Statement of Cash Flow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Statement of Cash Flow - Essay Example The statement of cash flow has been in use since November 1987 when the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a statement of financial accounting standards requiring businesses to use a statement of cash flow instead of a statement of changes in financial position. There are two methods for preparing and presenting a statement of cash flow; the direct method and the indirect method, the main difference lies in the presentation of the operating section. The sections of investing and financing are the same in both methods. In the direct method, cash flows from operating activities encompass amounts such as cash from customers and cash paid to suppliers. On the contrary, the indirect method shows the net income, followed by the adjustments required to convert the total net income to the total cash from operating activities (Brahmasrene, Strupeck & Whitten, 2004). In addition, the direct method must provide a reconciliation of net income and the cash provided by operating ac tivities, a process which is achieved automatically in the indirect method of cash flow statement. The indirect method is found to be more effective in relaying cash flow information. Thus, it is preferred to the direct method in most corporations (Brahmasrene, Strupeck & Whitten, 2004). Whereas the direct method or the income statement method reports the main categories of operating cash receipts and payments, the indirect method places emphasis on net income and the net cash flow from operations (Taulli, 2004).