What is accounting

So what is accounting about? It doesn't sound very sexy at all and all of the technical words sound so boring and really not appealing. But let me tell you something. Learning about how to understand accounting can be easy and not necessarily as painful as you might think. The day you understand how to read those figures on a financial report, you will feel much more in control as you will know how to use these financial tools to make more money.
What the accountant does is delivering on paper is the financial story of your business. This is basically in very simple terms what accounting is about. How to understand accounting is simply how to read a story that is stemming from your financial accounts.
Bearing this very important concept in mind, you now will have a purpose in your mind whenever you will look at your financial statements. Take your financial accounts right now and ask out loud: what is the story you are telling me? You can tell the story of your business from the past, what you did it in the past and what were the consequences in your business, what were the mistakes you made that put you into trouble and what you now can do to make it better and you can even create your story as this is what financial forecasts are for. So see, this is in a nutshell the answer to "what is accounting about?": if you are a business owner and want to get better at learning how to understand accounting.
Now that you have that new perspective, I am going to reveal the 3 golden keys which are related to the 3 financial statements you need to look at: income statement or profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. Know that each of these financial statements tells you a story and I am going to tell you which one.
Firstly, your income statement tells the story of the performance of your business:
Do you make money? Do you manage your costs well? Are you consistent with your decisions? Do you have a good sales team? Is your marketing working? Is your product well priced? Do you have a low or high margin business?
Secondly, your balance sheet tells you the story of the risks that are inherent to your business and how you have been funding your business:
Did you take a lot of risks when you entered this business? Are you in debt up to your eye ball? Do you have spare cash to invest? Do you have sound investments? Do you have a long term vision? Are you a good negotiator when it comes to your supplier?
And finally, your cash flow statement tells the story of how well you have been managing your cash and expenses payments:
Do you have a high level of monthly debt repayment compared to what your business is making, do you manage to keep some spare cash after all your payments and expenses are cashed out? Can you afford expanding your business and invest more in purchasing new materials?
So what is accounting about? You just got it! After you learn how to understand accounting, you will be able to answer all of these questions very easily!

Business Finances Made Easy's mission is to help business owners getting an accurate understanding of their business finances. This will allow them to be able to discuss their business finances at any time with confidence and will help them to get additional funding on demand.

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Accounting Information

Small Business Accounting Software

If you are setting up a small business or a home based bookkeeping business, ideally you will be looking to use suitable software to keep track of the accounts for each business.
There are a multitude of products out there that can help you do this but short of reviewing each one individually, it is difficult to suggest the best one for your business.
As the requirements of each business will be different, here are some of the software features you need to compare against your business needs before deciding which product to purchase.
Number of users (Licence)
If you will need access to the software by a number of people, it is worth considering the detail of the licence in respect of how many users will be allowed. Some software packages have restrictions in this regard which could mean a costly upgrade if you haven't obtained the correct level initially. When weighing this up, don't forget to factor in future growth as nothing remains static for long.
Number of Companies
Some packages will only allow say one, three or five companies to be operated on a particular licence. If you are running a bookkeeping business you will require a software package that offers "unlimited companies". This will save you time and money upgrading at a later date.
Reporting options
Most packages will give you the option to run all of the standard reports, such as trial balance, profit and loss and the Balance sheet. However, is this enough? Think about which reports your business or clients may require? Will they want monthly cost analysis? Do they have "Departments" that they need to scrutinise? Does the software produce the relevant reports required for the various tax returns? It is worth considering all of these things before purchase as again this will save you a huge amount of time later on.
Nominal coding and departments
Often, software comes with preset nominal codes. Often these can be quite restrictive so you need to ensure that these are editable. This allows you to adapt the software to the business you are accounting for. In order to drill down deeper, you should look for the facility to use "Departments". This is particularly important for companies operating from more than one location and facilitates detailed reporting for each location within the one main company. In summary, flexible nominal codings and the "Department" functions will save loads of time when producing detailed reports at a later stage. It also enables valuable information to be provided to the end user very quickly.
Portability
Think about where you will need to access the software from. If it is just from a small number of desktop computers then there is no problem. However, if you will also need access on your laptop for example when visiting clients, then you need to ensure that the software is compatible and can be easily updated from changes made on the static computers.
Storage and backup facilities
Last and by no means least, you will need to take regular backups of your data as if it gets lost or corrupted you are in for a pretty mammoth task of salvaging the information. Ensure that the software and your hardware are compatible in terms of where the data will be backed up to and how the process is carried out. Finally you need to determine where a physical copy of the backup data will be kept. This should ideally be in a fireproof safe away from the main computer database.

 

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Best Accounting Software 

Free Accounting Software

Free accounting software is available that may very well meet all of you accounting needs! Be sure that any products used for business purposes will create suitable audit trails to help avoid trying to recreate data at a later date. Also make sure that any accounting software used whether free or paid, will meet all of your needs both today and in the near future to avoid having to go through a possibly cumbersome upgrade down the road.
The following are some of the most popular free accounting software products available.
Free Accounting Software 2.0 One very popular free downloadable accounting product is Free Accounting Software 2.0 from Systems Online. Even though this Windows based program is free, it is still a complete multiuser, multicompany, and multibranch accounting, inventory, and customer management solution for business. Free Accounting includes: physical and non-physical inventory, invoicing, customers, contacts, vendors, inventory, sales, sales returns and credit memos, quotes, purchasing, and purchase returns. Furthermore it can handle complete AR and AP with all accounting functions and journals including general journal, inventory control journal, checkbooks, and bank reconciliation and deposits. This new version is a major upgrade with many valuable features including FIFO/LIFO and Average cost accounting! (To keep this product free you will be required to link to them on your web site. Otherwise you will be required to pay a small fee.)
Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 Another exciting product is Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007. Microsoft promotes this new free product as, "Everything you need to make your small business idea flourish. Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 is available in the U.S. only, as a free download or on a CD. An advantage to this product is that if your small business out grows the Express Version you can easily upgrade to the paid Professional Version.
Choice Accounting Choice Technologies provides this basic Choice Accounting Package as a free download anticipating that you will at some point purchase additional products and services from their company. It is very easy to master this program which is a full-featured accounting and bookkeeping system target to small businesses. It has a setup wizard that can create a dataset in just a few minutes.
Accounting Startup Edition Dynacom offers this Accounting Startup Edition free with one caveat, you are required to link to them in your emails and/or on your internet site. This should be easy for a small business to do especially if it is a home based business that may not have a very formal website anyway. It includes all the basic accounting functions needed to manage your business efficiently: purchasing, sales, general ledger and banking. It even includes payroll! To make a great offer even better, it comes with no time or transaction limitation. Like other good free accounting software you can easily upgrade to a more advanced products if your business outgrows this program.
GnuCash Due to the increasing popularity of the Linux platform this product is worth mentioning. GnuCash is an Linux open source accounting application. In fact GnuCash is the leading free, open source accounting program for Linux. GnuCash is a functional replacement for many of the expensive accounting programs. This release is a new version for 2007!

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Accounting Principles

Accounting Study

This article describes some of the major traditional programs which are accredited and available as online accounting study programs at bachelor's level or higher. While most of these programs mentioned provide similar course curriculums, mentioned here are some of the broader areas and some of the newly popular areas in accounting.
Over the last few years, traditional as well as newer online accounting schools and colleges have been offering more and accounting courses online in blended and asynchronous delivery formats. The programs mentioned below are available online and in such blended formats and have a full duration (i.e. 2yr Masters and 3-4ys Bachelors), however, there are several specialized and industry specific programs and short courses available in accounting and finance. Some free online accounting courses are also to be found which can give you a good feel of this profession and its areas of expertise.

Online Graduate Programs In Accountancy

1- Master of Science
The benefits of gaining Masters Degree In this program are much higher salaries, applicable and practical accounting skills proficiency and ultimately, much better career opportunities. Additionally this program is designed to benefit students in their preparation for the CPA and to satisfy the 120-150 credit hour requirements for other professional certification programs, e.g. Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and the Certified Data Processing Auditor (CDPA) etc. This Degree program also helps fulfill requirements for practice licenses in many states. Students must have a Bachelors degree from an accredited institution as far as minimum entrance requirements go.

2- Master of Accountancy
The program is especially designed to prepare students for the CPA, by courses conducted to cover each of the modules in the CPA exam curriculum. This degree is most relevant to working professionals. The common minimum requirements are generally a BA in accounting with a high GMAT score, good GPA and/or alternative work experience.

3- Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Professional Accounting
This program's learning is based in practice applications of accounting methodologies as they exist in the current profession. This specialization is meant to teach practical applications accounting practices for the generation of internal and external reporting for organizations along with the teaching of assurance methodologies specifically with respect to external reporting. Auditing, financial and managerial accounting practices form the core of the learning curriculum.
  
4- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA accounting is 10-12 courses degree program that teaches students the methodology of managing a business in an accountancy perspective. The program helps both accounting and non-accounting students the opportunity to explore field of accounting. Those wishing to start businesses or those who are a part of lower-middle management benefit the most from this degree. Normally Students need not have completed a bachelor's degree in a related field of study in order to be eligible; however they must have achieved an accredited undergraduate degree. The degree qualifies students to sit the CPA examination as well; the coursework prepares even non-accounting students with a comprehensive understanding and practical base for full accounting practice.

Online Undergraduate Programs in Accountancy

1- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
This degree program teaches basic applicable principles of accounting and taxation and how these are applied to any kind of business organization. The combination of accounting with law, business management, and information processing as well as general studies courses is ideal to prepare students for managerial accounting and faineance positions as a career.

2- Bachelor of Arts
The BA in accounting course outline is perhaps the most diverse of them all at this level. With courses for financial, cost and managerial accounting as well as auditing, taxation and planning, internal and external auditing; the course prepares students for further studies leading to a profession in any of the above mentioned areas in accountancy as well as for higher education and as preparation for CPA.

3- Bachelor of Science
The course objectives in this program are to impart a basic knowledge of the accounting practice as it relates to business finance, state and local taxation for businesses and auditing and accounting for SMEs (small and medium enterprises).

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DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.
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Principles Of Accounting

Online Accounting Degree

Accounting Degrees have always been prestigious hence their great demand. There are various ways for acquiring one. One can either enroll for it over the net or through the normal class room attendance. Accountants or bookkeepers are the organization's financial watchdogs. According to the American's federal government analyzes, jobs opportunities for accounting professionals are expected to grow faster than the available fully fledged bookkeepers/accountants. This is because more and more organizations have come to rely on their assistance. The demand is expected to keep on rising.
The online accounting programs focus on the students ability to analyze and interpret numbers. It also emphasizes on the students ability to communicate effectively and accurately.Students are able to network with other professionals in different fields. Any good online degree programs normally teaches a student on how to use different accounting software, how to analyze, record and interpret accounting data based on accounting profession guidelines. This in turns helps in making informed business decisions as is expected of any business person of repute.
A good accounting online degree course has various topics covered on it program. These are such as, application of accounting principles, financial statement preparation, payroll processing methods and procedures, tax preparation according to government regulations, budget management, Auditing, raising and managing capital, risk management and corporate finance and financial accounting and many others. Once a student graduates, they are able to enter the job market as fully qualified accountants, payroll professionals, Auditors and financial analyst to name but a few professions.
There are various advantages and disadvantages of studying accounting online;
Advantages.
" Convenience-The course is portable and is available at which-ever place you are. In fact, the course comes to you. It does not matter the place you are situated-you can move around the globe and still access your online course comfortably.
" Flexibility-It is possible to take your course at your own pace no matter your schedule.
" Affordable-The course is relatively cheaper as compared to the traditional mode of learning. There is no transportation money required, the fees are minimal thus lowering the overall cost,this in turn makes it quite affordable.
" The course is structured for mature adult learning. You only learn what you can apply in the real world.
Disadvantages
" Lack of accessibility-Not everyone in the world has internet connection
" Some people can only learn where they interact with the tutor and other students. They can not be able to learn online, they are only good in a traditional classroom.
" In order to fully get the benefits of online accounting course, you should be conversant with accounting procedures, be self motivated and have good time management skills to fully grasp the course. You have to have prior accounting skills to get full accounting online benefits.

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Online Accounting Courses 

Learn Accounting Online

The twentieth century technology however, has diminished the barriers between distances from your own abode and a good institution. A lot of universities have taken up the initiative to provide sessions to learn accounting online. Along with assistance for overseas students or those who cannot afford the accommodation expenses that come along with just the tuition fee. You can sit at any time in the comfort of your own home or workplace and get immediate attention or access to ongoing sessions to make your studies much easier. Research has shown that learn accounting online with the comfort of your own home has much more tremendous impact on the results that students tend to bring in.
Additionally, with the advancement and demands of the recessionary time for instance reducing costs and trying to get more efficient ways of production have become a great necessity in this age. Therefore many such accounting courses have been designed to help out individuals to understand the reasons and the remedies that could be implemented within their own business settings. But taking out time to acquire such knowledge especially when you are already full time employees tend to be difficult. But with the virtual universities and institutes you too can learn accounting online and benefit from such superb courses.
People who have a aptitude for numbers are the people who should opt for a career in accounting and they can also take advantage to learn accounting online. Accountants are the people who handle all the finance of the company or business and they are responsible for the auditing activities too. These online programs teach you the basics of accounting and also help in understanding the different concepts and accounting principles. They w ill make you familiar with all the accounting terminologies that you need to know about that include revenues, expenses and statement of cash flow. You will learn how to carry out transactions and will also teach you the basic principles behind the Credit and debit of an account.
Learning accounting online will make you efficient enough to deal the financial situation of the company and try to reach the top.
There are many different online accounting courses offered online and some of the most popular ones are:
Accounting Course:
Beginners Accounting Course which is especially designed for people who want to do majors in accounting and it develops in them the need for closing, reporting and adjusting accounts of the company to gain profits and make the business successful in the long run.
Introduction to Business:
This teaches the students what business actually is and how it is operated and managed. It also makes it easy for people to learn the process of production and marketing in business operations.
Microsoft office:
This accounting online course offers knowledge of introductory Microsoft skills such as computer concepts and windows explorer through demonstration which makes them easy to understand and use in practical way.
Accounting Computerized:
This teaches the students on how to use the computer as a tool and carry out accounting and prepare financial statements to run the business successfully.

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Best Accounting Software

Choosing the best accounting software for your business needs is more important than ever these days, especially as accounting legislation and reporting requirements seem to be changing frequently. This type of software can require some considerable investment, so choosing the correct system for your business needs is essential.
Accounting software is produced for many purposes, from home accounting and budgeting, all the way through to software to manage the transactions and reporting requirements of huge corporations. Most of these software packages are modular based, with modules to deal with transactions, payroll requirements, accounts payable and receivable, and even annual reports for the benefits of legal requirements and for shareholders.
The reality is that there will be a number of accounting packages that will suit your needs, most offer comparable functionality, and you will need to consider budget and the expandability of the product to make the right decision. Avoid software that is unable to grow with your business as it expands. Important points to consider when choosing might include the ability of the program to integrate graphical presentations into the output reports, the ability to automate the transaction processes fully, and the ability of the package to connect to the internet, perhaps for the retrieval of back transactions and the transfer of funds using electronic transfer.
Ideally, high end accounting software should be able to incorporate all the functions you need. It is often better to spend a little more and get an accountancy program you can grow into, rather than a program you grow out of too quickly. A lot of the manufacturers do give the ability to upgrade to a higher specification package with a discount, and this may be something you can consider.
Security is always important for businesses, but when you are working with business accounts, that if compromised, could have a marked effect on the business, security is essential. Protecting your sales data from competitors is an important consideration, and encryption when passing data over the internet should be a fundamental consideration.
Many companies work online and over multiple currency areas, so the ability for reports to be translated into multiple languages and currencies may be something that could benefit your company, as well as saving time and money on conversions.
These are just a few of the important considerations when looking for high quality accounting programs that can save your business time, and produce high quality financial reports that can be easily interpreted and acted upon.

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Principles Of Accounting

Best Accounting Software For Small Business

Best Online Accounting Software

Online Accounting Courses

Accounting is really a complicated and important part of your company. An owner has to take time to obtain accounts. If you're going to employ qualified public accountants there are specific items you must have to understand. Here are some essential things to do when employing a Cost per action.
Most of the aspects you need to think about when choosing which college or university to go to contains its location to where you live, the supply of the accounting courses that you want to take and the type of accounting levels the institution awards to students.
The savings accounts perform with a rate that begins with a base rate. You can earn a bonus, if you adhere to the conditions connected to these accounts, which usually consist of leaving the extra interest if you make a withdrawal of money every month.
The online high-interest accounts can be used through the internet, which are generally provided by numerous financial institutions.
If you would like to maintain your accounting and guide keeping simple do not run into making earnings taxes elections that may possibly confuse your accounting choose.
Imagine you learn through the online accounting courses that you are investing an average of dollars each month on office materials. Every year several requests are placed for the numerous supplies many times. Making use of this kind of information you will be capable to make the choice to order a similar volume of supplies every single month at a very little part of the cost thanks to purchasing in huge quantities. You will also make use of similar strategies to observe every item and see what adjustments can be made.

Banks are a secure place to maintain your money, and they provide products and services that help you to produce the almost all of your income. Go online to evaluate bank rates and also get the ideal account for you, but before you do that you must enroll in our Online Accounting Courses to increase your skills.

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Accounting Principles

In all, there are nine accounting principles that are used to prepare all business accounts. Any business accounts that are created using any of these principles, are deemed by the professionals in the accounting world, as accounts that were prepared with principles that are generally accepted by all accountants throughout the world.
If these principles were not used, and financial data was just thrown together haphazardly, then the accounting for your companies accounts, would be complicated to say the least. All of these nine accounting principles will help to keep your corporate accounting needs straight, and in a methodical method that every accountant will be able to understand.
The mother of all accounting principles is the accrual principle, and will ensure that all of the business revenues and expenses are methodically recorded when the money is earned, and not when it is paid for. There is a set way that money is recognized in the accounting world of high financed businesses, and the principles of revenue recognition are followed to make sure the recognition is interpreted right.
Accountants will use a historical cost principle when they are filling in the financial data for your business accounts. These accounts can glace at a balance sheet, and see what the price of the item that was sold, cost the company that they are recording business accounts records for. There are other account transactions that might be confused with this principle, and that is the current cost accounting feature.
For financial records to be consistent, accountants often require their clients to methodically record their financial transactions using the consistency principles. This way their financial information is recorded the same, time after time, and there will be no confusion over the entries after a long period of time.
If other principles are mixed with the constancy principles, the end result may provide the wrong financial figures. Tax auditors find that this will be the case in businesses that are performing illegal activities, and do not want to leave a lot of financial information that can be easily traced, and legitimate business do not want to leave this bad impression on such a major faction such as the Internal Revenue Service.
To keep financial accounting of business records from becoming confused with other expenditures made by the business owner, accountants like to use the separate legal entity concept when they are performing financial services for a company, and the personal banking transactions of a person that is small business owner. Some business owners get confused and make withdrawals from their business accounts for personal use, and make the wrong entries in both sets of checkbooks.

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Principles Of Accounting

Intangible Fixed Assets

Intangible assets may be defined as a special class of irrelevant fixed assets of which brands, copyrights, formulas, franchises, good will, patents and trade-marks are leading examples. The chief common characteristics of intangible assets are:
1. They are usually directly related to the future earnings of a business.
2. Their value is generally dependent upon the "going-concern" concept of business enterprise. They attach to the enterprise as a whole. Although exceptions exist, like copyrights and patents, intangible assets evince a tendency to be inseparable from the business which owns them. Goodwill is an outstanding example.
The test of the value of intangibles is earning power. To clothe intangibles with accounting value a business should have earning power large enough to cover satisfactorily not only its net tangible assets but its intangibles as well. Thus, intangible assets should be capitalized only when they have a genuine present value defensible by the test of earnings yet to be realized. When so capitalized, debits to intangible asset accounts may include reasonable costs to purchase, develop and defend.
Intangibles of definite life should be amortized over their commercial useful life by periodic charges to operations. There is a tendency on the part of some accountants to value intangibles of indefinite life at cost, with never any deduction of amortization.
However, accounting valuations for intangible assets of definite and indefinite lives are warranted only by the test of the present life of future earning power.
The inauguration of intangible assets with significant account balances raises practical problems of accounting valuations. At best, many of the valuations attending the intangible assets of actual business are characterized by transience and uncertainty. In the interest of financial conservatism, many companies have written off their intangible assets. Lump sum write-offs of the values of intangible assets should be made by special debits to the comprehensive income account with current profit and loss. Credits are generally made to the asset accounts involved rather than to accounts with valuation reserves.
COPYRIGHTS
Copyrights have a legal life of twenty-eight years with privilege of renewal for a similar period. Because copyright revenues generally last only a few years, the copyright cost should be written off in proportion to gross revenues as nearly as it is possible to do so. Some companies go so far as to write off the entire cost against the gross revenue of the first year.
GOODWILL
Goodwill exists when the net income of a specific business unit is greater than the normal rate of return expected for the general business or industry of which the specific unit is a part. Goodwill is the valuation placed upon this extra earning power.
Goodwill may also be defined as follows: When a specific business unit has a value over and above the fair value of its net assets (excluding goodwill), the difference is goodwill.
Reasons advanced for the existence of goodwill include the following:
• Efficient and well-mannered organization
• Favourable customer attitude and buying habits
• Site
• Monopoly
• Quality of merchandise and service
• Possession of special privileges
• Reputation for fair dealing
PATENTS
Patents should be recorded on the books at cost. Cost includes:
Purchase price Fees (attorney and federal)
Developmental expenditures Cost of legal defense
Patents have a definite life of seventeen years without privilege of renewal. They should be amortized by writing off at least 1/17 of their cost each year to the operating account, Patents Expense, or Amortizations of Patents. However, if a patent has a commercial life of less than seventeen years, the write-offs should be proportionately greater. Ideally, the cost of a patent should be written off in proportion to the annual gross incomes earned on the patent.
TRADE-MARKS
This asset should be valued at cost to purchase, develop and defend. Because its legal life is without limit, a trade-mark is the permanent and exclusive property of its owner. Valuation of a trade-mark may therefore remain continuously at cost (i.e., without deduction for amortization). Many concerns, however, write-off such values as a matter of such conservatism, or carry them at a nominal valuation. In no case is there warrant for the retention of an accounting valuation for a trade-mark whose commercial value has expired.

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The Top Accounting Firms In The US

This monster Big 4 Accounting Firm, located in New york, generates more than $25 Billion in revenue and has the most employees for any accounting firm in The United States. To learn more about this firm and the other large accounting institutions in The United States, check out this list of the top accounting firms in the U.S.
Ernst & Young
With over 140,000 employees at nearly 700 offices spread over close to 140 international locations, Ernst & Young is one of the largest and most recognizable accounting agency in the US and has an annual world-wide revenue in excess of $21 billion.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Situated in New York this 'Big 4' firm employs more than 163,000 people with more than 750 offices in 150 countries. With world-wide revenue of around $26 billion it is generally regarded as being one of the leaders among the top firms in the united states.
KMPG
Although a member of the 'Big 4' and one of the biggest accounting businesses in the US, KPMG in fact has its international headquarters located in Amsterdam. Their profits exceed $20 million and employ upwards of 150,000 employees globally.
RSM/McGladrey & Pullen
These two companies are individual firms but work together to serve the overall company needs with their clients. RSM presents business and tax advice, while McGladrey & Pullen provides a full range of financial and accounting services. combined these giants have well over 100,000 employees in close to 100 offices.
Grant Thornton
Created in 1924 this Chicago-based firm offers 52 office buildings inside the US and it has its intercontinental headquarters in london. The firm concentrates on the construction and real estate markets.
CBIZ/Mayer Hoffman McCann
As with RSM/McGladrey & Pullen, these two separate organizations work together use a full range of accounting and consultation services. Combined, these two companies have more than 5,000 staff members and 180 US offices.
BDO
Formerly referred to as BDO Seidman, this Chicago-based firm has about 2,400 employees in The United States spread out over company 40 offices. It's largest clients include U-Haul as well as booksellers Barnes and Noble.
BKD
The 10 largest accounting and advisory organization in the US, BKD provides around 2,000 staff members spread across 29 offices. Launched in 1923, the particular firm has its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
Crowe Horwath
Also known as Crowe Chizek, the business has its HQ in Indianapolis and is part of the Horwath Interna

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Chartered Accountancy Institutes

The profession of chartered accountancy is one the most secured, lucrative and never ending professions. The positive improvement in the worldwide globalization has brought a revolution in almost every industry and therefore, each and every industry is competing to expanding their quality and services. Many local and international companies dealing with various brands and products are starting up rapidly but there is one thing common in all of them i.e. necessity of a chartered accountant.
Better performance is always backed by better management and techniques. A chartered accountant basically maintains the basic measures of the company's performance i.e. capital. Chartered accountancy is basically related to three major tasks including accounting, auditing and taxation. Chartered accountants are styled as complete business solution providers and are available to ensure regulatory requirements, capital structure and planning, mobilizing financial resources and installing internal accounting and budgetary controls.
Any sector, whether joint venture, foreign collaboration, merger, BPO, or any other thing, will definitely require a chartered accountant to maintain their annual capital structure and balance sheet.
There is no need to go abroad to find a better institute for accountancy course when you have it in your own country. India has quite a few good accounting institutions offering various professional courses related to accountancy. The Jagannath International Management School and International College of Financial Planning offer a PG Diploma course in Financial Management, while many accounting certificate courses can be availed from ICA- Certified Industrial Accountant. The VAG Info-tech Pvt. Ltd. offers a course in Accounts and Taxation. Apart from these institutes, St. Xavier's College, Goenka College, and the Bangalore Management Academy are also a good choice.
Although, all these institutes are known for their quality services and education, the best among them and the worldwide recognized institute for professional accountancy course is the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The accounting institutes in India are involved into a sharp competition of providing best course structure and to attract a great number of students. Candidates need to be self-motivated while selecting a chartered accountancy course and should be careful about all the aspects while choosing the right school.

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Accounting Colleges in India

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Accounting Colleges in India

Accounting is a difficult field. Not everyone who wants to be an Accountant, manages to do so. Tremendous amount of hard work and constant study is a necessity. Getting into a good Accounting College augments your aim.
Delhi is the hub of all activities in the nation. It has quite a few good accounting institutions. Jagannath International Management School, International College of Financial Planning (offering PG Diploma in Financial Planning), VAG Info-tech Pvt. Ltd. (course in Accounts and Taxation), BLB Institute of Financial Markets (US certified Public Accounting Program), ICA- Certified Industrial Accountant, Institute of Computer and Finance Executives (courses in Certified Accounts Executive, Certified Finance Executive, Certified Account Executive, Finance Executive Programs), Scholar Classes Pvt. Ltd. offering CA and CPT, Computer Center for Management and Training (Advance Diploma in Financial Accounting), Sanjeev Varshney Classes (offering CA- CS), AKN Commerce Classes (CA-CPT), are good colleges to get admission into. You can also apply to the University of Delhi and the Amity University for accounting courses.
Kolkata also offers commendable opportunity to those deciding on a career in Accountancy. St. Xavier's College and Goenka College are much sort after institutes. Other good colleges are Indian Institute of Job Oriented Training (Finance), Heritage Academy, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Eastern India Regional Council Of The Institute Of Chartered Accountants Of India, West Bengal Professional Education Course, and Eastern India Regional Council Of The Institute Of Chartered Accountants Of India. Students in West Bengal thus do not need to shift to any other part of the country as there are both study and job options available to them at home.
Mumbai too is a preferred location of Accounting Colleges in India. Malad Kandivali Education Society's Nagindas Khandwala College Of Commerce And Arts, Smt. P.D. Hinduja Trust's K.P.B. Hinduja College Of Commerce, Chikitsak Samuha'S S.S. & L.S. Patkar College Of Arts & Science And V.P. Varde College Of Commerce & Economics, Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association's Mulund College Of Commerce, Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association's M.L. Dahanukar College Of Commerce. Other colleges where you can seek admission are Shailendra Education Society's Arts, Science And Commerce College, Nirmala Degree College, Sterling College of Commerce, and B.M Ruia Girls College.
Bangalore today is the focal point of business in India. Undoubtedly the ambit of jobs here is multiple. So is the number of colleges extending accounting courses. The Bangalore Management Academy is a good choice. Other alternatives in Bangalore are the Christ College, C.B. Bhandari Jain College, B.H.S. First Grade College, Bangalore Branch Of S.I.R.C. Of The Institute Of Chartered Accountants Of India, Kristu Jayanti College, H.K.E.S. Sree Veerendra Patil Degree College Of Science, Dr. Ambedkar Degree Evening College, St. Joseph's College Of Commerce, Rajajinagar Education Society's Sri Aurobindo First Grade College For Women. There are a few others that include Seshadripuram Institute For Studies In Chartered Accountancy, Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, and Sri Sai College. You can apply to any of these.
Few other institutes across the country have proven to be good Accounting Colleges. You should also consider them while making up your mind for applying. They are the ICFAI in Nagaland, the Gulbarga University of Karnataka and the Institute of Computer Accountants in Chennai.
Accountancy is a scope galore in the business calendar today. Accounting Colleges in India are thus competing to offer the best course structure and be the choice of students across the country. The job market in metros is a huge one, though other cities also require their services. The important thing is to qualify for a good accounting college, but the motive should be to remain focused and willing to take up the inherent challenge of the profession.

GAAP: Western Standards of US Accounting

GAAP are generally accepted Western standards of accounting and reporting, used in the U.S. and certain other countries. From English - General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). GAAP standards regulate accounting treatment of certain practical situations in detail. Generally Accepted Accounting principles developed in the U.S. for independent accounting firms in an attempt to eliminate inconsistency in accounting for private companies and corporations.
International system of accounting represents widely used accounting standards developed by the Council of Financial Accounting Standards Board. They are used to standardize financial accounting of joint-stock companies. Common accounting principles (or GAAP) are "basic rules" of financial reporting. These principles provide general framework that defines information to be included in the report and the way this information should be presented. Phrase "generally accepted accounting principles" includes basic objectives of financial report, a number of concepts and a set of detailed rules.
It must be emphasized there is no complete list of generally accepted accounting principles. In fact, new accounting principles appear continuously, as firms engage in new forms of business activity.
GAAP standards
GAAP are based on a much larger number of developments. Therefore, American standards show a tendency to clearer regulation of all operations and less flexibility for individual company. The U.S. Board of Financial Reporting Standards signed an agreement with the Committee on International Financial Reporting Standards to eliminate differences between U.S. and international reporting systems. U.S. standards are used by many foreign companies to enter the U.S. market.
GAAP Programs
Domestic market GAAP programs appeared not so long ago. And, accordingly, there appeared different training GAAP programs. Most of them include the following stages:
1. Introduction to international accounting standards and reporting
2. Records in accordance with the concepts and standards of GAAP USA (Summaries & Status of FASB Statements - SFAS)
3. Records in accordance with the concepts and standards of GAAP UK (Summaries & Status of FRS Statements - SSAP).
4. Differences in national financial reporting requirements of international accounting standards IFRS - IAS.
In future, knowledge obtained at GAAP courses allow graduates conducting independent accounting and reporting of joint ventures and firms, filling out accounting forms, composing and protecting balance sheet.
Upon completion of GAAP training courses, graduates receive a standard certificate and can be employed in international financial institutions and joint business firms and companies in positions "GAAP, IAS accountant", "leading GAAP, IAS accountant assistant".
What else makes the whole book world reckoning with the US GAAP? Of course, this is carefully considered structure and depth of standards themselves. They are considered the most detailed guidance for virtually all industries, as well as accounting and reporting cycles.

For More Detail:

International Financial Accounting Standards Versus Generally Accepted Accounting Principals

International Accounting Standards (IAS)

International Accounting Tips & Software

An Overview Of IFRS Accounting

Accounting and financial reporting has been undergoing some changes in the recent years. This change is mainly brought about by the adoption of the IFRS accounting by companies from more than 100 counties all over the world. These 100 countries have been previously using the GAAP or the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. After seeing the many advantages of using the accounting, these countries have abandoned the GAAP and are now using the IFRS.
IFRS accounting is a set of standards that are created by the IASB. Majority of these standards are previously known as International Accounting Standards or IAS. The IAS was used from 1973 to 2001 by the International Accounting Standards Committee or the IASC. In 2001, the IAS was incorporated into the IASB and this led to the creation of the new standards that is now called the IFRS. There are only a few countries left in the world who have not yet adopted the accounting. This does not mean that these countries are against the accounting. These few countries are just biding their time until they fully adopt the accounting in the next few years.
The IFRS accounting was created for the use of profit-based companies to help them in the formulation of accurate financial statements. These financial statements based on the accounting should contain complete data such as operational performance, cash flow, and financial standing. These data are proven to be very useful for the public, investors, lenders, management and employees of these companies.
A complete financial statement based on the IFRS accounting should contain a balance sheet and statements that contain information about the company's cash flow and income. The financial statement should also contain a statement of all the changes in the company's equity. All these data are very important in the decision-making process of the management as well as investors. These data can also be used to guide the decision of future investors as they decide on whether a certain company is a worthy investment or not. In the accounting, the policies of the company are also an important part of its financial statement.
There are a lot of benefits to adopting the accounting and one of them is that it provides more detailed information as compared to the GAAP. The IFRS accounting is also less complicated which makes it easy to use and provides a more detailed reporting. International and local investors also prefer financial statements that follow the accounting guidelines.

For More Information:

International Financial Accounting Standards Versus Generally Accepted Accounting Principals 

International Accounting Standards (IAS)

Financial Software Standards and Modules

Are you looking for financial software to record your daily accounting activities? Different companies have diverse accounting requirements that call for sophisticated software to incorporate these requirements. The financial accounting software has separate sections, popularly called modules, to handle specific areas in finance.
Financial Software Modules
Financial software typically comprises the following core modules:
Accounts payable: This module records the paid and outstanding bills. It also keeps track of other expenses.
Accounts receivable: All money received is entered into this module.
Ledger: All journal financial transactions are entered here.
Billing: It is used to produce invoices.
Inventory: This section keeps track of stock.
Purchase order: This section is used to order stock
Sales order: All customer orders for stock are recorded here.
Financial accounting software also features various non-core modules, such as electronic payment processing, payroll, timesheet, purchase requisition, expense, debt collection and reports.
Financial Software Standards: What is IFRS?
In 1973, International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was formed to standardize various country-specific accounting activities. Continued innovation and improvement in these standards resulted in the formation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IFRSs were introduced in 2006 by The International Standards Board (IASB). IFRSs ensure the preparation and presentation of financial statements in compliance with the set standards and framework. As of 2009, over 100 countries have authorized the use of IFRSs. Major technology-oriented countries, such as Canada, the US, Japan and India, are also on the road to conversion to IFRSs.
Financial Software Standards: Implications of IFRS
It is a challenge to implement IFRS in everyday business accounting activities. This is because the conversion involves several technical issues and requires thorough business planning. Companies may be concerned about the impact of IFRS on reported performance measures. They may also have queries about additional data to be collected and the ability of the systems to capture that data. These prepare companies to decide their conversion to IFRS.
Sapphire helps its global clients attain IFRS compliancy and recommends software solutions to clients as per their business requirements. The company's professional knowledge and solutions are designed to improve the corporate visibility of clients.

For More Detail:
Accounting Definitions and Software Available Here

International Accounting Standards (IAS)

Accounting For Business - Learn Its Importance

All companies need accounting in order to run their business efficiently and effectively. A certified accountant can manage all of their expenditure and cash flow. Accountants are extremely beneficial in almost any business. This only means every business needs one. Accounting involves recording, summarizing and classifying all transactions of a certain company in a financial manner.
Accountants settle all the financial transactions of a certain company. A highly skilled accountant can produce a financial report that can serve as the basis of the CEO in decision-making. It is a must for clients and the management staff to look into those financial reports before they could come up with a sound decision, otherwise; they might not create the best decision for the company. If the management create a wise decision because of the help of the accountant, everyone in the company will benefit from the good effects of the decision made.
Leading companies' secret to their success is a combination of production, sales and accounting. Managers give high value to a graphic design company because they can give their business a top web design. It is also compared to an entrepreneur who hires a certified accountant who can put the company into the next level. The presence of an accountant is beneficial in all companies because the financial reports that they create are necessary for decision-making.
Before even the manager can hire the service of a credible graphic design company, he still needs the financial report of the accountant to see whether the company can afford to hire one or not. In some instances wherein the company needs to have one, they usually compare web design as well as web hosting reviews in order for them to determine which company they should hire. Successful companies were able to reach their current standing in business because of the three principal reasons mentioned above. Massive production staff plus a strong sales team partnered with the best accountant who can manage all financial issues is the best formula for a successful company.
Small business should hire a professional accountant because they can help in controlling the finances of the company. Even the most successful companies today can also lose their funds at a blink of the eye. All business operations deal with money, whatever decision or investment the management has to make, a substantial financial report should always be the basis of their decisions, thus, the need for a highly qualified accountant. There are many certified accountants today who can help us in the own business.
For More Detail:

What is Cost Accounting?

Knowing The Basic Accounting Principles

The Benefits Of Accountants Reports In Small Business

International Financial Accounting Standards Versus Generally Accepted Accounting Principals

Though we have known for centuries of the globes spherical dimensions, the last few decades have proven that the earth might be "flat" after all. People communicate all over the world like never before, allowing transactions to flow freely from country to country. Because this is a first time occurrence as never seen in history, people are adapting rapidly to new types of problems or ways that we could make these interactions more efficient. One problem is that because of the free flow of business transactions through different countries and different law enforcements, one set of accounting standards needs to be put in place to have easier access to financial information. International Financial Reporting Standards are one set of accounting standards, put in place by the International Accounting Standards Board, which is becoming the global standard for the preparation of public company financial statements. The current lack of a uniform set of accounting standards creates problems for companies preparers and users. Many multinational companies, creditors, and investors support the idea for a global set of accounting standards, which would make it easier to compare the financial statements of a foreign competitor, to better understand opportunities, and to cut cost by using one accounting procedure company-wide.
Currently over 12, 000 companies in 113 countries have adopted international financial reporting standards as their new accounting standards. The SEC believes that this number will continue to increase. Japan, Brazil, Canada and Indian countries plan to start using IFRS in 2010 & 2011. Mexico will adopt IFRS in 2012. This same year the U.S. will include IFRS questions on their CPA exams. President Obama released the financial regulatory reform proposals, on June 17, 2009, which called for accounting standard setters to "make substantial progress toward development of a single set of high-quality global accounting standards" by the end of 2009. The United States are expected to converge and/or adopt the international standards, IFRS and cease to use their current generally accepted accounting principals, as early as 2012. The proposed deadline, which requires U.S. public companies to use IFRS, has been postponed to 2015. In order to do this, differences between GAAP and IFRS need to be recognized and eliminated.
There are several main differences between GAAP and IFRS, which are causing substantial delays in their convergence. Some major distinctions between these two standards are that the IFRS does not permit LIFO, it uses a single step method for impairment write-downs, it has different rules for curing debt covenants, reports business segments differently, has different consolidating requirements, and is less extensive guidance regarding revenue recognition than GAAP. These variations at a minimum, have to be intensely studied by FASB to conclude extensive impacts on United States companies.
The first major difference between these two set of standards is the handling of inventory. Currently, U.S. GAAP allows the costing methods for inventory of FIFO, average cost, and LIFO. The IFRS has banned LIFO and companies will have major changes in inventory valuation to fit the new standards. Also, no special rules for livestock or crop are specified in GAAP, while IAS 41 specifies the use of fair value less estimated selling costs for biological assets. Another important change in inventory accounting is that IFRS will present inventory at lower of cost or net realizable value rather than market. The IFRS will also require that lower of cost or market adjustments be reversed under defined conditions, while U.S. GAAP does not allow this reversal.
Second, IFRS has different measurement procedures for the impairment of goodwill and other intangible long-lived assets. U.S. GAAP measures goodwill impairment using a two step process that first compares the estimated fair value of the reporting unit with the unit's book value. If the book value is greater than the fair value, goodwill is impaired and step two needs to be completed. In this next step, the fair value of net identifiable assets are established and subtracted by the reporting unit's fair value. The excess in the fair value of net identifiable assets is to be considered the goodwill impairment. IFRS will not use this process of measurement and instead will use a single-step computation similar to other long-live assets. This measurement for long-lived assets will be done with reference to higher of value in use or fair value less costs to sell. When this impairment for the long-lived assets (not goodwill) are measured they are allowed to be reversed in certain conditions under the IFRS.
Third, GAAP and IFRS have different rules when dealing with the curing of debt covenant violations. When a debt covenant violation has occurred it must be cured before the end of the year balance sheet date because under international standards it is not permissible after year end. This will have a large impact on the way companies will chose to finance their operations. There will be more pressure for companies to renegotiate their debt or they will have to raise capital through the issuance of their equity. Violations of debt covenants will show clearly which companies are not financially strong and will continue to show future problems.
The last major difference between GAAP and IFRS is that the revenue recognition guidance is less extensive for the IFRS. The IFRS guidance on this topic fits into one book about two inches thick, while the U.S. GAAP has approximately 17,000 pages of rules and guidance. (IASB) One reason for this is that GAAP contains industry-specific instruction, for instance, the revenue made by software development. The IFRS has relatively low regulations on the way specific industries recognize revenue. Some other differences between GAAP and IFRS are differences in segment reporting and consolidations.
Segment reporting differs slightly between the two standards because GAAP is flexible about how the company defines its segments through the management approach. The internal management selects specific segments even if they differ from the financial statements, when following GAAP, because these segments correspond to the internal operations. The IFRS will not allow the management approach, and the segments used must match the financial statements. IFRS No. 8 "Operating Segments" requires the reportable segments to be disclosed in both the annual and interim financial statements, which include both business and geographical segments. Another difference is that it will be required to have two different bases of segmentation, a primary base and a secondary base.
Another distinction between these two standards is that consolidation will be handled differently. First, GAAP requires consolidation for majority owned subsidiaries, while IFRS will look at control as a factor for consolidation. Some other differences are that variable interest entities and qualifying SPEs have not been addressed by the IFRS, parent and subsidiary accounting policies will need to be conformed, and minority interests will be required in equity. When it comes to consolidating foreign subsidiaries there are additional differences to consider. In order to consolidate a foreign subsidy, the parent company needs to receive the foreign financial statements and conform to U.S. GAAP before translation of the foreign currency. This step will be eliminated and will make this type of consolidation easier. More emphasis, however, will be placed on the currency of the economy of which business actually occurs to determine the functional currency, while GAAP is open to judgment with high consideration of cash flows. And last, under GAAP the equity accounts are translated at historical value, but are not specified under IFRS.
There are many differences between the U.S. generally accepted accounting principals and the international financial reporting standards, including but not limited to topics such as, inventory, impairment measurements, the handling of debt, revenue recognition, segment reporting, and the consolidation of financial statements. With the determination for one set of reporting standards elimination of these dissimilarities will be evident through the ongoing efforts between the FASB and the IASB. The most important thing is that accountants in the United States need to be ready for this inevitable event, because after all, the world is flat.
For More Detail: 

International Accounting Standards (IAS) 

Financial Accounting Versus Cost Accounting  

Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis - FARS Research 

Balance Sheet Accounting - A Crucial Snapshot

Balance sheets are tools used by financial managers and accountants which can provide a crucial window into the financial health of a company. Balance sheets outline the equity, liabilities, and assets of a company at the end of a particular period of time. This information is then passed on to investors and shareholders. This is a vitally important reporting tool which lays out a company's financial situation in a way that possible investors and management can understand in order to make the necessary adjustments. These balance sheets must be as accurate as possible in order for an individual to make a fair assessment about the company.
Balance sheet accounting requires the individuals compiling the information to be as accurate as possible when reporting the financial status of the company. Investors sometimes refer to the sheets as statements of financial position because they help a company to gain a better understanding of their overall financial situation, including assets and liabilities. They are vital not only for investors, but also for the management team at a company since it allows them to make the necessary decisions more accurately. Having outdated or inaccurate financial information can cause members of the company's Board of Directors to make decisions that would place the company's overall health in a dangerous position.
In order for a balance sheet to be used in any kind of strategic planning, reporting that goes into it must be absolutely accurate. This requires the accounting department which is responsible for its creation to carefully oversee all of the accounting processes and reporting techniques in order to deliver an accurate report to investors and upper management. Companies that have not paid strict attention to their accounting practices have found themselves in serious financial trouble and, if it is done maliciously, serious criminal repercussions.
The benefit of an accurate and well laid out balance sheet is that investors gain a better understanding of the company and can thereby make decisions regarding the purchase or sale of stocks. Any investor interested in placing a large amount of his or her money in a particular company should spend some time carefully looking over the available balance sheets. While these can be somewhat difficult to understand, they also provide a vital snapshot that can prevent huge financial losses on the part of the investor. There are financial experts that can help investors gain a clearer understanding of the information presented in balance sheets.For more information on investing in investment opportunities usually or normally not found in the marketplace.

Finance Accounting - Tips on How to Do It

Dealing with finances can be extremely tedious and nerve racking since you have to be as accurate as possible. It can be extremely difficult especially if working with numbers is not your favorite pastime. You have to be cautious and ensure that the smallest details have to be double checked. Making even the slightest mistake could force you to do the work all over again which could cost you a lot of time and energy. The work can even increase and become more complex especially during the tax season. This could weigh heavily on your work schedule and it is advisable that you acquire the services of an accounting firm.
When you outsource, you are able to tremendously reduce your workload and this will help you concentrate on other aspects of your business. It helps you reduce your stress when it comes to the complexities involved with the tax calculations. Tax issues are considered serious and need to be handled by professionals who understand the intricacies involved with it. Finance account outsourcing involves tallying of finance documents before you can pay your taxes.
It is important to make the process an integral part of your business so that if any financial information required by for example a bank, you are in a position to easily access it. When all your documents are in order, you are in a position to know the amount of tax you are required to pay. Accounting firms are expected to do their work as professionally and as competently as possible. This means that they are supposed to have finished your work in a specified duration.
A good accounting firm is supposed to work within your budget amount. This will save you money if you had in-house staff for this purpose, and you would probably have to pay exorbitant amounts of money, allowances etc. Outsourcing finance accounting will help your business run efficiently.
Fore More Detail: 
Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis - FARS Research 
Financial Accounting Versus Cost Accounting

Financial Accounting Versus Cost Accounting

Before we go to differentiate Financial & Cost Accounting we must have knowledge what these both terms really are. As we define both terms these would automatically be differentiated.

Financial Accounting:
Financial Accounting is a systematical way to prepare the financial statements of an organization is order to get the true and fair view profit or loss. These financial statements are organized for decision making, stockholders, Banker, Supplier, Shareholders, Government Agencies, and other stakeholders. The basic requirement to prepare financial statement is to examine and reduce the dead expenses by measuring the expenses and income status and to reporting the result to interested users. These statements are organized for outsiders who do not take part in day to day organizational activities.
Simply we can say, "Financial accounting is the process which includes recording, interpreting & summarizing date taken from financial records of an organization and bring it out in an annual report for the benefit of people outside the organization".
In depth financial accounting contains some principles, Concepts & Equation.
Financial accountants organize financial statements based on Accounting Principles which are generally accepted by a specific country. Financial statements must be prepared according to the (I FRS) International Financial Reporting Standards.
Accounting Equation: (ASSETS = LIABILITIES + OWNER'S EQUITY).

Accounting Cycle:
1. Voucher.
2. General Journal.
3. General Ledger.
4. Cash Book.
5. Trail Balance.
6. Trading profit & Loss Account.
7. Balance Sheet. Cash Flow Statement.
First of all the transaction occurs and noted in the form called Voucher. All transactions are available in vouchers. Then one specific form is created called General Journal. All transaction recorded in one form. The next step is Called Posting in which all separate heads/accounting recorded separately in different form/accounts called General Ledger. Cash Book is maintained to record the payments and recipes or organization. By the help of General Ledger the Trail Balance prepared which provides the items of Trading, profit & Loss account and Balance Sheet which shows the financial position and the health of the Organization. And lastly Cash Flow Statement is prepared to drive the accrual inflow & outflow of cash.

Cost Accounting:
Cost accounting ascertains budget and actual cost of production, operations, departments, process and the analysis of variance. Cost accounting is used to support decision-making to reduce cost of organization and improve its profitability. Cost accounting does not require standards as (GAAP) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, as its primary use is for internal management, rather than outside people. Some of managerial accounting approaches are mentioned as under;
• Managerial Costing.
• Activity based Costing.
• Standard Cost Accounting.
• Resource Consumption Accounting.
Three Classical Cost Elements:
• Raw Material.
• Labor.
• Factory Over Head/Indirect Expenses.
Cost Accounting is being used to help the managers to understand & reduce the running cost of an Organization. Most of Cost varied with the rate of production which is called "Variable Cost" like money spent on labor, power to run a factory, direct material etc. Unlikely variable cost, some costs remain the same even while busy period or during null production. These costs are call "Fixed Cost" like Depreciation on Assets, Rent of building etc.
In cost accounting some statements are prepare. Majors are Income Statement, Cost of Goods Sold Statement, and Cost of Production Report.

Income Statement:
Income statement is prepared to drive the net income/profit of the organization. In the process all direct Expenses related to purchase of Goods/material are less from Sale and the retained amount is called Gross Profit. Then all indirect expenses related to sales, Admin & Financial Charges are deducted from (GP) Gross Profit, retained amount after deduction is called (NP) Net Profit/income.

(CGS) Cost of Goods Sold Statement:
Cost of Goods sold statement is prepared to drive the total cost which is spent on the purchasing to sell the produced Goods. In the preparation process first of all the Closing Martial of last year is added in purchase of Martial, which is called "Total Material Available for Use" and Material Used is deducted from it. The remaining amount is called "Cost of Material Consumed". Then the cost of Labor and (FOH) Factory Overhead added in cost of material consumed. The total of this is called "Total Factory Cost" after that Opening stock of work in process is added and closing stock of work in process is deducted from Total Factory Cost. The amount which drives after this is called "Cost of Goods Manufactured". Lastly the Opening Stock of Finished Goods is added and Closing Stock of Finished Goods is deducted from Cost of Goods Manufacture and the Answering amount is Called "(CGS) Cost of Goods Sold"
(Direct Material + Direct Labor= Prime Cost) (Labor + FOH= Conversion Cost)
For More Detail:
Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis - FARS Research

Incomplete Accounting Records

The accounting records of many smaller non-profit organisations such as clubs, cultural societies and small undertakings are often kept by means of a single entry accounting system. Nevertheless, details of the financial activities of such organizations and undertakings are available in different documents such as bank statements, invoices, accounts, wage sheets and minute books.

There are two major disadvantages to such incomplete (non-double entry basis) accounting records: (1) a great deal of useful information may be lost. It is possible to prepare financial accounting statements from the available information, but this may be more difficult than when complete records are available. Certain transactions may not be accounted for and there is also no continuity in the recording of financial and other useful information. (2) The advantages of the controls inherent in a double entry accounting system are lost.

A discussion of the treatment of incomplete records is useful for various reasons. First, it emphasis's the advantage of a comprehensive double accounting system. Further, it is practical because accountants often have to prepare financial statements from such incomplete records, chiefly for income tax purposes. In practice, therefore, the conversion of single entry accounting information to a double entry basis is an analytical exercise. It may also happen that the double entry accounting records of an enterprise are lost (e.g. as a result of damage by fire) and the accountant must reconstruct them from incomplete records. Consequently, attention is given to certain aspects and practical procedures that arise as a result of keeping incomplete accounting records.

Assume that a trader has been in business for some time and that he wants to determine his interest in the undertaking at a specific date. In order to do this he must determine the total interest in the business and against this, bring into account any external interest. This can be done by, constructing an equity statement. (Basically, this contains the same information as the balance sheet, but is not prepared from balances of accounts in a double entry accounting system.)

The equity statement must be prepared by referring to any applicable information available. Keeping in mind that, undertakings that do not have formal accounting systems will find it necessary to keep records of certain basic information in order to conduct their business. For example, records of cash received and paid and amounts owing, both to and by the undertaking, are essential. Cash on hand can be determined by a cash count, cash in bank from the bank statement and amounts owing to and by the undertaking from invoices. Stock can be counted physically and the valued. The cost of fixed assets purchased can be determined from the supporting documentation. Owner's equity will be the difference between the values allocated to assets and liabilities.

The most practical method of determining net income or loss from incomplete accounting records is to analyze the change in owner's equity during any specific period. Obviously, owner's equity increases if a profit is made and when the owner makes additional investments in the undertaking. Conversely, owner's equity decreases as a result of losses and drawings by the owner.
For More Detail:
Accounting From Incomplete Records

How to Start a Consignment Shop

Consignment shops have started popping up in nearly every town across the United States. Whether they are selling clothes or furniture, sporting goods or household appliances, consignment offers a great way for people to buy and sell used goods, whether it is online or in a brick and mortar store.

Here are the basics of what you'll need to start a consignment store:

1) A business plan. Even a ten page business plan will double your chances of success. Your business plan should spell out what your market is like, what kind of competition you have, and what niche you will fill. It should specify your business structure, how many employees you'll need, and what your start up costs will be, as well as what your monthly overhead costs will be and how many months it will take for you to break even. You also need to write a basic marketing plan, and write a detailed resume for yourself and why you have what it takes to run a great consignment store. There are plenty of resources online for how to write a business plan, but that gives you the thumbnail sketch.

2) A great location.... that fits your budget. Writing your business plan will help you define your budget, but after you've got a figure you'll need to start looking around. A new consignment store is made or lost by its location. You want at least 100 square feet for even a closet of a store, and 500 is better. Most successful consignment stores are 800 to 2000 feet, but there are plenty of exceptions to that. Foot traffic and good parking is essential. It is a good idea to have a lawyer review your lease contract, just in case something goes wrong down the road.

3) A business license and possibly a reseller's license. Get yourself down to your local municipal building and find out what you'll need to be legal. This paperwork may seem like a pain, but you'll need it to get a business checking account. Even if you are starting your consignment store from your home, or online, you still need to get your business registered.

4) Business cards. You can get them printed online for $20 or less. Don't buy 10,000 of them to start... in a few months you'll know more about what you need on your business card. For now, just get 500 or so, and put your name, business phone number, email address, street address and your consignment specialty on the card. If there's room, you can tell people about the conditions under which you take new inventory (walk in anytime, or by appointment?) and what your terms are (50/50 split, or 60/40 in your favor?).

5) Equipment for your store. At the very least, you'll need a cash box and some racks and signage. To be taken seriously, you'll probably need a computer inventory system, plus a real cash register, quite a few racks and hooks and tags and bags and more. Hopefully, you made your start up costs list and equipment needs in your business plan, so you'll have your shopping list handy.

6) Inventory. This will be easier than you think. Almost any consignment store owner will tell you that getting inventory is not a problem. Place a few ads or let friends know you're taking inventory, and your store will fill up faster than you can believe. The real problem is picking stuff that will actually sell. That's a fine art, and most of your long-term success as a consignment store owner will hinge on it. Just keep practicing.

For More Detail:

Making Money at Home - Consignment Selling on eBay

Consignment Account

Management in Non-Profit Organizations

The formulation of strategy is often different depending upon the type of organization involved. Large businesses often use a planning department structured on formal lines. Specialized planning staff is needed to deal with all the factors which must be noted in making strategic decisions. In other large businesses, planning staff may work with line managers in strategic planning and not work in isolation in a formal planning team. Small businesses differ from large businesses. So, different methods of formulating strategy are used in small businesses. They are less formal or systematic than in larger organizations.

Organizations that do not try to make a profit differ greatly from each other, as they all have different reasons for existing. They also differ from profit making firms in the following ways:
•The influence of the 'customer' may not be strong;
•The service provided may not be easily measurable;
•There may be very strict rules and guidelines regarding the payment of rewards to employees;
•Resolution of conflict may be achieved mainly by the strength of character of the 'leader'.

There are other differences and they all affect the way the organization responds to the determination of strategy. The organization may have no strategies at all. It could be managed for short term budget cycles, rather than long term cycles. Alternatively, it may be managed for personal goals, rather than considering changes in its mission because of changing external circumstances. Examples of non-profit-making organizations include public schools the Red Cross, the Spastics Society and political parties.

There is no doubt that there is a trend towards a more professional approach in these organizations as more people from industry join them. This is highlighted in their more positive approach to marketing. They need to do this because of:
•increased competition from other organizations;
•Cutbacks in government or local funding.

Marketing these organizations is becoming more professional and could, for example, be aimed at;
•a person who would be the focus of attention, such as a political candidate;
•a place, such as a city or country. There are numerous promotions each year, e.g. fly drive holidays in the USA;
•An idea, such as child abuse or overeating.
No matter whether the organization is profit making or not, a marketing strategy is needed to reach customers effectively.
For More Detail:
How to Advertise For Your Non Profit Organization

The Accounting Of Non-Profit Making Organizations

Home Accounting Software Top Tips

Simple home accounting software sometimes is little more than checking and budget software. Especially some of the free web-based accounting systems are as a rule not really accounting and bookkeeping, but just really like a big checkbook. If you need a home business accounting package the free options likely will not work. But for many users free is just right.

It may be that you need a full-powered small business accounting package, like from Peachtree, Sage or Quick Books. If you need the full range of accounting, that likely is the case. Of course a full-on accounting package comes with costs that may not be readily apparent. The initial cost of a software package is only a modest part of the total cost of accounting packages.

The real cost comes from learning how to use it and keeping it up-to-date and working. That cost you keep paying and it adds to far more than what you pay to get started. That's why simpler is better if your home business can get by with less, and many can. In some cases the simple versions of software will even take care of a few employees and payrolls. That makes the most valuable task to get started the planning part. Appreciating what the real requirements for accounting are in your situation is where you begin. Get that right and you can minimize the time and investment to get started.

What would be considered personal accounting software generally comes in more powerful versions that add on functions. The simplest packages often do not even provide for investment tracking. That's an option. Another possible option that might seem basic is real estate investment tracking and accounting. Then the other add-on is home business functions.

The right software package solves all sorts of financial challenges and does it with a minimum of fuss...

Look out for the limits that are in many home accounting software packages. If you have a home business or investments, the free web-based software programs are often too limited to be of much value. Even though free, they may be a waste. If the free systems work, that's a good deal but many people need more power, especially of you have a small business or investments.

For More detail:
Benefits Of Choosing the Best Accounting Software

The Personal Accounting Software Ideas

Use Peachtree Accounting Software

Online Accounting Software Review - QuickBooks Online

The phrases "online accounting software" and "Quick Books Online" are practically synonymous with one another. Over the past several years, Quick Books Online has won several Editor's Choice Awards from PC Mag over other online accounting programs. Although it does not contain the inventory features that a Point Of Sale program might have, it does combine financial tools with a simple-to-use interface that demonstrates excellence at each turn. Many consumers are impressed by the unexpected features the online version has, including its ability to perform automatic invoicing and location tracking. This online business software also offers an unprecedented level of customization.

In professional and consumer written reviews, the primary advantage of this software over other online programs is that it is much more comprehensive in its approach to accounting. The financial tools are designed to focus upon six different areas: company, customers, vendors, employees, banking, and reports. The administrator portal of the software allows quick reference access to a chart of accounts, a log of user activity, recurring transactions, and budgets. The customer related tools and data will also serve an uncomplicated business in several positive manners. You will be able to customize certain elements, such as forms, permissions, and online payment protocols.

When acquiring this program you will be able to import customer related data from Gmail (which is an unusual feature), Outlook, and Excel. You will also be able to build and customize your own client lists and records. Other online software allows you to do this as well. However, in consumer written reviews, the forms used were found to be more comprehensive and thorough than those of the competition. Other pros of this software include a plethora of functions and exceptional functionality. It also contains inexpensive payroll features and free online support and mobility.

For all of its wonderful features, this online accounting software does have some minor drawbacks. For example, it does not contain an online bill pay option. It should be noted that it only has one payroll option. Other complaints regarding QuickBooks Online were centered around its lack of customer and vendor records and its lack of outside integration. Overall, it is believed to be an excellent choice for serviced based businesses, due to its simplicity and mobile access to purchase tools and data. Furthermore, its intuitive interface has won numerous accolades amongst consumers and business professionals.

The Best Home Accounting Software - Tips

Get control of personal finances and get ready for more calm. Out of control spending just leads to frustration and stress. Just pencil and paper may work to get a budget and get going. However sometimes some simple software may make progress even easier. By measuring and tracking your financial activity, it's possible to make fast progress toward your objectives.

In addition, who needs an overly complicated system that's difficult to learn and use and just makes for aggravation? There are so many choices out there it's easy to get confused and get more or even less than you need. You can get some products that will leave you rapidly at the limits of what the program can do. That's certainly true of some of the free home finance software.

Accounting for home use falls into two main groups. Popular now are the packages that work online and are web-based. You get quite a feature rich package that is easy and convenient to use. Then again, the other software type resides on your computer and this more nearly resembles software that would be used in business and maybe by your accountant. But then again, it's very likely that you have no need for a full accounting package. if you have to have it, that's fine. Otherwise it's complication and frustration for nothing.

Free web software mostly works like online banking with added in budget features. That's powerful since many folks are mostly looking for budget help, more so than accounting help. Certainly getting rid of debt and getting control of spending is a grand idea. The free online software may work just perfectly if that's mostly what you want... budget help.

Look out though for what may be missing. It may surprise you. What may not be there are such simple features as investment tracking and even the most simple insurance tracking. Often no accounting at all for home business is there either.

Free software often leads to a dead-end after you find out how limited it is and that means you wasted the time to learn to use it.

To get additional capabilities it may take an upgrade up to a software version that goes beyond personal finance software to a product more similar to a real bookkeeping package that lacks the complications of a package like a professional accountant would use or like a larger business. But if you need investment management, if you have an apartment rental property, investment real estate or a home based business or office, there are answers that will likely fit your needs.