Governmental Accounting Made Easy [Hardcover]

Warren Ruppel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047164868X | ISBN-13: 978-0471648680 | Publication Date: October 25, 2004 | Edition: 1

Read, interpret, and analyze governmental financial statements–Governmental Accounting Made Easy explains it all

Clearly explaining how to read and analyze the financial statements of governments and governmental organizations, Governmental Accounting Made Easy assists you-accountant or not-to interpret governmental financial statements. This easy-to-understand book guides the reader in understanding how these individual topics come together to form a whole, under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board 34 (GASB 34) financial reporting model.

This indispensable resource covers

• Basic accounting concepts underlying governmental accounting and financial reporting
• Basic financial statements prepared for a government, including government-wide and fund financial statements
• Note disclosures that accompany governmental financial statements
• Complicated accounting issues commonly found in governmental financial statements
• Future issues impacting governmental accounting and financial reporting
• Expert advice from Warren Ruppel, author of Wiley GAAP for Governments 2009

Providing a simplified background and discussion of a broad range of governmental accounting topics, Governmental Accounting Made Easy authoritatively and thoroughly guides you through every aspect of governmental accounting and financial reporting.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a good written summary of the issues...illuminating..." (AccountingWEB UK, 6^th September 2005)

From the Inside Flap

For laypeople and accountants with little or no governmental accounting experience, Governmental Accounting Made Easy is a complete and easy-to-use guide to a broad range of governmental accounting topics, and how these individual aspects of governmental accounting work together under the new Governmental Accounting Standards Board 34 Statement (GASB 34) financial reporting model.

Read, interpret, and analyze governmental financialstatements–Governmental Accounting Made Easy explains everything you need to know, including:

• Basic accounting concepts underlying all governmental accounting and financial reporting
• Basic financial statements prepared under the new financial reporting model, including government-wide financial statements and fund financial statements
• Note disclosures that accompany governmental financial statements
• Complicated accounting issues commonly found in governmental financial statements
• Future issues impacting governmental accounting and financial reporting brought on by the issuance of new accounting standards and pronouncements

The GASB 34 reporting model has resulted in a radical change in the way governmental financial statements are presented. For a diverse range of professionals–including managers, budget preparers, school boards, city councils, state legislators, comptrollers, lawyers, bond counsels, underwriters of municipal bonds, rating agency employees, bond insurers, labor unions, contractors, and the press–Governmental Accounting Made Easy is the much-needed tool for making sense of what these new financial statements are trying to communicate.

Take control of any organization’s governmental accounting and financial reporting with insightful coverage of:

• Basic accounting terminology
• Understanding fund accounting
• Basics of governmental financial statements
• Understanding the reporting entity
• Revenues from nonexchange transactions
• Capital assets
• Accounting for pensions
• Sundry accounting topics

In a vast field of literature, this is the most helpful single-source reference.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047164868X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471648680
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good supplement to a text book, May 21, 2007

By 

Vernon A. Blaze - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Governmental Accounting Made Easy (Hardcover)

I bought this book to help me study for a Governmental Accounting class final. I wish I had the book the entire semester. It's a well written, concise book that boils down the intricate details of governmental accounting that is presented in text books into the more manageable and understandable essentials. It must have helped, because I ended up receiving an "A" in the course.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Supplement to Academic Text, April 15, 2008

By 

C. Baker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Governmental Accounting Made Easy (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because I was taking a Governmental Accounting class online & the required text was awful! I needed some immediate help, and my instructor was no help so (as usual!), I turned to Amazon.

The title of this book says it all. The author explains the very difficult concepts of governmental accounting very clearly. It is easy to decipher what the funds are and how they inter-relate. This book is very well written and follows a logical, sequencial path. I never would have passed my class without this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book for accountants with little or no gov't experience, July 31, 2011

By 

Katherine Tenenbaum - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Governmental Accounting Made Easy (Hardcover)

I needed a detailed explanation of government accounting in preparation for a civil service exam. I have very little governmental accounting experience and the last class taken on this subject was approx. 30 years ago. The author provides you with the background of governmental accounting, basics of the accounting concepts, fund accounting, financials, reporting entities and other topics. I had many "ah ha" moments as I read this book. I am happy to report that I got an 86 on the test.