• Accrued expenses are recognized in the books when they are incurred, not when they are paid.

  • Accrual accounting requires more journal entries than simple cash balance accounting.
  • Accrual accounting provides a more accurate financial picture than cash accounting.
  • Large public companies whose shares are traded on stock exchanges are often required to record on an accrual basis rather than on a cash basis.
  • Accruals are the recognition of events that have already occurred, but the funds have not yet been paid, and prepayments are the recognition of events that have not yet occurred, but the funds have been paid.