Double-entry Bookkeeping Basics

Definition: A system that records each transaction in at least two accounts, maintaining the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity).
Key Components:
- Debits: Entries on the left side that increase assets or decrease liabilities/equity.
- Credits: Entries on the right side that increase liabilities/equity or decrease assets.
Benefits:
- Reduces errors and fraud.
- Provides a complete view of financial transactions.

Accrual Accounting:
- Recognizes revenue and expenses when they are incurred, regardless of cash flow.
- More accurate representation of financial health.
- Required for publicly traded companies under GAAP.
Cash Accounting:
- Recognizes revenue and expenses only when cash is exchanged.
- Simpler and often used by small businesses.
- Can misrepresent financial status if large receivables or payables exist.

Definition: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles that provide a framework for financial reporting in the U.S.
Key Principles:
- Relevance: Financial information must be useful for decision-making.
- Reliability: Information should be accurate and trustworthy.
- Comparability: Financial statements should allow for comparison over time and against other entities.
- Consistency: Same accounting methods should be used from period to period.

Purpose: Assess the financial performance and position of a company.
Key Statements:
- Balance Sheet: Snapshot of assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific time.
- Income Statement: Reports revenues and expenses, showing profit or loss over a period.
- Cash Flow Statement: Analyzes cash inflows and outflows from operating, investing, and financing activities.
Common Ratios:
- Liquidity Ratios: Measure the ability to cover short-term obligations (e.g., Current Ratio).
- Profitability Ratios: Assess overall financial performance (e.g., Net Profit Margin).
- Solvency Ratios: Evaluate long-term financial stability (e.g., Debt to Equity Ratio).

Definition: Analyzes costs associated with producing goods/services to improve profitability and efficiency.
Key Methods:
- Job Order Costing: Costs tracked by individual jobs or orders.
- Process Costing: Costs averaged over a large number of identical products.
- Activity-Based Costing (ABC): Allocates overhead costs based on activities driving costs, providing more accurate product costing.
Benefits:
- Better budgeting and forecasting.
- Identification of cost-saving opportunities.
- Enhanced decision-making regarding pricing and production.

A system that records transactions in at least two accounts to uphold the equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
Debits, recorded on the left, increase assets or decrease liabilities and equity.
Credits, recorded on the right, increase liabilities and equity while decreasing assets.
Minimizes errors and fraud while offering a comprehensive view of financial activities.

Accrual accounting recognizes revenue and expenses when they arise, independent of cash flow; a more precise reflection of financial status; mandatory under GAAP for publicly traded firms.
Cash accounting recognizes transactions when cash is received or paid, making it simpler and suitable for small businesses; potentially distorts financial reality with large receivables or payables.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles offer a recognized framework for financial reporting in the U.S.
Key principles include:
- Relevance, ensuring information aids in decision-making.
- Reliability, requiring accuracy and trustworthiness of information.
- Comparability, allowing for analysis across time periods and entities.
- Consistency, mandating the same accounting methods throughout reporting periods.

Aimed at evaluating a company's financial performance and position.
Key financial statements include:
- Balance Sheet, which summarizes assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific moment.
- Income Statement, detailing revenues and expenses to illustrate profit or loss over a time frame.
- Cash Flow Statement, which captures cash movement from operating, investing, and financing activities.
Common ratios used in analysis:
- Liquidity Ratios to assess the ability to meet short-term obligations, like the Current Ratio.
- Profitability Ratios for measuring overall performance, such as the Net Profit Margin.
- Solvency Ratios for determining long-term financial health, including the Debt to Equity Ratio.

Cost accounting involves analyzing costs tied to producing goods or services to enhance profitability and operational efficiency.
Key methods include:
- Job Order Costing, where costs are tracked per individual job or order.
- Process Costing, which averages costs across numerous identical products.
- Activity-Based Costing (ABC), allocating overhead based on the activities driving costs for accurate product costing.
Notable benefits include improved budgeting and forecasting, identification of cost-saving initiatives, and enhanced pricing and production decision-making.

Each transaction impacts at least two accounts through debits and credits.
The fundamental principle mandates that total debits must equal total credits, upholding the accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity.
This method offers a comprehensive record of transactions, minimizing the chances of errors.

Accrual Accounting:
- Records revenues and expenses based on incursion, independent of any cash movement.
- Provides a clearer, more precise overview of a company's financial performance.
Cash Accounting:
- Recognizes revenues and expenses strictly when cash is exchanged.
- Simpler and commonly adopted by small businesses for its ease of use.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) outline the framework for financial reporting.
GAAP aims to achieve consistency, transparency, and comparability in financial statements.
Key principles:
- Consistency: Adhere to the same accounting methods consistently over time.
- Relevance: Financial information must be pertinent for informed decision-making.
- Reliability: Information should be accurate, trustworthy, and verifiable.
- Comparability: Financial statements should allow for effective comparisons over various periods and across different entities.

An analytical process evaluating financial statements to gauge organizational performance.
Main financial statements include:
- Income Statement: Presents revenues, expenses, and net profit over a designated period.
- Balance Sheet: Provides a snapshot of a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific date.
- Cash Flow Statement: Outlines cash inflows and outflows during a particular period.
Analysis techniques include ratio analysis, trend analysis, and vertical or horizontal analysis.

Concentrates on capturing comprehensive costs linked to production or delivery of services.
Prominent methods include:
- Job Order Costing: Assigns costs to specific jobs or batches, useful for custom orders.
- Process Costing: Distributes costs across processes or departments, ideal for continuous production.
- Activity-Based Costing (ABC): Allocates indirect costs based on activities that drive these expenses.
Aids businesses in understanding cost distribution and enhances financial decision-making capabilities.