What is the balance equation for proprietary accounting?

• A. Assets = Liabilities + Net Position
• B. Assets = Liabilities + Equity
• C. Assets = Liabilities
• D. Assets = Net Position + Equity

Answer: (A)

In proprietary accounting, the balance equation uses Net Position as the equity-like residual after liabilities are subtracted from assets. The assets on hand are financed either by obligations to others (liabilities) or by the government’s own net investment (net position). So the fundamental balance is: Assets = Liabilities + Net Position. Net Position represents the government’s remaining claim on assets after liabilities and includes components like invested in capital, restricted, and unrestricted amounts. Using Net Position rather than Equity aligns with government accounting terminology and reflects the government’s ongoing ownership interest in its resources. A form that uses Equity would duplicate or mislabel the equity concept, and omitting Net Position would leave out the government’s residual interest, making the equation incomplete.