AFAR-20 (Government Accounting)
AFAR-20 (Government Accounting)
AFAR-20 (Government Accounting)
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING
PPSAS - Philippine Public Sector Accounting Standards
Definition (Section 109 of PD 1445)
Government Accounting encompasses the processes of analyzing, recording, classifying , summarizing and
communicating all transactions involving the receipt, disposition and utilization of government funds and property and
interpreting the results thereof.
As a process, it puts together all activities pertaining to the gathering of data which are to be used as the bases for
management decisions. It includes:
1. bookkeeping referred to as analysis, recording and journalizing.
2. posting or grouping or classifying of similar items
3. preparation of periodic financial reports
4. analysis of reports to determine their accuracy and adequacy as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of
agency operations.
Like commercial accounting, government accounting is an art and are based on fundamental concepts regarding
accounting functions and the rules governing accounting practices. These rules which are derived from experience
and reason are flexible and in a constant process of evolution.
Objective of the Government Manual. The Manual aims to update the following:
1. standards, policies, guidelines and procedures in accounting for government funds and property;
2. coding structure and accounts; and
3. accounting books, registries, records, forms, reports and financial statements.
Definition of Terms. For the purpose of this Manual, the terms used as stated below shall be construed to mean as
follows:
1. Accrual basis – means a basis of accounting under which transactions and other events are recognized
when they occur (and not only when cash or its equivalent is received or paid).
Therefore, the transactions and events are recognized in the accounting records and recognized in the
financial statements of the periods to which they relate. The elements recognized under accrual accounting
are assets, liabilities, net assets/equity, revenue, and expenses.
2. Assets – are resources controlled by an entity as a result of past events, and from which future economic
benefits or service potential are expected to flow to the entity.
3. Contributions from owners – means future economic benefits or service potential that have been contributed
to the entity by parties external to the entity, other than those that result in liabilities of the entity, that establish
a financial interest in the net assets/equity of the entity, which:
a. conveys entitlement both to (i) distributions of future economic benefits or service potential by the
entity during its life, such distributions being at the discretion of the owners or their representatives;
and to (ii) distributions of any excess of assets over liabilities in the event of the entity being wound
up; and/or
b. can be sold, exchanged, transferred, or redeemed.
4. Distributions to owners – means future economic benefits or service potential distributed by the entity to all or
some of its owners, either as a return on investment or as a return of investment.
5. Entity – refers to a government agency, department or operating/field unit. It may be referred to in this GAM
as an agency
Basic Government Accounting and Budget Reporting Principles. Each entity shall recognize and present its financial
transactions and operations conformably to the following:
generally accepted government accounting principles in accordance with the PPSAS and pertinent laws, rules and
regulations;
1. accrual basis of accounting in accordance with the PPSAS;
2. budget basis for presentation of budget information in the financial statements (FSs) in accordance with
PPSAS 24;
3. RCA Revised Chart of Accounts prescribed by COA;
4. double entry bookkeeping;
5. financial statements based on accounting and budgetary records; and
6. fund cluster accounting.
Keeping of the General Accounts. The COA shall keep the general accounts of the Government and, for such period
as may be provided by law, preserve the vouchers and other supporting papers pertaining thereto, pursuant to
Section 2, par. (1), Article IX-D of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Financial Reporting System for the National Government. The financial reporting system of the Philippine government
consists of accounting system on accrual basis and budget reporting system on budget basis under the statutory
responsibility of the NGAs, Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the
COA, as follows:
1. Each entity of the National Government (NG) maintains complete set of accounting books by fund cluster
which is reconciled with the records of cash transactions maintained by the BTr.
2. The BTr accounts for the cash, public debt and related transactions of the NG.
3. Each entity maintains budget registries which are reconciled with the budget records maintained by the DBM
and the Government Accountancy Sector (GAS), COA.
4. The COA, through the GAS:
a. maintains budget records showing the overall approved budget of the NG and its
execution/implementation;
b. consolidates the FSs and budget accountability reports of all NGAs and the BTr with COA’s records to
come up with an Annual Financial Report (AFR) for the NG as required in Section 4, Article IX-D of the 1987
Philippine Constitution; and
c. prepares other financial reports required by law for submission to oversight agencies.
Objectives of General Purpose Financial Statements. The objectives of general purpose financial statements (GPFSs)
are to provide information about the financial position, financial performance, and cash flows of an entity that is
useful to a wide range of users in making and evaluating decisions about the allocation of resources. Specifically, the
objectives of general purpose financial reporting in the public sector are to provide information useful for decision-
making, and to demonstrate the accountability of the entity for the resources entrusted to it.
Responsibility for Financial Statements. The responsibility for the preparation of the FSs rests with the following:
a. for individual entity/department FSs – the head of the entity/department central office (COf) or regional office
(RO) or operating unit (OU) or his/her authorized representative jointly with the head of the
finance/accounting division/unit; and
b. for department/entity FSs as a single entity – the head of the entity/department COf jointly with the head of
the finance unit.
Components of General Purpose Financial Statements. The complete set of GPFSs consists of:
1. Statement of Financial Position
2. Statement of Financial Performance
3. Statement of Changes in Net Assets/Equity
4. Statement of Cash Flows
5. Statement of Comparison of Budget and Actual Amounts; and
6. Notes to the Financial Statements, comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other
explanatory notes.
Components of Budget and Financial Accountability Reports. The budget reports consist of the following Budget and
Financial Accountability Reports (COA-DBM-DOF Joint Circular No. 2013-1, as amended by COA and DBM Joint
Circular No. 2014-1 dated July 2, 2014):
a. Quarterly Physical Report of Operation (QPRO)
b. Statement of Appropriations, Allotments, Obligations, Disbursements and Balances (SAAODB)
c. Summary of Appropriations, Allotments, Obligations, Disbursements and Balances by Object of
Expenditures (SAAODBOE) A
d. List of Allotments and Sub-Allotments (LASA)
e. Statement of Approved Budget, Utilizations, Disbursements and Balances (SABUDB) – for
Off-Budget Fund)
f. Summary of Approved Budget, Utilizations, Disbursements and Balances by Object of Expenditures
(SABUDBOE) (for Off-Budget Fund)
g. Aging of Due and Demandable Obligations (ADDO)
h. Monthly Report of Disbursements (MRD)
i. Quarterly Report of Revenue and Other Receipts (QRROR)
Fair Presentation. The FSs shall present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity.
Fair presentation requires the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other events, and conditions in
accordance with the definition and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses set out in PPSAS.
The application of PPSAS, with appropriate disclosures, if necessary, would result in fair presentation of the FS.
Compliance with PPSASs. An entity whose financial statements comply with PPSASs shall make an explicit and
unreserved statement of such compliance in the notes. Financial statements shall not be described as complying
with PPSASs unless they comply with all the requirements of PPSASs. Inappropriate accounting policies that do not
comply with PPSAS are not rectified either by disclosure of the accounting policies used, or by notes or explanatory
material.
Departure from PPSAS. In the event that Management strongly believes that compliance with the requirement of
PPSAS would result in misleading presentation that it would contradict the objective of the FSs set forth in PPSAS, the
entity may depart from that requirement if the relevant regulatory framework allows, or otherwise does not prohibit,
such a departure.
Going Concern. The FSs shall be prepared on a going concern basis unless there is an intention to discontinue the
entity operation, or if there is no realistic alternative but to do so.
Consistency of Presentation. The presentation and classification of items in the FSs shall be retained from one period
to the next unless laws, rules and regulations, and PPSAS require a change in presentation.
Materiality and Aggregation. Each material class of similar items shall be presented separately in the financial
statements. Items of a dissimilar nature or function shall be presented separately unless they are immaterial. If a line
item is not material, it is aggregated with other items either on the face of FSs or in the Notes to the FSs. A specific
disclosure requirement in a PPSAS need not be satisfied if the information is not material.
Offsetting. Assets and liabilities, and revenue and expenses shall not be allowed to offset unless required or permitted
by a PPSAS except when offsetting reflects the substance of the transaction or other event.
Comparative Information. Comparative information shall be disclosed with respect to the previous period for all
amounts reported in the FSs. Comparative information shall be included for narrative and descriptive information
when it is relevant to an understanding of the current period’s FSs.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets/Equity. An entity shall present in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets/Equity
(SCNA/E) the following:
a. Net Income or Deficit for the period;
b. Each item of revenue and expenses for the period that, as required by Standards, is recognized directly in
net assets/equity, and the total of these items;
c. Total revenue and expenses for the period; and
d. For each component of net assets/equity separately disclosed, the effects of changes in accounting policies
and corrections of errors recognized in accordance with PPSAS 3-Accounting Policies, Changes in
Accounting Estimates and Errors.
Statement of Cash Flows. The Statement of Cash Flows (SCF) provides information to users of FSs a basis to assess the
ability of the entity to generate cash and cash equivalents and to determine the entity’s utilization of funds. This also
provides information on how the entity generates income authorized to be used in their operation and its utilization.
Statement of Comparison of Budget and Actual Amounts. A comparison of budget and actual amounts will enhance
the transparency of financial reporting in government. This shall be presented by government agencies as a separate
additional financial statement referred in this Manual as the Statement of Comparison of Budget and Actual Amounts
(SCBAA).
Notes to Financial Statements. The Notes to FSs contain information in addition to that presented in the SFP, SFPer,
SCNA/E, SCF and SCBAA. Notes provide narrative descriptions or disaggregation of items disclosed in those FSs and
information about items that do not qualify for recognition in those statements.
Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reporting. An entity shall present information including accounting policies in
a manner that meets a number of qualitative characteristics such as understandability, relevance, materiality,
reliability and comparability. These qualitative characteristics are the attributes that make the information provided
in the FSs useful to users.
Key Features of Assets. The key features of an asset are:
a. the benefits must be controlled by the entity;
b. the benefits must have arisen from a past event; and
c. future economic benefits or service potential must be expected to flow to the entity.
The following are indicators of control of the benefits by the entity:
a. the ability of an entity to benefit from the asset and to deny or regulate the access of others to that benefit.
b. an entity can, depending on the nature of the asset, exchange it, use it to provide goods or services, exact
a price for others’ use of it, use it to settle liabilities, hold it, or perhaps even distribute it to owners.
c. possession or ownership of an object or right would normally be synonymous with control over the future
economic benefits embodied in the right or object.
However, there are instances when an entity may possess an object or right but not expect to enjoy the benefits
embodied in it, e.g. under a finance lease agreement, control over the leased property owned by the lessor is
transferred to the lessee.
The following are indicators of past event:
a. the specification of a past event differentiates assets from intentions to acquire assets, which are
not to be recognized.
b. a transaction or event giving rise to control of the future economic benefits must have occurred.
The following are indicators of future economic benefits:
a. distinguishable from the source of the benefit i.e. the particular physical resource or legal right;
b. does not imply that assets necessarily generate cash flows, the benefits can also be in the form of
‘service potential’;
c. in determining whether a resource or right needs to be accounted for as an asset, the potential to
contribute to the objectives of the entity should be the prime consideration;
d. capacity to contribute to activities/objectives/programs; and
e. the fact that an asset cannot be sold does not preclude it from providing future economic
benefits.
Recognition of an Asset. An asset shall be recognized in the financial position when and only when (a) it is probable
that the future economic benefits will flow to the entity; and (b) the asset has a cost or value that can be measured
reliably.
The following are indicators of probable inflow of future economic benefits:
a. the chance of benefits arising is more likely rather than less likely (e.g. greater than 50%).
b. benefits can be expected on the basis of available evidence or logic.
The following are indicators of reliable measurement:
a. valuation method is free from material error or bias.
b. faithful representation of the asset’s benefits.
c. reliable information will, without bias or undue error, faithfully represent those transactions and events.
What is an Allotment?
Allotment, on the other hand, is the authorization issued by the DBM to the Agency, which allows it to incur
obligations, for specified amounts, within the legislative appropriation.
In order that the appropriation may be released, the Agency, in consultation with the DBM, is required to prepare and
to submit the Agency Budget Matrix (ABM), the official document used as the basis in the release of the obligational
authority. The ABM is prepared by appropriation source and major programs and the amounts are classified into
“Needing Clearance” and “Not Needing Clearance”. For automatic appropriations, a separate ABM is prepared and
submitted.
Monitoring of t h e Budget. The budget shall be monitored by the Budget Division/Units of NGAs through the
maintenance of registries for that purpose.
Responsibility Center Code Structure. Each NGA shall be assigned a responsibility center code defined as organization
code in the UACS Manual. For monitoring revenue and expenses, additional three digit codes for the agency’s major
offices/departments shall be appended to the organization code.
The organization code and the agency’s major offices/departments’ code shall consist of 15 digits as follows:
00 000 0000000 000
Organization
Department
Agency
Agency (none)
Central Office
Transfer of Internal Revenue Allotment. Where an NG imposes a tax, the entire proceeds of which is collected by
NGAs and transferred to LGUs through an appropriation, the NGAs recognize assets and revenue for the tax, and a
decrease in assets and an expense for the transfer to LGUs. The LGUs will recognize the assets and revenue for the
transfer. The following is the accounting entry at the books of accounts of the DBM:
Account Title Debit Credit
Financial Assistance to LGUs P10,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement
System (MDS), Regular P10,000
To recognize transfer of IRA to LGUs
Grant with Condition. If conditions are attached to a grant, a liability is recognized, which is reduced and revenue
recognized as the conditions are satisfied. If the government is required to recognize a liability in respect of any
conditions relating to assets recognized as a consequence of specific purposes, it does not recognize revenue until
the condition is satisfied and the liability is reduced. As an entity satisfies a present obligation recognized as a liability
in respect of an inflow of resources from a non-exchange transaction recognized as an asset, it shall reduce the
carrying amount of the liability recognized and recognize an amount of revenue equal to that reduction.
Example: The NG received a foreign grant amounting to P10 million for the construction of a railroad system. Under
the terms of the grant, the construction project shall be completed within a period of two years from the receipt of
the grant, otherwise, the money shall be returned to the grantor. The money can only be used as stipulated and the
NG is required to include a note in the financial statement detailing how the money was spent. The Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be the implementing entity. The transactions shall be recognized as follows:
a. Receipt of the Grant
Account Title Debit Credit
Books of the NG – BTr
Cash in Bank-Local Currency,
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas P10,000,000
Other Deferred Credits P10,000,000
To recognize receipt of grant directly credited to the account of the NG maintained by
the BSP
Books of the Implementing NGA – DPWH
Cash-Modified Disbursement
System (MDS), Special Account P10,000,000
Subsidy from National
Government P10,000,000
To recognize receipt of the NCA for the construction of a railroad system
b. Purchase of construction materials and payment for labor for the construction of a railroad system
amounting to P10,000,000.
Account Title Debit Credit
Books of the Implementing NGA-DPWH
Construction in Progress-
Infrastructure Assets P10,000,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement
System (MDS), Special
Account P10,000,000
To recognize payment for the materials and labor for the construction of a railroad system
*Books of Treasury and COA are not included in the CPA Licensure Examination
c. Receipt of the report from DPWH for the completion of the construction of a railroad system amounting to
P10,000,000.
Account Title Debit Credit
Books of the NG – BTr*
Other Deferred Credits P10,000,000
Income from Grants and P10,000,000
Donations in Cash
To recognize the income from grants and donations representing payment for
expenses in connection with the grant agreement.
d. Turnover and Acceptance of Completed Infrastructure Asset
Account Title Account Debit Credit
Books of the Implementing NGA – DPWH Code
Railway Systems 10603100 P10,000,000
Construction in Progress-
Infrastructure Assets 10699020 P10,000,000
To recognize the turnover and acceptance of completed railway system
Illustrative Accounting Entries for the Granting and Liquidation of Advances to Officers and Employees covering
Official Travel
Account Title Account Debit Credit
Advances to Officers and Employees Code P2,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement System
(MDS), Regular P2,000
To recognize granting of cash advance for local travel to officers and employees
based on duly approved and paid DV, Authority to Travel and IT
raveling Expenses-Local P 2,000
Advances to Officers and Employees P 2,000
To recognize liquidation of cash advance for local travel upon receipt of LR and
supporting documents
Account Title Debit Credit
Advances to Officers and Employees P 200,000
Training Expenses 80,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement System
(MDS), Regular P 280,000
To recognize granting of cash advance for training abroad
Account Title Debit Credit
Advances to Officers and Employees P 200,000
Training Expenses 80,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement System
(MDS), Regular P 280,000
To recognize granting of cash advance for training abroad
Traveling Expenses-Foreign P 200,000
Advances to Officers and Employees P 200,000
To recognize liquidation of cash advance for training abroad upon receipt of LR
and supporting documents.
llustrative Accounting Entries for Disbursements Out of Petty Cash
Account Title Account Debit Credit
Assumptions: Code
Estimated Expenses:
Traveling Expenses Office P10,000
Supplies Expenses 8,000
Postage and Courier Expenses 5,000
Fuel, Oil and Lubricants Expenses 2,000
Other MOOE
5,000
Total
P 30,000
Petty Cash P 30,000
Cash-Modified Disbursement
System (MDS), Regular P 30,000
To record the establishment of PCF
P 10,000
Purchase of PPE. PPE acquired through purchase are charged against appropriations/allotments or special budget
for capital outlay. PPE can be purchased on cash basis, on account, on installment basis, with promotional items,
and at a lump sum price.
a. On Cash Basis. PPE acquired through cash purchase shall initially be recognized at cost which includes
cash paid plus all costs incurred in bringing the asset to the location necessary for its intended use such as
delivery, installation costs, etc. These are recognized in the books of accounts as PPE after inspection and
acceptance of delivery.
Example: An entity purchased a photocopying machine with the following costs:
Total cost:
Invoice price P45,000
Delivery cost 3,000
Installation cost 1,500
Test run cost 1,000
Total 50,500
Less: Withholding Tax 3,140
Net Amount Paid P37,460
The accounting entries to recognize the photocopying machine shall be as follows:
Account Title Debit Credit
Office Equipment P50,500
Cash-Modified Disbursement System (MDS), Regular P37,460
Due to BIR 3,140
To recognize cash purchase of office equipment
b. On Account. When an asset is acquired on account subject to a cash discount, the cost of the asset is equal to the
purchase price, including import duties and non-refundable purchase taxes, after deducting trade discounts and rebates.
Example: An entity purchased a threshing machine on account at P200,000, with credit terms of 2/10, n/30. The
accounting entries to recognize the machine shall be as follows:
- END -
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