In: Finance
when a manager would consider “taking a big bath”
One of the hardest accounting frauds to spot is big bath
accounting. When a company is doing really bad and has no chance of
meeting earning expectations, unscrupulous management would begin
writing-off every expense and asset they could imagine. As a
result, future expenses are reduced significantly and naturally
earnings increase. In other words, the company is taking a big bath
in the worst year so it can wipe its slate clean. This almost
always guarantees record-breaking earnings in subsequent years,
likewise performance bonuses.
The reasoning behind taking a big bath is quite simple: We already
look bad, so let’s make ourselves look as bad as we can. Needless
to say, management wouldn’t take the blame for the fall. They would
either blame it on previous management or the challenging economic
conditions. The sweet-talking CEO never fails to wrap up with a
personal assurance that the company is well poised to seize the
opportunities when the market returns to more favorable
conditions.