Financial statements are prepared according to agreed upon guidelines. In order to understand these guidelines, it helps to understand the objectives of financial reporting. The objectives of financial reporting, as discussed in the Financial Accounting standards Board (FASB) Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 1, are to provide information that

Value Added Tax (VAT) is a tax on consumption levied in the United Kingdom by the National Government. It was introduced in 1973 and is the third largest source of government revenue after Income Tax and National Insurance. It is administered and collected by HM revenue and customs, primarily through the Value Added Tax Act 1994. VAT is levied on most goods and services provided by registered businesses in the UK and some goods and services imported from outside the European Union.