Which Prior Period Adjustment?

Definition: A prior period adjustment is the correction of an accounting error that occurred in the past and was reported on a prior year's financial statement, net of income taxes. In other words, it's a way to go back and fix past financial statements that were misstated because of a reporting error.

How do you adjust prior year retained earnings?

Correct the beginning retained earnings balance, which is the ending balance from the prior period. Record a simple "deduct" or "correction" entry to show the adjustment. For example, if beginning retained earnings were $45,000, then the corrected beginning retained earnings will be $40,000 (45,000 - 5,000).

What does prior period mean?

The term 'prior period items', as defined in this Standard, refers only to income or expenses which arise in the current period as a result of errors or omissions in the preparation of the financial statements of one or more prior periods.

James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.