Explain the development and role of accounting.
Development of accounting
In ancient times, around 4000 B.C., accounting was used for recording wages and salaries, deposits and withdrawals of valuable goods (such as gold and silver) by the treasures of the king. Afterwards, it was used to record the receipts and payments and balancing of government financial transactions. During 1500 A.D., accounting was used by business firms for recording transactions related to business. In 1800 A.D., accounting was used to record transactions and also to provide information to various users of financial data.
Role of accounting− While in the earlier times accounting was merely concerned with recording the financial events (i.e. record-keeping activity); however, now-a-days, accounting is done with the rationale of not only maintaining records, but also providing an information system that provides important and relevant information to various accounting users.
1. Substitute of memory− As, it is beyond human capabilities to remember each and every business transaction, so accounting plays an important role in recording these transactions in the book of accounts.
2. Assistance to management− Management uses accounting information for short term and long term planning of business activities and to control various costs and budgets.
3. Comparative study− In order to ascertain the performance of the business, accounting enables comparison of current year’s profit with that of previous years (intra-firm comparison) and also with other firms in the same business (inter-firm comparison).
4. Evidence in court− It acts as evidence that can be used or presented in the court, if any discrepancy arises in the future.
Mr. Sunrise started a business for buying and selling of stationery with ₹ 5,00,000 as an initial investment. Of which he paid ₹ 1,00,000 for furniture, ₹ 2,00,000 for buying stationery items. He employed a sales person and clerk. At the end of the month he paid ₹ 5,000 as their salaries. Out of the stationery bought he sold some stationery for ₹ 1,50,000 for cash and some other stationery for ₹ 1,00,000 on credit basis to Mr. Ravi. Subsequently, he bought stationery items of ₹ 1,50,000 from Mr. Peace. In the first week of next month there was a fire accident and he lost ₹ 30,000 worth of stationery. A part of the machinery, which cost ₹ 40,000, was sold for ₹ 45,000.
From the above, answer the following :
1. What is the amount of capital with which Mr. Sunrise started business?
2. What are the fixed assets he bought?
3. What is the value of the goods purchased?
4. Who is the creditor and state the amount payable to him?
5. What are the expenses?
6. What is the gain he earned?
7. What is the loss he incurred?
8. Who is the debtor? What is the amount receivable from him?
9. What is the total amount of expenses and losses incurred?
10. Determine if the following are assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses or none of the these: sales, debtors, creditors, salary to manager, discount to debtors, drawings by the owner.
Differentiate between source documents and vouchers.
Define accounting and state its objectives.
What is a journal? Give a specimen of journal showing at least five entries.
Complete the following sentences with appropriate words:
(a) Information in financial reports is based on .....................
(b) Internal users are the ..................... of the business entity.
(c) A ..................... would most likely use an entities financial report to determine whether or not the business entity is eligible for a loan.
(d) The Internet has assisted in decreasing the ..................... in issuing financial reports to users.
(e) ..................... users are groups outside the business entity, who uses the information to make decisions about the business entity.
(f) Information is said to be relevent if it is ......................
(g) The process of accounting starts with ............ and ends with ............
(h) Accounting measures the business transactions in terms of ............ units.
(i) Identified and measured economic events should be recording in ............ order.
Complete the following work sheet:
(i) If a firm believes that some of its debtors may ′default′, it should act on this by making sure that all possible losses are recorded in the books. This is an example of the ___________ concept.
(ii) The fact that a business is separate and distinguishable from its owner is best exemplified by the ___________ concept.
(iii) Everything a firm owns, it also owns out to somebody. This co-incidence is explained by the ___________ concept.
(iv) The ___________ concept states that if straight line method of depreciation is used in one year, then it should also be used in the next year.
(v) A firm may hold stock which is heavily in demand. Consequently, the market value of this stock may be increased. Normal accounting procedure is to ignore this because of the ___________.
(vi) If a firm receives an order for goods, it would not be included in the sales figure owing to the ___________.
(vii) The management of a firm is remarkably incompetent, but the firms accountants can not take this into account while preparing book of accounts because of ________ concept.
Enumerate informational needs of management.
Tick the correct answer :
Incomplete record mechanism of book keeping is :
(a) Scientific (b) Unscientific
(c) Unsystematic (d) both (b) and (c)
Select Right Answer:
Voucher is prepared for:
(i) Cash received and paid
(ii) Cash/Credit sales
(iii) Cash/Credit purchase
(iv) All of the above
Record the rectification entry for the following transactions:
Credit sales to Rajni 5,000 recorded in Purchases book:
This is an error of ..........................................
State the wrong entry recorded in the book of accounts
Correct effect should have been:
The rectification entry will be:
Match the items given under ‘A’ with the correct items under ‘B’
(i) Closing stock is credited to (a) Trial balance
(ii) Accuracy of book of account is tested by (b) Trading account
(iii) On returning the goods to seller, the buyer sends (c) Credit note
(iv) The financial position is determined by (d) Balance sheet
(v) On receiving the returned goods from the (e) Debit note
buyer, the seller sends
Complete the following work sheet:
(i) If a firm believes that some of its debtors may ′default′, it should act on this by making sure that all possible losses are recorded in the books. This is an example of the ___________ concept.
(ii) The fact that a business is separate and distinguishable from its owner is best exemplified by the ___________ concept.
(iii) Everything a firm owns, it also owns out to somebody. This co-incidence is explained by the ___________ concept.
(iv) The ___________ concept states that if straight line method of depreciation is used in one year, then it should also be used in the next year.
(v) A firm may hold stock which is heavily in demand. Consequently, the market value of this stock may be increased. Normal accounting procedure is to ignore this because of the ___________.
(vi) If a firm receives an order for goods, it would not be included in the sales figure owing to the ___________.
(vii) The management of a firm is remarkably incompetent, but the firms accountants can not take this into account while preparing book of accounts because of ________ concept.
State what is end product of financial accounting?
Fill in the blanks:
1. Issued a cheque for ₹8,000 to pay rent. The account to be debited is ............
2. Collected ₹35,000 from debtors. The account to be credited is ............
3. Purchased office stationary for ₹18,000. The account to be credited is ...........
4. Purchased new machine for ₹1,70,000 and issued cheque for the same.
The account to be debited is ............
5. Issued cheque for ₹70,000 to pay off on of the creditors. The account to be debited is ............
6. Returned damaged office stationary and received ₹50,000. The account to be credited is ............
7. Provided services for ₹65,000 on credit. The account to be debited is ...........
Voucher is prepared from:
(i) Documentary evidence
(ii) Journal entry
(iii) Ledger account
(iv) All of the above
Define a computerised accounting system. Distinguish between a manual and computerised accounting system.
State the relationship between information and decision.