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The fundamental problem of accounting

Author

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  • Robert D. Cairns

Abstract

The fundamental problem of economic accounting is to determine a forwardlooking schedule of rentals, user costs or quasirents to provide for the recovery of irreversible investments. The method derived herein relaxes some restrictive assumptions that are common in capital theory. There can be multiple forms of comprehensive capital. Accounting for all forms of capital, including tangible and intangible capital, is symmetrical. The analytical focus becomes one of fixities and frictions and not optimality. Rentals obey inequalities as opposed to marginal conditions. If discounted profit is positive, rentals, depreciation, and capital value are not unique.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert D. Cairns, 2013. "The fundamental problem of accounting," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 46(2), pages 634-655, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:46:y:2013:i:2:p:634-655
    DOI: 10.1111/caje.12026
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    Cited by:

    1. W. Erwin Diewert & Kiyohiko G. Nishimura & Chihiro Shimizu & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2020. "Measuring the Services of Durables and Owner Occupied Housing," Advances in Japanese Business and Economics, in: Property Price Index, chapter 0, pages 223-298, Springer.
    2. W. Erwin Diewert & Kevin J. Fox, 2016. "Sunk costs and the measurement of commercial property depreciation," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(4), pages 1340-1366, November.
    3. W. Erwin Diewert, 2022. "Duality in Production," Springer Books, in: Subhash C. Ray & Robert G. Chambers & Subal C. Kumbhakar (ed.), Handbook of Production Economics, chapter 3, pages 57-168, Springer.
    4. Diewert, W. Erwin, 2017. "Productivity Measurement in the Public Sector: Theory and Practice," Microeconomics.ca working papers erwin_diewert-2017-1, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 02 Feb 2017.
    5. W. Erwin Diewert & Kevin J. Fox & Chihiro Shimizu, 2016. "Commercial Property Price Indexes And The System Of National Accounts," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 913-943, December.
    6. Cairns, Robert D., 2018. "Economic Accounting in the Simple Hotelling Model," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 18-27.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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