Historical Cost - Advantages and Disadvantages of Historical Cost Accounting

Advantages and Disadvantages of Historical Cost Accounting

Advantages

  • Historical cost accounts are straightforward to produce
  • Historical cost accounts do not record gains until they are realized
  • Historical cost accounts are still used in most accounting systems

Disadvantages

  • Historical cost accounts give no indication of current values of the assets of a business
  • Historical cost accounts do not record the opportunity costs of the use of older assets, particularly property which may be recorded at a value based on costs incurred many years ago
  • Historical cost accounts do not measure the loss of value of monetary assets as a result of inflation.

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