Why is governmental/nonprofit accounting different

Why is governmental/nonprofit accounting different

Week 1: Question 424

What are the characteristics that distinguish governmental and nonprofit organizations from businesses that are established for profit? Why is governmental/nonprofit accounting different from traditional business accounting? In other words, why not use the same accounting procedures for all types of entities?

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Accounting for Different Firms

The most significant difference between nonprofit and for-profit organizations lies in the names of the different entities. In essence, the primary reason for business engagement for a for-profit organization is increasing the profits through a reduction in cost as much as possible, while at the same time increasing the revenue. On the other hand, the nonprofit organization only hopes to earn revenue above the cost amount, and as such sustain the activities of the organization in the long run. After all, if the costs would be higher, then it would be operating at a loss, which reduces the possible sustainability of the business in question.

(337 words)
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