Proper Bookkeeping Helps an Organisation to Increase Profits, Reduce Taxes and Improve Cash Flow

Accounting is the process of analyzing, classifying,Many methods may be used. At a minimum, certain
recording, summarizing, and interpreting businessprocedures should be done on a monthly or other
transactions in financial or monetary terms. In order toperiodic basis to make sure that your accounting
summarize the results of a business activity, eachrecords are accurate. Some of these steps are as
financial transaction must be recorded in afollows:
bookkeeping system.* All checks written and deposits made should be
Basics of Accounting :entered into a check register.
The owner’s right or claim to assets is expressed* A monthly bank reconciliation should be done to
by the word equity, or investment. Other terms thatmake sure that all transactions have been recorded
may be used include capital, net worth, or(including bank originated charges) and that the ending
proprietorship. Liabilities represent debts and obligationscash balances to the adjusted bank balance.
of the business. The business may have a liability to* All expenses should be classified into business
the owner, however, creditors’ claims to the assetsexpense categories to record the various
have priority over the claims of the owner.expenditures.
An equation expressing the relationship of these* All deposits made to the account should be identified
elements is called the fundamental accounting equation.and classified (e.g., boarding income, interest income
Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equityand owner contributions).
Revenues are the amounts of assets that a business* A financial statement should be prepared on a
or other economic unit gains as a result of itsperiodic basis to understand the results of your
operations. For example, revenues represent earningsoperation.it is extremely important to identify all the
derived from fees earned for the performing ofsources of deposits to make sure that actual income
services, sales involving the exchange of goods, rentfrom operations is not confused with contributions of
income for providing the use of property, and interestworking capital from the owner.
income for the lending of money.Advantage of Computerised bookkeeping :
Expenses are the amounts of assets that a businessComputerized accounting systems allow you entry of
or other economic unit uses up as a result of itstransactions into an automated system to provide a
operations. For example, expenses represent thevariety of information. Simple accounting packages can
amount of cash paid for services received, such asbe very powerful tools to assist in understanding the
wages expense rent expense, interest expense andresults of business operations. After the entry of the
supplies expense.basic transactions, the data is available in a number of
Revenues and expenses directly affect owner’sreports (e.g., cash disbursements register, income
equity. If a business earns revenue, there is anstatement, balance sheet.) These systems help
increase in owner’s equity. If a business incurs or“non-accountants” automatically produce
pays expenses, there is a decrease in owners equity.standard financial statements without much technical
So, we place revenue and expenses under theaccounting background. Good habits in computer
“umbrella” of owner’s equity.processing procedures must be used to make sure
Assets = Liabilities + Owner’s Equity Capital +that all the transactions are recorded. Otherwise, the
Revenue - Expensesfinancial information presented may not be accurate.
Steps to be followed for good Bookkeeping Systems :