{"id":92005,"date":"2023-02-02T22:22:01","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T20:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=92005"},"modified":"2023-02-02T22:22:01","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T20:22:01","slug":"accounting-concepts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you run a business, it\u2019s important to have <\/span><b>a clear and documented record of all your financial data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This includes your <\/span><b>revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, overhead costs, and equity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The only way to ensure consistent, accurate, and reliable control in this sense is by using <\/span><b>defined accounting concepts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Understanding these <\/span><b>basic concepts of accounting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> also helps you stay compliant with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/us\/en\/pages\/audit\/articles\/us-aers-a-comparison-of-ifrs-standards-and-us-gaap-bridging-the-differences.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">GAAP and IFRS accounting standards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and ensures you are able to make <\/span><b>enhanced strategic financial decisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today we are going to explore all the accounting concepts that you need to be aware of. This will help you determine the best accounting process for your business. Ultimately, though, all the \u201cconcepts\u201d below help you <\/span><b>maintain control and transparency in your accounting process so that you can build a profitable and successful business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We will also discuss how using software such as <\/span><b>Factorial\u2019s financial workspace tool<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can help you streamline the process so that you have access to accurate and reliable data at all times.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/request-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-86553\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18151749\/free-demo-300x103.jpg\" alt=\"Free demo\" width=\"798\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18151749\/free-demo-300x103.jpg 300w, https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18151749\/free-demo.jpg 675w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b><div class=\"js-toc toc\">\n<p class=\"js-toc-title toc__title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<nav id=\"fac_toc_nav\" class=\"js-toc-nav toc__nav\" aria-label=\"Table of Contents\"><ol class=\"toc__list toc__list--level-1\"><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/#what-are-accounting-concepts\" title=\"What are accounting concepts?\u00a0\" data-target-id=\"what-are-accounting-concepts\">What are accounting concepts?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/#11-accounting-concepts-businesses-should-understand\" title=\"11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand\u00a0\" data-target-id=\"11-accounting-concepts-businesses-should-understand\">11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/#accounting-concepts-conclusion\" title=\"Accounting concepts conclusion\u00a0\" data-target-id=\"accounting-concepts-conclusion\">Accounting concepts conclusion\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div><\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>What are accounting concepts?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Organizations have <\/span><b>a responsibility to maintain and present accurate records that reflect the financial health of their business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. These records must take into account all financial aspects of a business. This includes revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, overhead costs, and equity. This data serves as a <\/span><b>reflection of a business\u2019s profits and losses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><b>the value that the organization holds for shareholders and investors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The format you use to manage your accounting process and report your financial data will vary depending on the <\/span><b>regulatory and reporting requirements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of the country or region where you are based and where you operate. For example, companies operating in the US must follow the <\/span><b>Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Furthermore, if a business operates internationally, it must also comply with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ifrs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>International Financial Reporting Standards<\/b><\/a><b> (IFRS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The standards you follow will also depend on whether you are a private or publicly owned entity. For instance, <\/span><b>private companies in the US are not required to publicly report their financial data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. However, <\/span><b>both private and public entities must file financial statements with their Secretary of State<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. They must also file <\/span><b>quarterly tax estimates with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and an <\/span><b>annual tax return<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with all financial data for the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of reporting requirements, <\/span><b>it makes good business sense to follow a standardized format for your accounting process<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This is because you have a defined system to clearly document and report all your business transactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And this is what <\/span><b>accounting concepts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, also known as accounting principles, aim to do. Put simply, basic concepts of accounting are <\/span><b>uniform standards that businesses use to organize their financial transactions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. That way, <\/span><b>all financial data can be easily interpreted and clearly integrated into a company\u2019s accounting process<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Benefits of using accounting concepts in your business<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, what are the benefits of using accounting concepts in your business?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Essentially, accounting concepts:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Serve as a <\/span><b>uniform set of rules so that all businesses follow universally accepted standards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when they prepare their financial statements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Enable you to maintain <\/span><b>accurate records of all your financial data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that you can report to shareholders and investors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Help you <\/span><b>avoid potential disputes, discrepancies, and claims of fraud or financial mismanagement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Help you <\/span><b>better predict the future financial health of your business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> so that you can make smarter and more strategic financial decisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ensure your business stays <\/span><b>compliant with reporting and regulatory institution obligations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let\u2019s take a look now at <\/span><b>11 accounting concepts that you need to be aware of<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Whether you are a sole proprietor or a public or private entity, these basic concepts of accounting help you <\/span><b>maintain standardized records of all your financial transactions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For this reason, even if you use software to manage your accounting process, it\u2019s <\/span><b>important that you understand all the \u201cconcepts\u201d below<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Accruals accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The accruals accounting concept is a <\/span><b>fundamental principle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that guides how you record all your <\/span><b>cash and credit transactions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. With this concept, you <\/span><b>keep a record of each transaction according to the period in which it occurs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (regardless of when you pay or receive funds related to the transaction). In other words, in the case of expenses, you record <\/span><b>when you confirm the purchase, not when you pay the supplier<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although many small businesses start out using a <\/span><b>cash accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (where your statements only reflect income when received and expenses when paid), most organizations eventually switch to accruals accounting for recording all data related to all income, expenses, liabilities, and receivables. This is because you get a <\/span><b>much better understanding of your organization\u2019s financial situation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Moreover, <\/span><b>all modern accounting systems follow the accruals concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for recording financial transactions of this type. This is because it makes it much easier to report data in a uniform and standardized format. Plus, in the case of publicly owned companies, the GAAP requires these organizations to follow accrual accounting practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Conservatism accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the conservatism accounting concept, you treat revenue and expenses in different ways. This is what\u2019s known as a <\/span><b>double entry system of accounting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Essentially, with this principle, <\/span><b>you separate and record two aspects of the same transaction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. You <\/span><b>record expenses as soon as they are approved<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (when there\u2019s a <\/span><b>reasonable possibility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that each expense will be incurred). However, you <\/span><b>only record the revenue aspect<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when you are <\/span><b>reasonably certain<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that an expense will be realized (e.g. when you receive a purchase or signed invoice).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This method works better in terms of <\/span><b>cash flow <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">as it usually results in <\/span><b>more conservative financial statements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> where you are able to <\/span><b>overestimate your expenses rather than your revenue<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Economic entity concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The economic entity concept of accounting requires that you <\/span><b>separate business and personal funds<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. In other words, you should avoid charging personal expenses to a business credit card.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The aim of this accounting process is to <\/span><b>simplify financial statement recordkeeping<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> so that there is a <\/span><b>clear breakdown of all business transactions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and <\/span><b>the business is independent of its owner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This is particularly important in the case of <\/span><b>corporations and limited liability companies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This is because failing to maintain <\/span><b>a clear separation between personal and business expenses, income, liabilities, and assets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can result in <\/span><b>legal claims of non-compliance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This standard also <\/span><b>protects the personal finances of business owners and safeguards their financial credibility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Moreover, maintaining a clear distinction enables stakeholders and creditors to make <\/span><b>strategic decisions based on the performance of a company rather than the personal financial position of its owner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Consistency accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The consistency accounting concept is an approach that aims to <\/span><b>maintain consistency throughout all company accounting records<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Essentially, this means that <\/span><b>once you have adopted an accounting method<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for documenting and reporting your financial data (accrual or cash), you must <\/span><b>use it consistently<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> going forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This includes the accounting method you use to create and report your:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Financial statements\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cash flow statements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Balance sheets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Profit &amp; loss statements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Accounts payable reports<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Accounts receivable reports<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By ensuring consistency in this way, it is much easier for you to <\/span><b>access accurate information, compare performance, identify trends, and monitor your financial status over time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Consistency is also a <\/span><b>legal requirement for filing small-business taxes with the Internal Revenue Service<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Going concern concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The going concern concept (also referred to as the continuing concern concept) is <\/span><b>best suited to businesses that are assumed to remain operational for the foreseeable future<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (usually around 12 months from the end date of the reporting period). This is because <\/span><b>certain expenses and revenues can be deferred to future accounting periods if necessary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Long-term financial standing is therefore necessary. This includes the ability to meet business objectives, maintain the value of assets, and continue to meet financial obligations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Going concern is <\/span><b>not an advisable principle for businesses that are experiencing financial difficulties or scaling down business operations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This includes companies that are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unable to raise credit from banks and financial services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unable to pay dividends<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Not in a position to repay debts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Facing losses and negative operating cash flow<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In an adverse financial position<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Facing legal or regulatory action<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Matching accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The matching accounting concept is one of the fundamental <\/span><b>Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It is based on the <\/span><b>cause-and-effect relationship between expenses and revenue<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. With this concept, you must <strong>match<\/strong> <\/span><b>incurred expenses against associated revenues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, if you pay an employee a commission for a sale that they closed in March, you need to record it as a March expense (not defer to a later reporting period). That way, there is <\/span><b>clear accountability and transparency<\/b>. Essentially, <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">this concept makes it easier to <\/span><b>correlate expenses with their associated earnings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Materiality accounting concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Materiality accounting helps you <\/span><b>keep track of all financial transactions that could have a material impact on business decisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The aim is to record all transactions (including small material expenses) so that you get a <\/span><b>complete and comprehensive analysis of the financial health of your business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The materiality account concept is particularly effective<\/span><b> if you regularly provide investors with business reports<\/b>. This is because you can give<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0a comprehensive analysis of every level of spending in your company. This concept also ensures you are prepared for any potential <\/span><b>investigations or audits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as you have a documented log of all material expenditures. That way, you have a <\/span><b>true reflection of your financial results, financial position, and business cash flow<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This approach establishes a number of <\/span><b>guidelines for determining if a transaction should be considered material<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For example, the materiality principle states that <\/span><b>you cannot exclude a transaction if the net impact of doing so negatively misleads a third party\u2019s understanding of a financial statement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Accounting equation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The fundamental accounting equation, also known as the <\/span><b>balance sheet equation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, is a basic formula used to represent <\/span><b>the relationship between a business\u2019s assets, liabilities, and equity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This accounting concept is <\/span><b>the foundation for the double-entry bookkeeping system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The equation is as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Assets = Liabilities + Equity\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This method of accounting, considered the most basic of all accounting concepts, helps you understand <\/span><b>how your assets are financed and distributed between debts and equity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This can be a particularly useful concept if you are looking to <\/span><b>secure further investment <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">or <\/span><b>open up additional credit lines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It can also be an effective principle if you need to demonstrate your company\u2019s <\/span><b>liquidity, leverage, financial capacity, and growth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to other external parties, such as shareholders. Moreover, this concept relies on a very basic formula. This makes it very easy for regulators and the general public to understand your financial statements (particularly important for publicly owned entities).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Account period concept <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the accounting period concept, you <\/span><b>define a specific time period for reporting your financial records<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This can be any period of time, such as a month, a quarter, or calendar year. Once you\u2019ve defined your accounting period, <\/span><b>all transactions conducted during that time must be included in your financial statements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. You can then report all performance data for the defined period internally and\/or to external stakeholders using these reports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before you can implement this principle, you need to have <\/span><b>a clear understanding of 3 important types of financial statements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Profit and loss statements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a financial statement that summarizes the revenues, costs, and expenses that your business has incurred during a specified period)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Balance sheets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (a summary of the financial balances of an organization)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Cash flow statements <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a financial statement that consolidates all cash inflows received by an organization from its ongoing operations)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Dual aspect concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The dual aspect concept is <\/span><b>derived from the accounting equation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which, as we saw above, is based on the formula <\/span><b>Assets = Liabilities + Equity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It also forms an important basis of <\/span><b>double entry accounting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, required by all accounting frameworks, as it ensures the creation of <\/span><b>reliable financial statements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With this principle, you must record <\/span><b>all business transactions in two different accounts (credit and debit)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This is because all transactions impact the business in equally opposing ways (profit and loss). As a result, you must directly attribute your <\/span><b>expenses to revenue.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The aim is to report a clear association between what a company has paid out and what it has gained. This data is then included in a company\u2019s balance sheet, where <\/span><b>assets represent the sum of all equity and liabilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is the <\/span><b>only accounting concept accepted by external auditors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> if they need to inspect your financial statements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Verifiable objective evidence concept<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The final accounting concept that we are going to share is the verifiable objective evidence concept.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This principle states that <strong>you must not record or process<\/strong> <\/span><b>financial transactions unless you can support them with objective documented evidence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Accepted evidence includes <\/span><b>invoices, cash memos, or bank transfers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. You also need to evidence larger transactions (land, property and vehicles) with <\/span><b>title deeds or sales deeds<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you cannot evidence your financial transactions, an auditor or tax inspector can claim that they are <\/span><b>biased or undependable.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> As a result, your financial statements will not reflect the true financial status of your organization. A lack of verifiable objective evidence can also lead to claims of <\/span><b>financial irregularities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/templates\/full-time-equivalent-calculator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-73363\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/10172407\/Full-Time-Equivalent-FTE-300x145.jpg\" alt=\"full-time-equivalent-fte\" width=\"772\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/10172407\/Full-Time-Equivalent-FTE-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/10172407\/Full-Time-Equivalent-FTE-768x370.jpg 768w, https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/10172407\/Full-Time-Equivalent-FTE.jpg 830w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Accounting concepts conclusion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now that we\u2019ve seen what accounting concepts are and which principles you need to understand, let\u2019s remind ourselves of why using at least one of these concepts is so <\/span><b>important for building a profitable and compliant business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For one thing, <\/span><b>without clear standards for running your accounting process, it\u2019s very difficult to understand the financial<\/b> <strong>health<\/strong><b> of your<\/b><strong> business<\/strong>. <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Secondly, following a defined principle ensures you <\/span><b>meet financial regulatory obligations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Plus, using a basic concept of accounting enables you to <\/span><b>report your financial data to stakeholders and investors in a standardized format<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that is easy for them to understand. And this helps to <\/span><b>secure long-term financial stability for your business<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, although it\u2019s essential that you understand these principles, it\u2019s equally important that you have <\/span><b>access to relevant financial data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This will help you effectively implement your chosen accounting concept. The best way to access this data is by using <strong>data analytics<\/strong> <\/span><b>software<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, you can use <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/factorial-financial-workspace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Factorial\u2019s financial workspace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> feature to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/digitalization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">digitalize<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> your data collection processes. That way, you have easy access to important <\/span><b>financial analytics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, especially those relating to your <\/span><b>overhead costs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For instance, you can automatically generate <\/span><b>detailed employee cost and <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/workforce-analytics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>workforce analytics<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> when you upload your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/setting-up-payroll-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">payroll<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> summaries. This helps you <\/span><b>maintain control over your employee costs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, including headcount analyses and projections. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And with this level of visibility and control, you can easily identify <\/span><b>opportunities to reduce costs and improve the overall financial health of your business moving forward<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you run a business, it\u2019s important to have a clear and documented record of all your financial data. This includes your revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, overhead costs, and equity. The only way to ensure consistent, accurate, and reliable control in this sense is by using defined accounting concepts. Understanding these basic concepts of accounting<a href=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/\" class=\"read-more\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":92006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[146],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legal-hr"],"acf":{"topics":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.5 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand | Factorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Employers guide to accounting concepts to help you find the best principle for recording and reporting your business financial statements\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Employers guide to accounting concepts to help you find the best principle for recording and reporting your business financial statements\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Factorial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/factorialhr\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-02T20:22:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/02214659\/accounting-concept.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"830\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cat Symonds\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@factorialhr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@factorialhr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cat Symonds\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Cat Symonds\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4ebd3e0d92175b5ddd09603f442b8632\"},\"headline\":\"11 Accounting concepts businesses should understand\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-02T20:22:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-02T20:22:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/accounting-concepts\/\"},\"wordCount\":2436,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/preproduction.factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Legal &amp; 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