Accounting For Dummies®, 4th Edition

Part I: Opening the Books on Accounting

In this part . . .

Accounting is essential in the worlds of business, investing, finance, and taxes. In this part, you find out why.

Accountants are the "information gatekeepers" in the economy. Without accounting, a business couldn't function, wouldn't know whether it's making a profit, and would be ignorant of its financial situation. Accounting is equally vital in managing the business affairs of not-for-profit and governmental entities.

From its accounting records, a business prepares its financial statements, its tax returns, and the reports to its managers. In financial reports to investors and lenders, a business must obey authoritative accounting and financial reporting standards. If not, its financial reports would be misleading and possibly fraudulent, which could have dire consequences.

Bookkeeping — the record-keeping part of accounting — must be done well to ensure that the financial information of a business is timely, complete, accurate, and reliable — especially the numbers reported in its financial statements and tax returns. Wrong numbers in financial reports and tax returns can cause all sorts of trouble.