undergone significant changes over the past few decades. As governmental accounting standards have developed, the complexities of preparing financial statements for governmental entities have greatly increased. Providing meaningful financial information to a wide range of users is not an easy task. Adding to these challenges, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) brought sweeping changes to the governmental financial reporting model and is now continuing the process of addressing many important accounting areas related to that model.

Given this rapidly changing environment, the financial statement preparer needs a technical resource that provides more than accurate, competent technical information. The resource needs to be written to fit today’s governmental accounting environment. It needs to take a fresh look at some of the long-standing accounting questions faced by governments and to provide meaningful up-to-date information on recently issued and soon-to-be-issued accounting pronouncements.

The purpose of this book is to meet these needs by providing a useful, complete, and practical guide to governmental accounting principles and financial reporting. Throughout, the book will provide the reader with

• An understanding of the concepts and theories underlying each topic discussed
• A complete, authoritative reference source to assure the reader that all aspects of a particular topic are covered
• Practical ...