Definition of cash
Definition of cash
In order to prepare a cash
flow statement in accordance with IFRS, it is necessary to understand how the
term "cash" is defined. The term will include cash in hand and cash
on deposit with a bank or other financial institution. However, it will also
include "cash equivalents" which are short-term liquid investments. "Cash
equivalents are investments which can be converted into cash without notice and
which are within three months of maturity when acquired. Short-term advances
from banks, which are repayable within three months of the date of advance,
must be deducted from the total cash and cash equivalents in order to derive
the net cash balance.
This rather broad
definition of cash has been used because it was felt that it would provide a
clearer picture of how cash is managed during the period. If a narrow
definition of cash is used, the true liquidity position of the business could
be obscured. For example, a business may have a relatively small amount of cash
in hand or in the bank at any given time. However, this may be due to the fact
that any spare cash available is channeled into short-term investments in order
to generate additional revenues for the business.
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