On December 10th, 20X6 the ABC Company (the seller) records the sale in its books as follows: 1000 euro of sale at 4.57 lei/euro

4570 lei        Account receivable      =         Revenues from sale            4570 lei

On December 31th, 20X6 there is a potential gain in lei because the exchange rate has increased to 4.66 lei/euro. The claim now amounts to 4660 lei, compared to 4570 lei. The foreign exchange conversion has therefore created a difference of 90 lei:

90 lei       Account receivable      =       Gains from foreign exchange conversion                      90 lei

On January 17th, 20X7 the ABC Company receives 1000 euros equivalent to 4600 lei, 60 lei less than in December 31st, 20X6. Therefore, the entry is as follows:

4660 lei                 %                                                    = Account receivable       4660 lei

4600 lei            Bank account
60 lei                  Losses from foreign exchange conversion

Another example relates to the ABC Company purchasing some consultancy services from a French supplier of 2000 euros, in September 21st, 20X7 and paying in instalments, ½ on October 1st, 20X7 and the other ½ on November 30th, 20X7. The rates of exchange were the following:
September 21st, 20X7: 4.50 lei/euro
October 1st, 20X7: 4.55 lei/euro
November 30th, 20X7: 4.49 lei/euro

On September 21st, 20X7, the service purchased was worth 9000 lei (2000 euro * 4.50 lei/euro)

9000 lei            Expenses with services          =         Account payable        9000 lei

On October 1st, 20X7 the first ½ in the amount of 1000 euro (at 4.55 lei/euro) was paid. A loss was incurred as a result of the foreign exchange conversion rate of 50 lei = 1000 * (4.55 lei/euro – 4.50 lei/ euro)

4550 lei                        %                                                      = Bank account             4550 lei
4500 lei                      Account payable
50 lei                          Losses from foreign exchange conversion

On November 1st, 20X7 the second ½ in the amount of 1000 euro (at 4.49 lei/euro) was paid. In this case, there was a favourable foreign exchange conversion rate of 10 lei = 1000 * (4.50 lei/euro − 4.49 lei/ euro).

4500 lei            Account payable    =        %                                                                                                  4500 lei

Bank account                                                                                4490 lei
Gains from foreign exchange conversion                               10 lei

Things change when there are non-monetary assets or liabilities in a foreign currency, as opposed to the monetary items (account receivables, account payables) previously explained. For example, a company paid 1 million euro for a plot of land in Austria and the presentation currency of the company is the Romanian “lei”. The plot of land should be disclosed at its rate of exchange in the moment of acquisition, assuming here it was 4.60 lei/euro. Therefore, 4,600,000 lei is the acquisition cost of the land and this amount remains unchanged at the year end, no matter the volatility of the rate of exchange. Only when the revaluation model is used for land the difference on rates of exchange between the acquisition and the revaluation moment should be accounted for.