Final answer:
The indirect method started with net income and adjusts it by eliminating the effects of transactions that do not involve cash.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method referred to in the given schoolwork question is the indirect method of preparing the cash flow statement. This financial statement starts with net income and makes adjustments for transactions that do not involve cash to show the actual cash flow from operating activities. Some common adjustments include depreciation expense, changes in accounts receivable and payable, and other non-cash items.
To illustrate, if a company's net income is $100,000 and it has depreciation expenses of $10,000, an increase in accounts receivable of $5,000, and a decrease in accounts payable of $3,000, the cash provided by operating activities would be calculated as follows:
- Start with net income: $100,000
- Add back non-cash expenses like depreciation: $10,000
- Subtract increase in accounts receivable because this represents sales that did not result in immediate cash: -$5,000
- Add decrease in accounts payable because this implies cash was conserved, not spent: -$3,000
The adjusted cash provided by operating activities, in this case, would be $102,000 ($100,000 + $10,000 - $5,000 - $3,000).