Rasa Subačienė

Lithuanian accounting development phases and tendencies

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. Different factors had an impact and formed the Lithuanian accounting system, and they have defined development 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 analysis, the historical approach, inductive and deductive methods, systematisation, comparison and a summary 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 accounting 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.