Final answer:
Accruals involve transactions where the cash outflow or inflow takes place before expense or revenue recognition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Accruals involve transactions where the cash outflow or inflow takes place before expense or revenue recognition. This means that the cash may be received or paid in a different period than when the expense or revenue is recognized on the financial statements.
For example, if a company provides services to a customer in December but doesn't receive payment until January, the revenue is recognized in December as per the accrual accounting principle. The cash is received later in January.
Similarly, if a company incurs expenses for utilities in December but pays the bill in January, the expense is recognized in December and not when the cash is paid in January.