Includes Index, Notes and References.

1. The history and development of accounting 2. The nature and uses of accounting 3. The structure of an accounting theory 4. The traditional approaches to the formulation of an accounting theory 5. The regulatory approach to the formulation of an accounting theory 6. A conceptual framework for financial accounting and reporting 7. Postulates, concepts and principles in accounting 8. Fairness, disclosure and future trends in accounting 9. Research perspectives in accounting 10. Accounting: a multiple paradigm science 11. The events and behavioral approaches 12. The predictive approach to theory 13. Positive accounting theory 14. Current-value accounting 15. General price-level accounting 16. Alternative asset-valuation and income-determination models

This fifth edition of Accounting Theory presents the principal approaches and proposed solutions to the problem of formulating an accounting theory and brings the book up to date with the latest theoretical developments. Accounting theory is a highly complex subject for students to understand. No single generally accepted theory has been created, despite many attempts. Different assumptions and methodologies have resulted in a variety of frameworks, which some experts find acceptable. But it is vital to uphold the consistent standards that define the nature, function and scope of financial statements and the techniques for producing them. To understand how accounting theories are constructed and verified is to understand the essence of accounting.