Prior-Period Error
AdvancedA prior-period error is a mistake in a company's financial statements for one or more earlier periods, caused by misusing or failing to use reliable information that was available at the time.
Errors can arise from mathematical mistakes, misapplying accounting policies, overlooking or misinterpreting facts, or fraud. If they are material, they must be corrected by restating the earlier figures, not simply adjusted in the current year's results.
Under IFRS, material prior-period errors are corrected retrospectively: comparative figures are restated as if the error had never happened, and the opening balances for the earliest period shown are adjusted. US GAAP has a similar approach, with restatements for material errors.
For example, if a company discovers that it double-counted 2,000,000 of revenue last year, it must restate last year's figures in this year's financial statements and disclose the nature and effect of the error.
A prior-period error differs from a change in accounting estimate. A new estimate based on new information is not an error. An error is a mistake that could have been avoided with information available at the time. Restatements due to errors can damage investor confidence and may indicate weaknesses in internal controls.
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