Governmental accounting, including fund accounting financial transactions, focusing on the general fund and government-wide activities.

We will work through many example problems as we learn the material, posting transactions to a trial balance, so we can see how accounts behave. Many governmental accounts are new to many learners, and we will be using different accounting methods than just an accrual method. Posting transactions and seeing a trial balance will be very helpful in learning the material and is something lacking in most courses on the subject.

We will discuss the governmental accounting objectives and reporting requirements, comparing them to for-profit entities. The course will assume we are familiar with for-profit accounting and will, therefore, focus on the areas of governmental accounting that are different, although we will continue to work with core concepts like the double entry accounting system.

Learners and instructor will examine state and local governmental accounting principles & financial reporting.

We will record transactions for budgetary accounts & encumbrances. Recording budgetary accounts will be new for many learners familiar with financial accounting, but we will use double entry accounting principles for the process.

The course will explain and analyze governmental operating statement accounts & budgetary accounts.

Learners and instructor will record transactions for encumbrances, expenditures, & delinquent receivables. We will emphasize when a modified accrual method will be used, and what the differences in recording financial transactions will be when used, as compared to an accrual method.

We will record transactions related to revenue in both the General Fund and at the government-wide activities level.

The course will discuss tax anticipation notes and how they will be recorded under a modified accrual method.

Learners and instructor will explore many examples of the closing process, closing out temporary accounts. We will compare the closing process for governmental entities to the closing process in for-profit accounting.

We will examine how to create subsidiary ledgers related to revenue, estimated revenue, appropriations, encumbrances, and expenditures.

The course will provide examples of recording supplies using the consumption method and purchases method, explaining the differences between the two.