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.
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.
Define accounting and state its objectives.
Enumerate informational needs of management.
'Accounting information should be comparable'. Do you agree with this statement? Give two reasons.
Giving examples, explain each of the following accounting terms:
* Fixed assets * Revenue * Expenses
* Gain * Profit * Capital
* Short-term liabilities
Distinguish between debtors and creditors.
Name any two types of commonly used negotiable instruments.
Why is it necessary to record the adjusting entries in the preparation of final accounts?
State the meaning of incomplete records?
What is ‘Depreciation’?
Briefly state how the cash book is both journal and a ledger.
State the meaning of a trial balance?
State the four basic requirements of a database applications.
State the different elements of a computer system.
Why is it necessary for accountants to assume that business entity will remain a going concern?
State the need for the preparation of bank reconciliation statement?
‘Is it possible to prepare the profit and loss account and the balance sheet from the incomplete book of accounts kept by a trader’? Do you agree? Explain.
‘An accounting report is essential a report which must be able to fulfil certain basic criteria' Explain? List the various types of accounting reports.
Describe in detail two methods of recording depreciation. Also give the necessary journal entries.
Distinguish between capital and revenue expenditure and state whether the following statements are items of capital or revenue expenditure :
(a) Expenditure incurred on repairs and whitewashing at the time of purchase of an old building in order to make it usable.
(b) Expenditure incurred to provide one more exit in a cinema hall in compliance with a government order.
(c) Registration fees paid at the time of purchase of a building.
(d) Expenditure incurred in the maintenance of a tea garden which will produce tea after four years.
(e) Depreciation charged on a plant.
(f) The expenditure incurred in erecting a platform on which a machine will be fixed.
(g) Advertising expenditure, the benefits of which will last for four years.
While calculating operating profit, the following are not taken into account.
(i) Normal transactions
(ii) Abnormal items
(iii) Expenses of a purely financial nature
(iv) (ii) & (iii)
(v) (i) & (iii)
State whether the following statements are true or false:
State the title of the accounts affected, type of account and the account to be debited and account to be credited :
₹
1. Bhanu commenced business with cash 1,00,000
2. Purchased goods on credit from Ramesh 40,000
3. Sold goods for cash 30,000
4. Paid salaries 3,000
5. Furniture purchased for cash 10,000
6. Borrowed from bank 50,000
7. Sold goods to Sarita 10,000
8. Cash paid to Ramesh on account 20,000
9. Rent paid 1,500
What is a journal? Give a specimen of journal showing at least five entries.
Rahul’s trial balance provide you the following information :
Debtors Rs. 80,000
Bad debts Rs. 2,000
Provision for doubtful debts Rs. 4,000
It is desired to maintain a provision for bad debts of Rs. 1,000
State the amount to be debited/credited in profit and loss account :
(a) Rs. 5,000 (Debit) (b) Rs. 3,000 (Debit)
(c) Rs. 1,000 (Credit) (d) none of these.
Briefly state how the cash book is both journal and a ledger.