Historical Investigation And Enlightenment Of Accounting Elements

Abstract:Accounting elements is an important part of the accounting theory system. Accounting theory system includes accounting concepts, accounting hypothesis, accounting objectives, accounting principles, accounting standards, accounting methods, accounting procedure and so on. As the bridge between accounting work and accounting theory, accounting standards are the main content of the accounting theory. And the confirmation, measurement, recording element and report of accounting elements is the important part of the accounting standards. Therefore, only grasping the accounting elements better, can understanding and applying accounting standards better, then to help the accounting theory system to be perfect.The study of the accounting elements historical is the forerunner for researching accounting elements. However, the traditional research of accounting elements was confined to direct contrast the domestic and foreign present accounting elements, to point out various shortcomings of our country accounting elements. The history research of our country accounting elements is still blank. The blank directly resulted in the accounting elements of one-sided. Through to study the history of Chinese and foreign accounting elements, can not only to summarize the law of accounting elements’development, but also to fill the lack of research on the history of accounting elements, then to provide help to the development of accounting standards.This essay is divided into five parts:First of all, the first part introduced the related theory of accounting elements. Next, the second part to the fourth part is the focus of this paper. Among them, in the second part, the paper investigated the accounting elements from China’s ancient Shang to Tang and Song dynasties. From the analysis of the relevant historical conclusions, in this period, China was using the single-entry bookkeeping, accounting elements are generally classified as "in" and "out". This period of history is a long duration, which has inevitable connection with our ingrained feudal rule. However, in this long and seem to develop slowly process was pregnant with a change; in the third part, the paper researched accounting elements from Ming and Qing dynasties to the Modern Chinese History. In this paper the author pays attention to accounting elements, which in Sanjiao account, Longmen account and Sijao account. Through the analysis, it results that China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties have produced double-entry bookkeeping and the accounting elements not only reflected the "in" and "out", and reflected the Rights and interests. And the appearing of the elements of rights and interests in our country was a milestone in the process of development. However, due to China’s modern history, China was facing unprecedented disaster and the imperialist invasion, which makes China’s political chaos, economic stagnation and even backwards and led to the development of the accounting elements also appeared stagnation. Furthermore, traditional Chinese bookkeeping, western-style bookkeeping and union of Chinese and western all exist, therefore, the characteristic of China’s modern accounting book is scattered and backward and each does things in his own way. The fourth part introduced the development course of Chinese contemporary accounting elements. In contemporary China by the influence of the political ideas, accounting elements experienced three reforms respectively:it was two elements of "asset","debt", when new China was founded, two elements of "capital source" and "capital takes up" of the socialist three big transformations, six major accounting elements after the reform and opening. Finally, the fifth part on the basis of the previous researches put forward some enlightenment and experience.The innovation points of this paper are early to research each period’s accounting elements of Chinese ancient times, and systemic summarized that the characteristics and the causes of them to fill in gaps of the history of accounting elements. Moreover, the author affirmed the "Sanjiao account","Longmen account" and "Sijiao account" stands the indelible history status in developing double-entry bookkeeping in ancient China. Through analyzing the history of accounting elements, the essay compares the accounting elements in the different periods by longitudinal analyses and analysis the differences between Chinese accounting standards, international accounting standards and American accounting standards. In conclusion, it revealed the law of development of the accounting elements in China and the influencing factors, which much help people to make or formulate accounting standards of China. Based on the investigation of the history of accounting elements, combined with the current Chinese and international development situation, the paper pointed out that China’s current accounting elements existing problems and put forward relevant countermeasures.