Lesson: Bookkeeping and auditing Bookkeeping

Lesson: Bookkeeping and auditing
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business and other organizations.^[1] It involves preparing source documents for all transactions, operations, and other events of a business. Transactions include purchases, sales, receipts and payments by an individual person or an organization/corporation. There are several standard methods of bookkeeping, including the single-entry and double-entry bookkeeping systems. While these may be viewed as "real" bookkeeping, any process for recording financial transactions is a bookkeeping process.
The person in an organisation who is employed to perform bookkeeping functions is usually called the bookkeeper (or book-keeper). They usually write the daybooks (which contain records of sales, purchases, receipts, and payments), and document each financial transaction, whether cash or credit, into the correct daybook—that is, petty cash book, suppliers ledger, customer ledger, etc.—and the general ledger. Thereafter, an accountant can create financial reports from the information recorded by the bookkeeper. The bookkeeper brings the books to the trial balance stage, from which an accountant may prepare financial reports for the organisation, such as the income statement and balance sheet.
Accounting vs. Auditing: An Overview
Accountants and auditors work with a business's financial statements and ensure they are accurate, up-to-date, and in compliance with various regulatory standards. Accountants prepare these financial statements, which include the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows.
Beyond this, there are myriad additional duties that an accountant might perform, such as bookkeeping, tracking expenses and revenues, forecasting future profits and cash flows, and tax preparation. An accountant could be a dedicated employee of a company or work for a third party hired by businesses to manage their books and prepare their taxes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

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  Financial careers for those with math savvy and a love for numbers may include either accounting or auditing.
  
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  Accountants are responsible for preparing financial documents, monitoring day-to-day bookkeeping for a firm's operations, and/or preparing and filing tax forms.
  
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  Auditors verify the accuracy of financial statements and tax filings and may search for clues as to why some figures don't quite add up.