UNIT I
Software used in Accounting
What is accounting software?
Accounting software is a useful tool for recording the flow of funds in a company and examining its financial position. You can use it to record transactions, generate reports, manage customer and vendor contacts, create purchase orders, track inventory levels, bill customers, and monitor account balances. [Check out the best accounting software and invoice generator recommendations.]
“Accounting packages help us organize our records and' force' to a systematic structure,” Ken Stalcup, senior director of Houlihan Valuation Advisors, told business.com. "
What are the features of accounting software?
Now that you understand what accounting software is and why you need to use it, it's important to know the tools and features you're looking for when choosing a system. Almost all online accounting software uses double-entry bookkeeping to ensure accuracy and includes accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking and reporting capabilities. Some also include inventory management, project management, time tracking, and payroll tools, but these features are typically included in higher-tier plans or add-ons that cost extra. Here are some core elements of accounting software.
1. Accounts receivable
It needs to be able to proceed the bill and track what the consumer is borrowing (accounts receivable, or A / R) and their payments. Here are a number of the most A / R features to seem for:
Invoice processing
At a minimum, your accounting software must be able to process your bill. When money is borrowed from you, you need to know from whom, how much, and when to expect payment. All accounting systems allow you to print invoices, but in most cases, you can email invoices. The system must remember basic customer data like name, address, account number, and standard terminology. Most software systems today also remember standard prices for a variety of products and services.
Automatic billing
This ensures that your revenue isn't delayed because you forget to send your invoice. In addition, with automated statements and delayed reminders, the accounting software acts as a collection department to notify customers of invoice payments.
Payment procedure
Many accounting systems allow customers to pay invoices online by clicking the button on the electronic invoice to send. There are many benefits to vendors, including reduced staff time spent processing checks and making bank deposits, increased payment security, and reduced processing time. However, it costs money. Expect to pay the same fees as a credit card processing company to get your accounting system to process your debit and credit card payments.
Some systems allow you to deposit ACH payments directly into your checking account. Also, there is no such thing as automatically paying your checking account every month without waiting for a check by mail or sending money to a bank. This also costs money in many cases, but is usually cheaper than accepting card payments.
2. Accounts payable
No one likes to pay invoices, but tracking what you owe is essential for any business. There are many ways the accounting system handles the outflow side of funds. Here are a number of the foremost useful accounts payable (A / P) features:
Purchase order
Processing and borrowing purchases is one of the main tasks of accounting software, but its features range from creating simple purchase orders to following quotes, purchasing and paying.
Vendor credit memo
It's easy for businesses to lose track of all the credits that vendors frequently distribute, either as rewards or returns. However, credit notes are as valuable as cash, so a system that can track them can help keep costs down.
Automatic payment
From scheduling bank payments and direct deposits to printing checks, many A / P modules fully automate the payment process and keep you up to date.
IRS tax form
Having a database of the most common tax returns, such as 1099 and 1096, can save you a lot of time. This is especially true if the accounting system can fill out all the required data on the form and submit them electronically to the IRS. Electronic tax payments and form submissions can help prevent penalties for late payments.
3. Salary
In some accounting systems, the payroll module is very sophisticated and provides a complete payroll service that does everything from time calculation and wage processing to payroll tax payments and 401 (k) deductions. some characteristics are:
Fluctuating wage schedule
A system that can accurately calculate the amount to be paid to an employee, whether paid to the employee or paid on an hourly basis, is essential. Problems occur when there are many intermittent ones.
Workers or part-time staff. Many of them are paid on weekly basis or biweekly. The software needs to be able to handle different payroll schedules, along with different types of rewards (commissions, salaries, profit sharing, bonuses, etc.) and benefits (health insurance, severance pay plans, and even paid parking benefits).
Direct deposit
This is essential for accounting software's recent support, as most people expect their salaries to be deposited directly into their bank accounts. With decent accounting software, you should be able to set up scheduled direct deposit payments.
Automatic tax calculation
This ranges from basic deduction-only processing to providing sophisticated tax rates and printing relevant forms. Check if your system supports new employee reporting, expense tracking, W-4 and W-9. Would you like to process monthly federal tax deposits and quarterly federal tax reports, such as Form 941? Would you like to process annual reports and returns for W-2, W-3, Form 940, 1099, etc.? Can I file a tax return for income tax or unemployment insurance? Can you handle workers' accident compensation insurance calculations and payments?
Expense refunds and deductions
If employees bear tax-deductible expenses such as travel and entertainment expenses, they need a system that can handle these refunds and ensure that payments meet the tax deadline.
4. Bank
At the very least, accounting software needs some form of link to your bank account. This allows you to make direct payments and import real-time data from your bank into your accounting system. Some software can go even further.
Account adjustment
If you have multiple bank accounts, software that can track and adjust all of them is essential. Make sure your program includes the General Ledger feature and the check book reconciliation.
Bank deposit preparation
These days, accounting packages that can't handle basic electronic deposit settings are unheard of, but you need to know what types of electronic payments you can handle.
Please check the handling
If you pay a lot of money with a check, you can save a lot of time by using a system that can print and process your check. Also be aware of other features such as check invalidation and notification of duplicate check payments.
What reporting options does accounting software offer?
In addition to the set of features available in accounting software, the quality and quantity of reports that a system can generate vary greatly. Some systems offer a wide range of reporting options in virtually unlimited categories. Others only provide basic reports: depositing and withdrawing money. Here are some better options.
Standard report
The accounting system must be able to generate the usual reports used in business, such as income statements (income statements), balance sheets (assets and liabilities), cash flow statements, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and salary summaries.
Customizable report
A system that enables customizable reporting options allows you to create and compile selected reports. Look for a system that allows you to easily add or remove columns from standard reports, resize column widths, and remember custom reports for future replication.
Graph summary
Long lists of numbers can be difficult to interpret, so software that can convert data to image formats such as pie charts and bar charts can help you understand where your money is going. Look for the ability to display the previous year on the same graph as the colour coding feature for easy comparison.
Cost forecast
All reports help identify trends, but systems that can interpret data, perform statistical analysis, and make forecasts help make financial decisions based on facts rather than guesses. Look for a system that includes budgeting, quoting, and other cost features.
Subsidiary report
If you have multiple businesses, a system that can integrate certain financial aspects can provide a better view of your entire portfolio than you can estimate from individual reports.
Accounting software is employed to gather and report information about the financial viability of a business. This software is vital for correct management of your organization. Before deciding which software package to use, it's important to know the various sorts of accounting software and therefore the situations during which you would like to use each. the subsequent list shows the overall classification of accounting software.
You can run a really small business just by using electronic spreadsheets in your accounting software. Spreadsheet software is inexpensive and therefore the system is often configured in any way. However, spreadsheets are error-prone because the knowledge are often entered within the wrong place, incorrectly entered, or not entered in the least, leading to inaccurate financial statements. Therefore, spreadsheets are typically used only in organizations with very low transaction volumes.
2. Commercial software
Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software is that the leading accounting software used round the world. it's reasonably configurable for your business needs, contains multiple layers of error detection to stop misinformation entry, and typically produces standard reports which will be configured for your needs. There are COTS packages that are specific to a specific industry and have additional features to satisfy the requirements of the target market. COTS software may require the services of a consultant to put in and should require a lengthy installation process also as onsite staff to take care of the software. A variation of this idea is accounting software available as a web service, which needs users to log in to the vendor's site to access the software. The latter approach requires you to pay a monthly fee for every user instead of pre-purchasing the software.
3. Enterprise Resource Planning Software (ERP)
ERP software consolidates information from all parts of your business into one database. This approach eliminates the issues related to using independent department-specific software that doesn't share information. However, it's very expensive and may take a year or more to put in. This software is typically only needed within the largest and most complex organizations.
4. Custom accounting software
This software is custom developed for your organization. This approach is typically only taken when the requirements of the entity are very specific and can't be met by the COTS or ERP package. However, custom software is buggy and requires more maintenance than off-the-shelf packages, so this approach is never adopted.
Key takeaways:
Accounting is that the first and most crucial skill for SMEs to survive.
It helps you track the situation of money flow and whether your start-up will achieve it by the top of the year. Therefore, if you actually want to enhance your accounting and finance skills, accounting software may be a good way to enhance your financial skills as an SMB. When well-integrated, it becomes a crucial a part of the system and may significantly improve all of your company's finances, from bookkeeping to tax accounting.
If the start-up is running effectively, accounting will help track take advantage all operating activities. As a result, if you would like to proportion, your business must exceed your budget.
This is where accounting software comes in. Benefits include time savings, cost savings, and increased productivity.
Below are just a couple of the various benefits of using online software tailored specifically for little businesses.
1. Saving time, money and expenses with accounting software
This is one among the simplest things about using accounting software to drive your business operations. the very fact that you simply can automate some, if not all, accounting tasks are often very helpful.
For example, consider paying an invoice. Most folks automatically pay your phone and internet bills monthly, except for businesses, you add a monthly fee. Also, if you pay manually, you're wasting tons of the time you'll have spent somewhere good.
By using Invoice Berry to trace your expenses, you'll basically track your expenses on the pass category. this suggests you'll create reports to ascertain where and the way you spend most of your money. Of course, this is often all done automatically.
2. Convenience of accounting software
This is directly linked to the above. Today, convenience is everything.
Ideally, the simplest sort of accounting software is straightforward and straightforward to line up. When a corporation decides on software, it are often distracted by the flashy features that it's going to need just just in case and pay quite it must.
On the opposite hand, if your small business needs software to process invoices, you would like something that's quick and straightforward to line up.
Invoice Berry is meant with accessibility in mind for both you and your clients. All the tools you would like are online, which may prevent tons of billing time. It doesn't waste time downloading and fixing unwanted software, so it's easily accessible to both parties.
Accounting Convenience-Software
The name of the sport here is User Experience.
Invoicing are going to be easier than ever when everything is already available online.
3. Customize
Customization is another important a part of accounting software.
Because, actually, your operational activities are unique to you and you. Sure, you would possibly find someone within the same industry who is more or less doing an equivalent number – but your income is exclusive to you.
Do you know where I'm going with this?
Customization is vital because it tailors your accounting needs specifically to your company. Not the opposite way around.
By customizing your invoice, you'll give life and personality to your business. With Invoice Berry's invoice template, you'll add logos, specific terms of use, payment methods and more to form your invoice really yours.
With this feature, you'll send professional yet crisp invoices, bespoke up to T, designed to satisfy all of your needs.
4. Tracking is simpler
One of the foremost important financial goals for a corporation is tracking and analysis.
However, it is often difficult to succeed in that goal without managing your invoices. you ought to always closely monitor your income and invoices to seek out areas for improvement.
For example, are invoices paid on time? Is there how to hurry up the process? the way to bear with late clients?
Accounting-Software-Tracking-Data
Data and analytics are an excellent thanks to determine if your business is occupation the proper direction.
Fortunately, you'll use Invoice Berry to simply track your expenses and invoices and save them for later reference. With Invoice Berry, it can take up to 60 seconds to line up your online invoice. 60 seconds to pay with regular payments with holding clients.
5. Tax assistance
Tax accounting can always look complicated, especially for SMBs. After all, there are numerous sorts of taxes that it is often difficult to trace them.
Fortunately for you, this is often where accounting software can prevent many sleepless nights. When subsequent tax season comes, you would like to start out producing financial statements and tax summary reports.
But when this happens, you're ready. Method is as follows.
Fortunately, Invoice Berry also can assist you create invoices, with or without taxes. for instance, you'll add nuisance tax or VAT options to.
An invoice to save you the trouble of billing individually.
6. Create a business plan If you're just getting started, your business plan is everything.
7. Multi-currency
If you are managing a remote work team, it may seem difficult at first to process invoices in different currencies. However, the problem of converting international currencies to each other is a thing of the past.
Today, most accounting software is equipped to process multi-currency invoices coming from all over the world.
With the ability to customize invoices and add payments, handling international currencies has never been easier. Invoice Berry personally handles invoices in over 200 currencies.
Put everything together
Overall, there are many benefits to using accounting software, and Invoice Berry can save you a lot of time and money based on how easy it is to set up.
Best of all, you can customize your invoices specifically as needed, or use one of many business plans and invoice templates for free.
If that sounds like something you're interested in, try Invoice Berry Billing Software for free and be aware that you can change your plan at any time.
Key takeaways:
In reality, software providers are happy to involve software buyers as much as possible. This means that the more work you do, the lower your final software costs will be. However, keep in mind that some companies think they know more than the professionals they do every day. It's like self-diagnosing a serious illness and doing your own surgery! The best approach is to consider implementing new software as a team approach. You need to get involved as your software provider can't really do it alone.
Also consider that many of today's businesses, especially small businesses, do not have accountants or managers on staff. Your software provider may have an accountant who can ensure that your new system is properly configured for use. Before implementation, it's easy to think that things will go smoothly. A quick Google search for "accounting software configuration errors" (2.57 million results!) Unfortunately confirms that configuration errors occur very often.
For some things, you should actually do it yourself. However, many of these tasks are time consuming or error-prone, allowing software providers to perform their tasks better. How to import data from an existing system is determined by comparing the value of the time people spend manually entering information against the cost of importing the data.
At best, trying to go alone if done wrong means that the process needs to be restarted, and in the worst case, it can lead to incorrect data and increased costs and taxes. Your software provider is well aware of this. Instead of spending eight hours achieving one of these items, the software provider may be able to perform the same task in two hours. How much time can you save overall? Potentially pretty. According to a survey conducted by SAP, implementations of 3 months or more are common even in SMEs, and it took 9 months or more to complete 39% of all ERP implementations. So, yes, there is a lot of fat to trim.
It's also important to realize that no employee may simply be messing around with their thumbs. Employees have normal day-to-day tasks that they need to perform. It takes a lot of time to review, select, install software, collect accounting data, configure an accounting system, and learn how to use it properly. The time they are probably unavailable. If you think about it, you would say, "I have nothing else to do, so I can devote all my time to accomplishing this." In today's business environment, this is very rare.
Here is a brief list of the major steps that need to be completed to implement a new accounting software system.
2. Software installation
h. Configure the system documentation for your needs, such as:
i. Create a custom report to provide the information in the format you need. These reports include both operational and financial areas.
j. Establish the necessary "linkages" with other software, such as importing data from e-commerce applications and time clocks. Integration with other systems depends on the individual system. Pay attention to all security, backups, and the ability to recover from a failed import.
3. Accounting System Configuration
d. Load certain numbers to support the trial balance amounts for these accounts.
e. Load certain other information to support the actual business situation at the time of conversion
4. System Training
Other items
Key takeaways:
- Implementation plan
- Software installation
- Accounting system configuration
- System training
Pros: Benefits of Accounting Software
These are the most advantages of why you ought to use such software to manage your business.
Cons: Disadvantages of Accounting Software
Key takeaways:
Task Automation-Examples: Payroll Calculation, Payroll Statement Creation, VAT Calculation, etc.
2. Integration with other systems such as online banking and electronic filing
3. Accounting software can help you save time and money and provide valuable insights into your business. If you choose your package carefully, investing in a computerized accounting system can be one of the best decisions you can make for your business.
4. If you are looking to use accounting software in your business, certain issues and disadvantages are worth considering. For example:
5. The learning curve of accounting software can also be steep, so if you're used to creating ledgers and books, maintaining a manual account is an easier option.
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