Lithuanian accounting development phases and tendencies

Abstract

The evolution of Lithuanian accounting has a long history and is rather complicated. It was influenced by different countries, especially by Tsarist Russia, Germany, France, Poland and the Soviet Union. Differ-ent factors had an impact and formed the Lithuanian accounting system, and they have defined develop-ment tendencies for it. The aim of this research is to investigate Lithuanian accounting development phases and tendencies. The research methods consist of analysing scientific papers of Lithuanian authors, a retrospective analy-sis, the historical approach, inductive and deductive methods, systematisation, comparison and a sum-mary of the information. From the chronological and historical perspectives, the following Lithuanian accounting development phases were distinguished: (1) accounting origin for the period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1251–1795); (2) Lithuania’s accounting status during the period of occupation by Tsarist Russia (1795–1914) and World War I (1914–1918); (3) the condition and regulation of account-ing during the inter-war period (1918–1940) and World War II in Lithuania; (4) accounting organization and regulation during the Soviet occupation period in Lithuania (1944–1990); (5) accounting status and problems in Independent Lithuania (1990–2015). The article investigates the key elements of regulation, and the achievements and problems of each Lithuanian accounting development phase.

Keywords

• Lithuanian accounting
• accounting development
• phases
• tendencies
• rachunkowość na Litwie
• rozwój rachunkowości