When cash flow statement is prepared by using indirect method which part of it is different from the direct method?

Difference Between Direct vs Indirect Cash Flow Methods

The cash flow statement is the financial statement that describes the cash flow movement happening in the business from one financial period to another financial period. The cash flow statement can be prepared by utilizing two broad methods namely the direct cash flow method and the indirect cash flow method. The main difference between the direct and indirect cash flow statement is that in direct method, the operating activities generally report cash payments and cash receipts happening across the business whereas, for the indirect method of cash flow statement, asset changes and liabilities changes are adjusted to the net income to derive cash flow from the operating activities.

The cash flow statement is generally regarded as the third most critical financial statement after the balance sheet and the income statement. The balance sheet shows the financial position of the business for a given financial period. The income statement reports the revenues and expenses for the given financial period. Lastly, the cash flow statement describes the movement of the cash happening in the business for a given financial period wherein this statement is derived using the components of both the income statement and balance sheet.

The cash flow statement is a critical statement as it helps the stakeholder evaluate the cash flow position of the business. Generally, a cash flow statement is composed of cash flow from operating activities, financing activities, and investing activities. For the direct and indirect methods of cash flow, the cash flows arising from the financing activities and investing activities tend to be the same. However, the approach utilized for the cash flow from the operating activities differs for both the direct method of cash flow statement and the indirect method of the cash flow statement. As per the directives of the US reporting rules, the business or an organization or a corporation for to say rests with the option to choose either indirect method of the cashflow statement or direct method of cashflow statement. Furthermore, the indirect method of the cashflow statement takes a lot of time in preparation and also displays some level of accuracy issues as such statement utilizes a lot of adjustments. The direct method of the cashflow statement, on the other hand, remains to be most potent way of preparing cashflow statement and it takes less time to prepare the statement as the adjustment, as well as segregation of the cash-based transactions over the transactions that are non-cash, are absent. Basis this attribute, it generally presents a more accurate picture of cashflow position of the business as compared to the indirect method of the cashflow statement. Despite having the attribute of accuracy in the direct cashflow statement, it is utilized less by the business and enjoys less popularity. On the contrary, the indirect method of the cashflow statement is far more popular among the accountants and most used methods to arrive at the cashflow statements.

Head to Head Comparison between Direct vs Indirect Cash Flow Methods (Infographics)

Below are the differences mentioned:

Key Differences between Direct vs Indirect Cash Flow Methods

The key differences between the Direct vs Indirect Cash Flow Methods are as follows:

The indirect method is relatively complex method as compared to the direct method as it utilizes net income as the base and performs necessary cashflow adjustments. One of the adjustments can be regarded as the treatment of non-cash expenses. In indirect method, depreciation which is a non-cash expense is generally added back to the net income followed by additions and deductions arising from the changes in liabilities and assets.

In direct method, on the other hand, no such adjustments are performed. More broadly, the cashflow from operations is prepared by accounting for cash receipts and payments of the cash in case of the direct method. The cash receipt is generally recorded as the receipts from the customers and the cash payments are broadly recorded in terms of payments to the suppliers, employees and payments made to service the taxes, interest expense, and other expenses.

However, the direct method completely ignores the application of non-cash transactions such as the treatment of the depreciation expense and the impact on the resulting cash flow. Basis the requirement of compliance and reporting, the business has to choose either one of the methods to arrive at the cash flow from operations.

Direct vs Indirect Cash Flow Methods Comparison Table

Below are the differences :

Conclusion

The direct method of the cashflow and indirect method of cashflow are variants of the cashflow statements. The corporation has the option of selecting either method for the purpose of reporting. It purely depends on the situation at hand and compliance requirements that the business has to meet up in terms of reporting and regulatory standards. The popularity of the indirect method of the cashflow generally exceeds with respect to the direct method of the cashflow.

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The indirect method is one of two accounting treatments used to generate a cash flow statement. The indirect method uses increases and decreases in balance sheet line items to modify the operating section of the cash flow statement from the accrual method to the cash method of accounting.

The other option for completing a cash flow statement is the direct method, which lists actual cash inflows and outflows made during the reporting period. The indirect method is more commonly used in practice, especially among larger firms.

• Under the indirect method, the cash flow statement begins with net income on an accrual basis and subsequently adds and subtracts non-cash items to reconcile to actual cash flows from operations.
• The indirect method is often easier to use than the direct method since most larger businesses already use accrual accounting.
• The complexity and time required to list every cash disbursement—as required by the direct method—makes the indirect method preferred and more commonly used.

The cash flow statement primarily centers on the sources and uses of cash by a company, and it is closely monitored by investors, creditors, and other stakeholders. It offers information on cash generated from various activities and depicts the effects of changes in asset and liability accounts on a company's cash position.

The indirect method presents the statement of cash flows beginning with net income or loss, with subsequent additions to or deductions from that amount for non-cash revenue and expense items, resulting in cash flow from operating activities.

The indirect method is simpler than the direct method to prepare because most companies keep their records on an accrual basis.

Under the accrual method of accounting, revenue is recognized when earned, not necessarily when cash is received. If a customer buys a $500 widget on credit, the sale has been made but the cash has not yet been received. The revenue is still recognized in the month of the sale.

The indirect method of the cash flow statement attempts to revert the record to the cash method to depict actual cash inflows and outflows during the period. In this example, at the time of sale, a debit would have been made to accounts receivable and a credit to sales revenue in the amount of $500. The debit increases accounts receivable, which is then displayed on the balance sheet.

Under the indirect method, the cash flows statement will present net income on the first line. The following lines will show increases and decreases in asset and liability accounts, and these items will be added to or subtracted from net income based on the cash impact of the item.

In this example, no cash had been received but $500 in revenue had been recognized. Therefore, net income was overstated by this amount on a cash basis. The offset was sitting in the accounts receivable line item on the balance sheet. There would need to be a reduction from net income on the cash flow statement in the amount of the $500 increase to accounts receivable due to this sale. It would be displayed as "Increase in Accounts Receivable (500)."

The cash flow statement is divided into three categories—cash flows from operating activities, cash flows from investing activities, and cash flows from financing activities. Although total cash generated from operating activities is the same under the direct and indirect methods, the information is presented in a different format.

Under the direct method, the cash flow from operating activities is presented as actual cash inflows and outflows on a cash basis, without starting from net income on an accrued basis. The investing and financing sections of the statement of cash flows are prepared in the same way for both the indirect and direct methods.

Many accountants prefer the indirect method because it is simple to prepare the cash flow statement using information from the other two common financial statements, the income statement and balance sheet. Most companies use the accrual method of accounting, so the income statement and balance sheet will have figures consistent with this method.

However, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) prefers companies use the direct method as it offers a clearer picture of cash flows in and out of a business. However, if the direct method is used, it is still recommended to do a reconciliation of the cash flow statement to the balance sheet.