CONTENTS
A business transaction involves an exchange between two accounts. For example, for every asset there exists a claim on that asset, either by those who own the business or those who loan money to the business. Similarly, the sale of a product affects both the amount of cash (or cash receivable) held by the business and the inventory held.
Recognizing this fundamental dual nature of transactions, merchants in medieval Venice began using a double-entry bookkeeping system that records each transaction in the two accounts affected by the exchange. In the late 1400's, Franciscan monk and mathematician Luca Pacioli documented the procedure for double-entry bookkeeping as part of his famous Summa work, which described a significant portion of the accounting cycle. Double-entry bookkeeping spread throughout Europe and became the foundation of modern accounting.
Two notable characteristics of double-entry systems are that 1) each transaction is recorded in two accounts, and 2) each account has two columns.
In a double-entry system, two entries are made for each transaction - one entry as a debit in one account and the other entry as a credit in another account. The two entries keep the accounting equation in balance so that:
Assets = Liabilities + Owners' Equity
To illustrate, consider a repair shop with a transaction involving repair service performed on Jan 4 for a cash payment of $275.00. In a single-entry bookkeeping system, the transaction would be recorded as follows:
Single Entry Example
Date | Description | Revenues | Expenses |
Jan 4 | Performed repair service |
275.00 |
In a double-entry system, the transaction would be recorded as follows:
Double Entry Example
Date |
Accounts
|
Debit | Credit |
Jan 4 | Cash | 275.00 | |
Revenue | 275.00 |
A notation may be added to this journal entry to indicate that the revenue was from repair services.
Note that two accounts (revenue and cash) are affected by the transaction. If the customer did not pay cash but instead was extended credit, then "accounts receivable" would have been used instead of "cash."
In this system, the double entries take the form of debits and credits, with debits in the left column and credits in the right. For each debit there is an equal and opposite credit and the sum of all debits therefore must equal the sum of all credits. This principle is useful for identifying errors in the transaction recording process.
Double-entry accounting has the following advantages over single-entry:
- Accurate calculation of profit and loss in complex organizations
- Inclusion of assets and liabilities in the bookkeeping accounts.
- Preparation of financial statements directly from the accounts
- Easier detection of errors and fraud
To appreciate the importance of double-entry bookkeeping, it is interesting to note that the industrial revolution might not have been possible without it. At that time, businesses increased in size and complexity. Accurate bookkeeping was required for managers to understand the financial status of their businesses in order to keep them solvent and offer a degree of transparency to investors. While a single-entry system can be adapted by a skilled bookkeeper to meet some of these needs, only a double-entry system provides the required detail systematically and by design.
Subscribe to Paperfree Magazine
EB5 visa Consultants by Paperfree EB5 Program
Get dedicated service, from finding the right information to complex investment challenges.
Real estate investment strategies
Multifamily investment strategy to boost investment portfolio returns.
Diversify in multifamily investment strategy to lower volatility and boost portfolio returns.
Value add real estate strategy helps investors drive capital growth.
The value add real estate strategy's first goal is capital growth, the second goal is some income. The strategy works with all property types
Investing in senior housing. Invest in senior housing real estate to drive stable returns.
Senior living investments will create social impact on the market with strong fundamentals: growing demand, resilience to economic cycles.
Invest in build to rent investment funds
Build to rent investment funds for passive real estate investing.
Invest In Real Estate Private Equity
Discover diverse private equity real estate investment opportunities.
Core real estate investment strategy to drive income vs capital growth
Core Real Estate Strategy is one of the most conservative modern real estate investment strategies focusing primarily on income.
Passive real estate investing, best investment strategies, opportunities and more.
Passive real estate investing allow you to be a silent partner in large-scale real estate investments that can produce earnings and return on investment.
Invest in Syndication Real Estate
Investing in real estate syndicates as a part of alternative investments strategy
Investing in apartment buildings
Apartment investments are a sound investment option for numerous investment strategies.
Multifamily fund
Multifamily funds have one of the highest average annual returns of all real estate investments. Find private and public multifamily investment funds below.
Multifamily value add strategy
The main attribute of the multifamily value add strategy is the focus on capital growth. The investment strategy has a median risk profile.
Core plus investment strategy real estate to generate income
Core Plus Strategy focus to generate income based on mid-low risk profile. Learn more.
Opportunistic real estate investment
Opportunistic real estate investment strategy drives capital growth with heights risk of default.
EB5 investment projects list
Find the best fit for your immigration strategy and investment goals for EB5 projects in USA local markets.
Value add real estate funds
Value add real estate funds aim to increase cash flow and value by buying and improving underutilized assets, potentially yielding higher returns than traditional real estate investments.