RACHUNKOWOŚĆ KREATYWNA A RACHUNKOWOŚĆ AGRESYWNA

The beginning of the XXIst century witnessed a dozen spectacular cases which contributed to the loss of confidence in the clarity and reliability of information presented in financial statements of numerous economic entities. Those frauds started a heated debate on creative accounting, as in fact both in theory and in practice any instances of accounting operations contrary to the principles of accounting or with the actual state began to be named. In Polish literature there is disagreement not only about the very definition of “creative accounting”, but also as to whether it has a positive or negative meaning. The article tried to define, organise and differentiate both concepts. Various definitions of creative and aggressive accounting were quoted and views and addressed aspects of the issues discussed by the national authorities in the field of accounting were presented.