Glossary

The functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment in which a company operates. It is the currency in which a company primarily generates and expends its cash. In most cases, the functional currency is also the firm’s ‘accounting currency’ or ‘reporting currency’, i.e. the monetary unit used by a firm to record its transactions and to present its financial statements. A company can decide to present its financial statements in a currency different from its functional currency, for example when preparing a consolidated report for its parent in a foreign country. While a company can choose its accounting currency, it cannot change its functional currency.