Il bilancio di esercizio

[Autom. eng. transl.] 63 billion dollars. This was Apple's net asset value according to the annual financial statements ended September 25, 2021. A very large figure. But very small (less than 2.4%) compared to the value of the company as of August 26, 2022, equal to 2,630 billion dollars. Yet the company's CEO and CFO have sworn on the 63 billion. This is the correct value, defined in a workmanlike manner. Obviously, this is a value that is the result of a conventional art rule. A feature that affects all financial statements and that, in a certain sense, defines the very essence of the financial statements. Studying the financial statements means going into the understanding of conventional rules which, as happens in all legal systems, must deal with the need to correctly represent reality and legal certainty. The need for "certainty" puts a damper on the discretion of the budget, even if the position of this barrier involves limits for the significance of the budget which in some cases can be astonishing. Despite these limits of significance, knowing the financial statements is a fundamental requirement. Determining the shareholders' equity at the balance sheet date, calculating the income and cash flow produced in the year allows us to understand some vital parameters that have great importance for the decisions of those interested in the company. This book leads the reader through these rules and conventions, nurturing a “systemic” vision of the different parts that make up the financial statements and anchoring the explanation of the financial statements to a series of examples, taken from the Italian and international reality.