In all activities (whether business activities or non - business activities) and in all organizations (whether business organizations like a manufacturing entity or trading entity or non - business organizations like schools, colleges, hospitals, libraries, clubs, temples, political parties) which require money and other economic resour ces, accounting is required to account for these resources. In other words, wherever money is involved, accounting is required to account for it. Accounting is often called the language of business. The basic function of any language is to serve as a means of communication.
MEANING
Booking-keeping includes recording off journal, posting in ledgers and balancing of accounts. All the records before the preparation of trail balance is the whole subject matter of book-keeping. Thus, accounting may de defined as the science and art of recording transactions in money or money's worth so accurately and systematically, in a certain set of books, regularly that the true state of businessman's affairs can be correctly ascertainded.Here it is import to note that only those transactions related to business are recorded which can be expressed in terms of money.IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTING
OWNERS:
The owners provide funds or capital for the organization. They possess curiosity in knowing wh ether the business is being conducted on sound lines or not and whether the capital is being employed properly or not. Owners, being businessmen, always keep an eye on the returns from the investment. Comparing the accounts of various years helps in getti ng good pieces of information.
MANAGEMENT:
The management of the business is greatly interested in knowing the position of the firm. The accounts are the basis, the management can study the merits and demerits of the business activity. Thus, the mana gement is interested in financial accounting to find whether the business carried on is profitable or not. The financial accounting is the “eyes and ears of management and facilitates in drawing future course of action, further expansion etc.”
CREDITORS:
Creditors are the persons who supply goods on credit, or bankers or lenders of money. It is usual that these groups are interested to know the financial soundness before granting credit. The progress and prosperity of the firm, two which credits are extended, are largely watched by creditors from the point of view of security and further credit. Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet are nerve centres to know the soundness of the firm.
EMPLOYEES:
Payment of bonus depends upon the size of profit earned by the firm. The more important point is that the workers expect regular income for the bread. The demand for wage rise, bonus, better working conditions etc. depend upon the profitability of the firm and in turn depends upon financi al position. For these reasons, this group is interested in accounting.
INVESTORS:
The prospective investors, who want to invest their money in a firm, of course wish to see the progress and prosperity of the firm, before investing their amount, by going through the financial statements of the firm. This is to safeguard the investment. For this, this group is eager to go through the accounting which enables them to know the safety of investment.
GOVERNMENT:
Government keeps a close watch on the firms which yield good amount of profits. The state and central Governments are interested in the financial statements to know the earnings for the purpose of taxation. To compile national accounting is essential.