One purpose of financial accounting is to provide readers with comparable information to evaluate trends. GAAP requires companies that change accounting principles to restate prior years results, in the interest of comparability. Microsoft made such a change in 2018. However, GAAP does not require companies to fully restate prior year results after a major acquisition, instead simply requiring pro forma disclosure of revenues and net income as of the start of the prior year.

Discuss whether you feel this difference in the rules about restating prior year results is appropriate. If you do not feel it is appropriate, what change would you suggest in accounting rules?