Difference Between Financial & Management Accounting | EduBridge India

What is Financial Accounting?

Financial accounting epitomizes the epitome of accounting methodologies, enshrining precise archival techniques, the harmonization of financial statements, and the widespread dispersion of fiscal data. Its principal objective is to provide relevant discernments to its user cohort. This field is inherently grounded in the subsequent tenets:

• Accounting Assumptions
• Accounting Principles
• Accounting Conventions

In accordance with Schedule III of the Companies Act, 2013, financial statements are meticulously crafted. Traditionally, the objective of financial accounting is to discern insights into the organization’s performance, profitability, and standing, derived from its operational endeavours. However, contemporary practice now extends to encompass disclosure of cash flows and earnings per share information through these financial statements.

• Its objective is to methodically record financial transactions within accounts, simplifying the creation of financial statements.
• It encompasses the formulation of financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. These summaries encapsulate the results of business activities during the relevant accounting duration and the financial status as of a specific date.
• Potential and current shareholders, labour unions, creditors, financial analysts, and government entities are among the potential users of financial statements.

The primary aim of financial accounting is to determine the outcomes of a company’s operational activities, reflecting its gains and losses during a specific period. Furthermore, it endeavours to furnish insights into the company’s financial position as of the concluding day of the accounting duration.

What Is Management Accounting?

Managerial accounting, also known as management accounting, pertains to the financial discipline that aids managers in devising strategies, predicting outcomes, establishing plans, and overseeing deviations within an organization.

It encompasses the collection and evaluation of both numerical and non-numerical data. Management reports can be crafted in any user-friendly format, incorporating elements like tables, charts, and graphs to enhance visual representation and comprehension.

In essence, Management Accounting is a dynamic procedure entailing the creation of precise and timely management reports and financial statements. These serve as crucial resources for managerial decision-making. Moreover, the frequency of these reports—whether daily, weekly, monthly, or annually—adapts to the management’s needs, unrestricted by a fixed reporting template.

Management Accounting involves the utilization of accounting data gathered through diverse methods for functions such as policy development, planning, control, and managerial decision-making.

The scope of management accounting extends beyond furnishing solely financial or cost-related data. Instead, it adeptly gathers pertinent insights from diverse business operations. This comprehensive approach aids management in tasks like budgeting, goal establishment, and informed decision-making.

• It entails furnishing information to management to enhance their efficiency in carrying out managerial duties and functions.
• It furnishes both historical and projected data to the company’s management, utilized for assessing and regulating performance, as well as strategizing future operations.

What Are The Basic Functions of Financial Accounting

The functions of financial accounting encompass a range of activities, and they can be outlined as follows:

• Systematic Record of Transactions: In the realm of substantial enterprises and expansive businesses, a multitude of transactions occur routinely. The task of retaining a mental record of these transactions becomes implausible. Consequently, financial accounting facilitates methodical and chronological documentation of transactions utilizing tools such as journals, ledgers, and other accounting records.
• Analysing Transactions: The group responsible for crafting diverse financial statements and maintaining accounting records must promptly dissect transactions upon their incidence. Subsequently, they should condense and verify the authenticity of these transactions. Once validated, these transactions are documented for profit or loss assessment. This data is then used to generate a trial balance, which eventually culminates in the synthesis of a comprehensive balance sheet.
• Conveying the Transactions: The outcomes of financial reports and statements need to be disseminated to all stakeholders of the company. These reports and statements should be communicated to company stakeholders by the conclusion of the fiscal year. The stakeholders encompass:

1. Shareholders
2. Creditors
3. Lenders
4. Bank institutions

• Meet the Legal Requirements: The team responsible for formulating financial statements must diligently observe pertinent legal prerequisites. This includes complying with Indian Accounting Standards (IND AS) or adhering to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), ensuring meticulous alignment with established financial reporting standards.

In the exploration of the contrast between financial accounting and management accounting, it is imperative to delve into the functions of management accounting. Let’s now examine the roles performed by management accounting.

What Are The Basic Functions of Management Accounting

Diverse Functions of Management Accounting encompass the following:

• Anticipating Cash Flow: Management accounting facilitates the anticipation or projection of a business’s cash flow. This empowers management to make autonomous decisions to enhance the company’s well-being. Additionally, it enables the formulation of distinct policies or corrective actions aimed at augmenting the business’s cash flow.
• Envisioning the Company’s Future: Management accounting aids in predicting or projecting a company’s future trajectory based on its current strategies. This enables the firm to anticipate potential social, economic, political, and technological shifts occurring within the industry or the business environment.
• Assessing Return on Investments: Management accounting utilizes collected data to determine the expected returns on investments. It aids in evaluating returns encompassing financial gains, reputation enhancement, growth prospects, and market share value in relation to investments, all facilitated by management accounting.
• Strategic Outsourcing Choices: Management accounting plays a pivotal role in assisting businesses in making crucial determinations regarding whether to establish internal infrastructure to attain organizational objectives or opt for outsourcing. Decision-makers benefit from management accounting’s guidance in effectively addressing this matter.

Difference Between Financial Accounting and Management Accounting

Similarities Between Financial Accounting and Management Accounting

• Both are integral components of the fundamental accounting framework.
• These two systems monitor and record economic occurrences.
• Both strive to quantify the results of economic undertakings and transactions.
• Compilation of reports utilizing a shared database.
• Assess the enterprise’s performance and standing.

How to Learn Financial Accounting and Management Accounting

To master the fundamentals of both Financial Accounting and Management Accounting, consider enrolling in a certificate course in finance accounting and taxation or a financial accounting course with IBM offered by EduBridge. The comprehensive curriculum and expert instructors will guide you through the intricacies of these accounting disciplines, equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in financial reporting, analysis and decision-making. EduBridge’s tailored approach to learning ensures you’ll gain a solid foundation in accounting principles, making it an ideal choice for those aspiring to understand the intricacies of financial and management accounting.