Introduction
He accrual It is one of the most relevant principles of accounting, as it establishes how the effects of transactions, internal transformations, and other economic events that affect an entity should be recognized. In Mexico, this criterion is reflected in the basic postulate of accounting accruals within the Financial Reporting Standards (NIF), specifically in the NIF A-1 “Structure of NIFs”, which reordered the Conceptual Framework in chapters to provide greater clarity and consistency.
What is accrual?
Accrual implies that the effects of operations must be recognized at the time they occur, regardless of the date on which it is collected or paid. That is, the accounting record does not depend on the cash flow, but on the generation of rights and obligations.
Example:
- If a company provides a service in December 2025 but charges for it in January 2026, the revenue must be recognized in December 2025, because that is when the right to collect it was generated.
The basic postulate of accounting accruals
According to the NIF, the postulate states that:
“The effects derived from transactions carried out by an entity with other entities, from internal transformations, and from other events that have affected it economically, must be fully recognized in the accounting records at the time they occur, regardless of the date on which they are considered to have occurred for accounting purposes.”
This principle seeks to reflect the economic reality of the entity in the financial statements, providing useful, timely and reliable information to users for decision-making.
Relationship with NIF A-1 and the Conceptual Framework
With the update of the NIF A-1, the Conceptual Framework was reorganized into chapters to provide greater coherence and alignment with international practices. In this new framework, the accrual accounting postulate maintains its relevance as a fundamental pillar for:
- Recognize revenue when rights are generated.
- Recognize expenses when resources are consumed or obligations arise.
- Avoid having financial statements reflect only cash flow.
In this way, accrual ensures that accounting is a faithful representation of operations and not a simple log of receipts and payments.
Practical examples of accrual
- Income from credit sales
- The income is recorded at the time of sale, even if the customer pays later.
- Seat:
- Position: Clients
- Subscription: Sales
- Accrued expenses
- A company receives energy services in December, but the bill arrives in January. The expense corresponds to December.
- Seat:
- Charge: Energy expenses
- Subscription: Suppliers
- Accrued interest
- A loan accrues monthly interest, which must be recognized even if payment is made quarterly.
- Seat:
- Charge: Interest expense
- Payment: Interest payable
Conclusions
He accrual It is a central principle of accounting and an indispensable requirement to comply with the basic postulate of accounting accruals of the NIF. Thanks to it, the financial statements reflect the economic reality of the entities and allow for better decision-making. With the NIF A-1 and the restructuring of the Conceptual Framework, this principle remains one of the essential foundations for the preparation of useful, comparable and transparent financial information.
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