Differences between
| 
   
SN 
 | 
  
   
Item 
 | 
  
   
Financial Accounting 
 | 
  
   
Management Accounting 
 | 
 
| 
   
1 
 | 
  
   
End user 
 | 
  
   
Mostly outsiders
  (Govt,  
Tax bodies,
  Investors etc) 
 | 
  
   
In house Management 
 | 
 
| 
   
2 
 | 
  
   
Legal obligation 
 | 
  
   
Statutory 
 | 
  
   
Non statutory 
 | 
 
| 
   
3 
 | 
  
   
Coverage 
 | 
  
   
Company as a whole 
 | 
  
   
Segment wise 
 | 
 
| 
   
4 
 | 
  
   
Type of Information 
 | 
  
   
Monetary value 
 | 
  
   
Monetary, Quantity
  & Quality 
 | 
 
| 
   
5 
 | 
  
   
Format 
 | 
  
   
Standard 
 | 
  
   
Not specified or
  customised 
 | 
 
| 
   
6 
 | 
  
   
Source 
 | 
  
   
Internal 
 | 
  
   
Internal &
  External 
 | 
 
| 
   
7 
 | 
  
   
Principles/flexibility 
 | 
  
   
GAAP (Generally
  Accepted  
Accounting
  Principles) 
 | 
  
   
No specific ones 
 | 
 
| 
   
8 
 | 
  
   
Analysis 
 | 
  
   
Not much 
 | 
  
   
Mostly analytical 
 | 
 
| 
   
9 
 | 
  
   
Ends & Means 
 | 
  
   
Ends in itself 
 | 
  
   
Means to end 
 | 
 
| 
   
10 
 | 
  
   
Nature 
 | 
  
   
Objective /
  Measurable 
 | 
  
   
Subjective /
  Interpretations / Personal 
opinions 
 | 
 
| 
   
11 
 | 
  
   
Periodicity 
 | 
  
   
At the end of
  Financial Year 
 | 
  
   
No such period.  But information may 
 be required at any time 
 | 
 
| 
   
12 
 | 
  
   
Audit 
 | 
  
   
Subject to
  Independent Audit 
 | 
  
   
Need not be audited 
 |