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Startup Accounting

Multi-Currency Accounting and FX for Global SaaS

Written by Harry Prabandham

Curated by Rubric Financial

Last updated

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Functional Currency Comes First

  • Functional currency is the currency of the primary economic environment in which an entity operates, not simply where it is incorporated.
  • Under ASC 830, you assess indicators such as the currency of pricing, cash flows, financing, and expenses to determine each entity's functional currency.
  • Many early SaaS parents keep USD as the functional currency even when they invoice some customers in euros or pounds.
  • A foreign subsidiary that pays local salaries and collects local revenue often has a functional currency different from the parent.

About the author

Harry Prabandham

Founder & CEO

Founder and CEO of StartupCFO. MBA from Wharton, MS in Computer Science, and decades of experience building and advising venture-backed startups.

More articles by Harry

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