Accounting Systems are of Different Types

Different types of accounting systems areowner to know the amount he has amassed or
prevalent, and they help in maintaining businesslost. The primary aim of any business is to earn
records. Of these, the cash system of accountingmaximum profits by incurring minimum expenses.
records only cash receipts and payments. ItTowards achieving this, an organization engaged in
follows the assumption that there exists zerobusiness always tries to expand the business and
number of credit transactions. If at all some creditwill strive to increase its sales while reducing the
transactions do happen, these are not recordedoperating expenses. The progress made with
unless and until the cash is actually received orregard to this corresponds with properly
paid. To cite a few examples of this type of cashmaintained financial documents and records.
system, the receipt and payment account ofIn the early times, the main goal of accounting
various entities such as clubs, societies, hospitalswas to simply know the result of their business
and educational institutions fall under this category.activities, i.e. whether some profit has been made
The system of Single entry ignores the two-foldor any loss has been incurred. It would also show
aspect of transactions as considered in doublethe financial position of a business on a particular
entry system. In the single entry system, theday also. Apart from all these, accounting has to
personal aspects of transactions, in other wordsmeet the various requirements of tax authorities,
the personal accounts, only are recorded. Theinvestors, government rules and regulations, the
method simply ignores the impersonal aspects ofmanagement and share holders or owners. This
a transaction excluding the cash. It does not haveaspect has widened the scope of accounting and
any safeguards regarding the accuracy of postingis rightly defined as the art of recording and
and is not at all safe from fraudulent practicesclassifying money transactions and events that
because it just overlooks any safety measuresoccur, and the interpretation of the results
that have to accompany the activity of recordingthere-of.
cash transactions. Due to this, it is considered anOne is beset with the doubt whether accounting
imperfect accounting practice.can be termed as a Science. Accounting
The double entry system, on the other hand, withdocuments, in no way, establish a cause and
the passage of time, has gone through a numbereffect relationship. The fact is that it only provides
of developmental levels and stages. Double entryone with a procedure which when followed
system is the one and only method that fulfils allreligiously will help in accomplishing the objectives
the essential objectives of a systematicof accounting. In that case, accounting is an art,
accounting process. It takes care of the two foldand not at all a science. And, the very art of
aspect of each business transaction. A systembookkeeping is as old as the art of trading and
that keeps accurate records of all the occurringcommerce itself.
business transactions only will help the business