# Unit of account

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Standard numerical measure used to value and compare goods and services

This article is about the economic principle. For the Chilean currency, which translates to "unit of account", see [Unidad de Fomento](/source/Unidad_de_Fomento).

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Part of a series on Accounting Constant purchasing power Historical cost Management Tax Major types Audit Budget Cost Forensic Financial Fund Governmental Management Social Tax Key concepts Accounting period Accrual Constant purchasing power Economic entity Fair value Going concern Historical cost Matching principle Materiality Revenue recognition Unit of account Selected accounts Assets Cash Cost of goods sold Depreciation / Amortization (accounting) Equity Expenses Goodwill Liabilities Profit Revenue Accounting standards Generally-accepted principles Generally-accepted auditing standards Convergence International Financial Reporting Standards International Standards on Auditing Management Accounting Principles Financial statements Annual report Balance sheet Cash-flow Equity Income Management discussion Financial statement analysis Bookkeeping Bank reconciliation Debits and credits Double-entry system FIFO and LIFO Journal Ledger / General ledger Trial balance Auditing Financial Internal Firms Report Sarbanes–Oxley Act People and organizations Accountants Accounting organizations Luca Pacioli Development History Research Positive accounting Sarbanes–Oxley Act Misconduct Creative Earnings management Error account Hollywood Off-balance-sheet Two sets of books v t e

In [economics](/source/Economics), **unit of account** is one of the functions of [money](/source/Money). A unit of account[1] is a standard numerical monetary unit of measurement of the market value of goods, services, and other transactions. Also known as a "measure" or "standard" of relative worth and deferred payment, a unit of account is a necessary prerequisite for the formulation of commercial agreements that involve debt.

Money acts as a standard measure and a common denomination of trade. It is thus a basis for quoting and bargaining of prices. It is necessary for developing accounting systems.

## Economics

Unit of account in economics allows a somewhat meaningful interpretation of prices, costs, and profits, so that an entity can monitor its own performance. It allows shareholders to make sense of its past performance and have an idea of its future profitability. The use of money, as a relatively stable unit of measure, can tend to drive [market economies](/source/Market_economies) toward [efficiency](/source/Economic_efficiency).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Historically, prices were often given in a dominant currency used as a unit of account, but transactions actually settled by using a variety of coins that were available, and often goods, all converted into their value in the unit of account. Many international transactions continue to be settled in this way, using a notional value (most often expressed in the [US dollar](/source/US_dollar) or [euro](/source/Euro)) but with the actual [settlement](/source/Settlement_(finance)) in something else.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

In [historical cost](/source/Historical_cost) accounting, currencies are assumed to be perfectly stable in real value during non-[hyperinflationary](/source/Hyperinflation) conditions under in terms of which the stable measuring unit assumption is applied. The Daily [Consumer Price Index](/source/Consumer_Price_Index) (Daily CPI) – or a monetized daily indexed unit of account – can be used to index monetary values on a daily basis when it is required to maintain the purchasing power or real value of monetary values constant during inflation and deflation.

### Problems

Money is rarely perfectly stable in real value which is the fundamental problem with traditional [historical cost](/source/Historical_cost) accounting which is based on the stable measuring unit assumption. The unit of account in economics suffers from the pitfall of not being stable in real value over time because money is generally not perfectly stable in real value during inflation and deflation. Inflation destroys the assumption that the real value of the unit of account is stable which is the basis of classic [accountancy](/source/Accountancy). In such circumstances, historical values registered in accountancy books become heterogeneous amounts measured in different units. The use of such data under traditional accounting methods without previous correction can lead to confusing — (or even meaningless) — results.[2]

### History

Coins or moneys of account were in most cases originally based on an existing [coin](/source/Coin) or money but could remain in use as a unit of account even when the original coin or money was no longer in circulation.[3][4]

Historic examples of units of measure include the [livre tournois](/source/Livre_tournois), used in France from 1302 to 1794 whether or not livre coins were minted. In the 14th century Naples used the grossi gigliati, and Bohemia used the [Prague groschen](/source/Prague_groschen) (2021).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

At any one time there might be two or three units of account in one region based on the local base, silver and sometimes gold coins, and each often expressed in [L.S.D](/source/%C2%A3sd) units in ratio 240:12:1. The [Florentine gold florin](/source/Florin_(Italian_coin)), the [French franc](/source/Franc#Origins) and the electoral [rheingulden](/source/Rheingulden) all became pounds (240 denari) of account. Units of account would often survive over 100 years despite the original coins changing composition and availability (e.g. the [Castilian](/source/Kingdom_of_Castile) [maravedi](/source/Maravedi)).[5]

In 1921, [Henry Ford](/source/Henry_Ford) proposed the use of energy as the basis for currency instead of [Gold Standard](/source/Gold_standard).[6][7] [Thomas Edison](/source/Thomas_Edison) similarly put forward commodities as a basis.[8][9] At the onset of the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression), John P. Norton restated the "Electric Dollars" standard alongside gold.[10]

A modern unit of account is the [European Currency Unit](/source/European_Currency_Unit), used in the European Union from 1979 to 1998; its replacement in 1999, the [Euro](/source/Euro), was also just a unit of account until the introduction of notes and coins in 2002.

Unit of account is the main way of calculating a carrier or ship owner's liability in relation to carriage of goods contracts in which the [Hague-Visby Rules](/source/Hague-Visby_Rules) apply.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

In economics, a standard unit of account is used for statistical purposes to describe economic activity. Indexes such as GDP and the CPI are so broad in their scope that compiling them would be impossible without a standard unit of account. After being compiled, these figures are often used to guide governmental policy; especially monetary and fiscal policy.

In calculating the [opportunity cost](/source/Opportunity_cost) of a policy, a standard unit of account allows for the creation of a [composite good](/source/Composite_good). A composite good is a theoretical abstraction that represents an aggregation of all other opportunities that are not realized by the first good. It allows an economic decision's benefits to be weighed against the costs of all other possible goods in that society, without having to refer to any directly. Often, this is most easily accomplished with money.

## Finance

The use of a unit of account in [financial accounting](/source/Financial_accounting), according to the American business model, allows investors to invest capital into those companies that provide the highest [rate of return](/source/Rate_of_return). The use of a unit of account in [managerial accounting](/source/Managerial_accounting) enables firms to choose between activities that yield the highest profit.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Accounting

The unit of [account](/source/Account_(bookkeeping)) in financial accounting refers to the words used to describe the specific assets and liabilities that are reported in financial statements rather than the units used to measure them. That is, unit of account refers to the object of recognition or display whereas unit of measure refers to the tool for measuring it.[11]

Unit of measure and unit of account are sometimes treated as synonyms in financial accounting and economics. Unit of measure in financial accounting refers to the monetary unit to be used; that is, whether it should be nominal units of money as opposed to units that are adjusted for changes in purchasing power over time.[11]

## See also

- [Equivalization](/source/Equivalization)

- [Inflation accounting](/source/Inflation_accounting)

- [Medium of exchange](/source/Medium_of_exchange)

- [Store of value](/source/Store_of_value)

- [System of measurement](/source/System_of_measurement)

- [Units of measurement](/source/Units_of_measurement)

- [Numéraire](/source/Num%C3%A9raire)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Functions of Money"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151018115939/https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-business-textbook/the-functions-of-money-and-banking-21/money-as-a-tool-123/functions-of-money-568-3194/). *[boundless.com](/source/Boundless_(company))*. 2017-10-11. Archived from [the original](https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-business-textbook/the-functions-of-money-and-banking-21/money-as-a-tool-123/functions-of-money-568-3194/) on October 18, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [The Taxation of Income from Business and Capital in Colombia: Fiscal Reform in the Developing World](https://books.google.com/books?id=WXwfMDDYOdkC&dq=inflation+destroys+historical+cost+values&pg=PA259) By Charles E. McLure, John Mutti, Victor Thuronyi, George R. Zodrow, Contributor Charles E. McLure, Published by Duke University Press, 1990, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8223-0925-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8223-0925-4), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8223-0925-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8223-0925-3), Page 259 : **Inflation destroys the assumption that money is stable which is the basis of classic accountancy**. In such circumstances, historical values registered in accountancy books become heterogeneous amounts measured in different units. The use of such data under traditional accounting methods without previous correction, makes no sense and leads to results that are void of meaning.(Massone, 1981a. p.6)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Howell, Martha C. (1998-06-22). [*The Marriage Exchange: Property, Social Place, and Gender in Cities of the Low Countries, 1300-1550*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7VrQSntWYoQC&dq=%22coin+of+account%22&pg=PR3). University of Chicago Press. pp. XIII–XV. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-226-35515-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-226-35515-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Feliu, Gaspar](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gaspar_Feliu_Monfort&action=edit&redlink=1) (2018). [Naismith, Rory](/source/Rory_Naismith) (ed.). [*Money and Coinage in the Middle Ages*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2vYMEQAAQBAJ&dq=coin+of+account&pg=PA32). BRILL. pp. 32–37. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-90-04-38309-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-04-38309-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Peter Spufford (1986). [*Handbook of medieval exchange—Introduction*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Lz1pAAAAMAAJ&q=INTRODUCTION). [Royal Historical Society](/source/Royal_Historical_Society) (Great Britain). p. xix. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780861931057](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780861931057).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["MR. FORD'S ENERGY DOLLAR"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/12/06/98768864.html?zoom=14.07). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2024-12-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["FORD HOPES TO USE MUSCLE SHOALS AS STEP TO END WARS; Wants the Government to Issue Non-Interest Notes to Cover Cost of Completion. POWER WOULD BE SECURITY Plans to Show the World Natural Resources and Not GoldShould Be Behind Currency.BLAMES BANKERS' CONTROLPeace Will Come. He Says, WithBreaking of Gold Monopoly--Heand Edison Inspect Dam. Would Keep Gold for the Arts. Determined to End Wars. FORD WOULD USE SHOALS TO END WAR Would Simply Issue Currency. Would Use Power as Money Unit. Ford and Edison Inspect Dam"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1921/12/04/107034685.html?zoom=14.030000000000001). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2024-12-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Edison's Own Commodity-Standard Plan"](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/10/opinion/l-edison-s-own-commodity-standard-plan-215498.html). *The New York Times*. 1985-12-10. Retrieved 2024-12-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Patents and Paper Money"](https://www.pmgnotes.com/news/article/6704/Thomas-Edison-Patents-and-Paper-Money/). *PMG*. 1939-01-16. Retrieved 2024-12-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["SCIENTISTS GET PLEA FOR ELECTRIC DOLLAR; Dr. J.P. Norton Offers It as a New Standard in Currency Supplementing Gold. KILOWATT HOUR AS A BASIS Unit's Stability Over Periods of 5 Years Cited in Address at Economists' Meeting. ELECTRIC DOLLAR URGED BY SCIENTIST"](https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/12/27/105896835.html?zoom=14.32). *The New York Times*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2024-12-06.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fasri.net_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fasri.net_11-1) [Financial Accounting Standards Research Initiative: The Unit of Account Issue](http://fasri.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Carrillo-2007-Unit-of-Acct-Paper.pdf)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

## External links

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- [Linguistic and Commodity Exchanges](http://www.egwald.ca/ubcstudent/aboriginal/exchanges.php) by Elmer G. Wiens. Examines the structural differences between barter and monetary commodity exchanges and oral and written linguistic exchanges.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Unit of account](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_of_account) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_of_account?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.