Question

Difficulty: EasyObjectives and Reasons for Departmental Accounts

A retail store operates three separate divisions—clothing, footwear, and cosmetics—under a single management and roof. Which of the following is a primary objective of preparing departmental accounts for this business?

  1. To ascertain the profit or loss made by each individual divisionAnswer
  2. B
    To establish each division as a separate legal entity
  3. C
    To replace basic double-entry bookkeeping with departmental summaries
  4. D
    To file independent tax returns for each division with revenue authorities

Answer

The primary objective of preparing departmental accounts is to ascertain the profit or loss made by each individual division.
Departmental accounting is designed to track financial performance at the divisional level so management can calculate individual departmental profits or losses, compare efficiency across units, and make informed operational decisions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the purpose of departmental accounting
Departmental accounting breaks down financial results by operational units within the same organization.
This allows management to assess the financial contribution and trading results of each distinct unit.
2
Evaluate the option choices against core accounting principles
Ascertaining division-level profitability directly aligns with segment performance evaluation.
Legal entity status, tax filings, and replacing bookkeeping are invalid purposes for departmental record-keeping.

Key Concept

Objectives of Departmental Accounting
Estimated Time:45s
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