International experiences with accrual budgeting in the public sector

Abstract

With the adoption of accrual accounting as the basis for accounting records applied to accounting in the public sector of many countries, governments have to decide between keeping a cash basis for the preparation of budget documents and broadening the spectrum of change to include the field of public budget generation. This subject has been studied particularly by national governments and international organizations to verify the appropriateness of the paths taken by these countries. This article aims to initiate an important discussion for Brazil regarding the future passing of laws on public finances and paves the way for additional studies that expound on the discussion on accrual budgeting. International studies conducted on accrual budgeting together with government documents of the countries that have adopted the practice have been used as data sources. Based on the compilation of these documents from the Internet, content analysis was conducted, making it possible to identify differences between existing regimes and to identify advantages and disadvantages of accrual budgeting. Notably, differences were identified in terms of recorded amounts related to non-financial expenditure (e.g., depreciation) and recognition of liabilities during their generation rather than at the time of their payment. It is important to compare countries that use cash-based budgeting after the adoption of the accrual basis of accounting with countries that have adopted accrual budgeting and accounting to ascertain to what extent the same regime should be used for accounting and budgeting.