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Accounting System Tips

Proper accounting is the basis for all returns

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Every sales tax, payroll tax and income tax return is derived from one sort of accounting or another. Even for your personal property declaration return. Therefore, it is imperative that you maintain complete and accurate accounting records documenting your sales, your personnel costs and your equipment purchases in addition to all other business transactions.

One banker box per year

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Record keeping needs perimeters. Therefore, keep all statements, receipts and correspondence and segregate accordingly in a single banker box. Adequate record maintenance greatly assists at tax time and is critical at times of death or disability.

Never underestimate the power of reconciliation

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Timely reconciliation of bank accounts, credit cards and other account balances provide key information regarding your banking, lender and certain vendor relationships that may be otherwise unknown. Service fees eat up profits. Make your service providers accountable.

Limit your chart of accounts and let the detail reside in the general ledger

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

All too often business owners make the mistake of allowing their chart of accounts to grow and grow and grow. It is far more efficient to have fewer accounts, which in turn will make analysis clearer. And accordingly, you may save considerable professional fees at year-end if revenues and expenses are allocated concisely.

Do not commingle accounts

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Try at all times to run business transactions through business bank and credit card accounts and run personal transactions through personal bank and credit card accounts. Commingling transactions creates unnecessary and costly accounting reconciliation hassles, and in some instances, pierce the corporate or limited liability company shield. And thus, subject the business owner to unwanted [...]

Condense P&L detail into categories

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

While your chart of accounts present important detail, try to group these into categories. There is no right number; however, between 6 and 10 is ideal. General categories include revenues, cost of sales, personnel costs, administrative costs, facility & equipment costs and other income & expense. Segregate owner costs if they deserve segregation. And setup [...]

Accounting clerks are keys to success

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Accounting clerks are an integral component of your accounting staff. A good A/R clerk or A/P clerk is like a good mechanic or plumber. You may not know exactly all the things they do while performing their specific task, but the job just gets done and it gets done right.

A real time saver – copying customer checks

Posted on Dec 15, 2008 in Accounting System Tips No Comments »

Invariably a customer payment history is going to have to be researched. And a history is only as good as the trail. So where possible, copy customer checks or voucher stubs and maintain with customer records or deposit slips for miscellaneous receipts.