Cookie Jar Accounting


Cookie Jar Accounting

An accounting method in which a company understates how healthy it is when its finances are doing well and likewise, overstates its health when it is performing poorly. The company generally does this by applying excess revenues from good years to bad years. While this is common and expected to an extent, it can be detrimental to the company and its investors if taken too far. See also: Carryforward, Carryback, Aggressive Accounting.