false accounting

[/fɔːls əˈkaʊntɪŋ/]
nounpl: false accounting (uncountable)
contabilidade fraudulenta
1. The deliberate misrepresentation or falsification of financial records, accounts, or statements to conceal financial information or present a misleading picture of a company's financial position
The executives were convicted of false accounting after auditors discovered they had inflated revenue figures for three consecutive years.
Os executivos foram condenados por contabilidade fraudulenta após auditores descobrirem que inflacionaram os números de receita por três anos consecutivos.
2. The act of keeping inaccurate or falsified books and records that do not reflect actual financial transactions
The company's downfall began with false accounting practices that masked significant debts.
O colapso da empresa começou com práticas de contabilidade fraudulenta que mascaravam dívidas significativas.
False accounting is taken extremely seriously in both Brazilian and American legal systems. In Brazil, it violates the Lei das Sociedades Anônimas (Law 6,404/76) and can result in criminal prosecution. In the US, major corporate scandals like Enron and WorldCom have heightened awareness and regulatory scrutiny of accounting practices. The term gained widespread attention after the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent regulatory reforms like Sarbanes-Oxley in the US.
NYC Slang
cooking the books
Synonyms / Sinônimos
fraudulent accountingcreative accountingcooking the booksfinancial fraudaccounting fraudmisrepresentation of accounts
Antonyms / Antônimos
accurate accountinghonest accountingtransparent accountinglegitimate accounting

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
contabilidade fraudulenta
Most common term used in Brazil for fraudulent accounting practices
São Paulo
contabilidade criativa (informal)
Business circles may use this euphemism for more subtle forms of accounting manipulation
Portugal
contabilidade fraudulenta
Formal term used in Portuguese legal and business contexts
General
falsificação de registos contabilísticos (Portuguese)
More formal legal terminology

Related Words

auditfinancial statementembezzlementfraudbookkeepingforensic accountingcompliance

Related Idioms & Phrases

cooking the books
cooking accounts
massaging the numbers
window dressing
financial sleight of hand
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