Cash accounting is the easiest method of accounting, used by many self-employed professionals and small business owners, Cash accounting provides a quick look at how much money the company already has. cash accounting focuses on cash inflows and outflows. and, accordingly, it considers only cash received during the accounting period as income and cash paid during the same period as expenses, and accordingly prepares its financial statements.
What is cash accounting and why is it important?, That's what we'll answer in our article today, just read on.
What is cash accounting?
Cash accounting is an accounting methodology whereby revenue is recognized upon receipt of cash and expenses are recognized upon payment of cash, as it is commonly used by small companies, because it is easy to understand and does not require someone with advanced knowledge of accounting practices.
Large businesses use accrual-based cash accounting, where income is recognized when earned and expenses are recognized when incurred, and depending on the programme package, cash accounting may be available as an option, so that one can mark in the system when prepared, and once the preparation is complete, the program will produce financial statements using cash accounting.
How cash accounting works
Accounting works on a cash basis by not recording revenue and expenses until the payment is received or made, if an item is sold, the income will not be calculated until the customer actually pays the owner, likewise, if business expenses are incurred, it will not be recorded when the company sends the invoice or determines that the invoice is due, but will be recorded when actually paid.
The cash accounting method is more straightforward and easy to understand for most people, recording income and expenses when received and paid, and you don't need to learn the accrual-based cash accounting requirements to properly place income and expenses in the correct periods based on when you earn or incur them.
The cash accounting method reflects the company's cash flow, and companies that manage their books in this accounting method often have a better understanding of the cash position of their companies, Companies using cash accounting record their revenues on their books when they receive a cash payment no matter when the service is provided, while if the customer decides to pay in advance for a year of legal services at the end of the previous year, you will continue to register income when you receive the money.
Taxes on companies that use this accounting method usually depend on the cash brought in and paid, which means that a company that uses cash accounting must have the cash needed to pay federal income taxes.
Importance of cash accounting
There are many advantages to the cash accounting system, especially for small businesses, which often prefer this note of accounting, among which we mention:
Low Cost
Cash accounting is cheaper and easier to use compared to accrual accounting, especially for small businesses that do not have the means to create the structure of the accounting department or hire an appropriate accounting firm.
Easy tracking
It's easy for companies to track cash accounting because they only do questionnaires when that transaction occurs. or cash disbursement, so cash accounting allows you to track the money you have directly and what you see is what you get and does not take into account future expenditures, Not only this, but cash accounting is easy to execute and maintain as well, Where there is no need to track receivables or credits, this reduces the amount of accounting experience required and can translate into administrative savings.
Accurate view of cash flow
Cash accounting allows business owners to truly understand how much cash they have available. Companies that use the accounting method record these transactions when money enters or exits the account - regardless of when the transaction is made or invoiced.
Taxes
Cash accounting helps control transaction time, you can speed up payments to reduce tax profits, Especially losses, to pay taxes only for the money I received, also makes it easier for companies to know how much money they actually have at their disposal at any time. and since transactions are not registered until cash is received or paid, The company's income is not taxed until it is in the bank, ensuring that funds are available to pay income tax.
What to consider when using cash accounting?
There are three important things to consider when determining whether cash accounting is the right way for your business:
First
These transactions must be recorded at the fair market monetary value of what has been sold or received, even when a company is paid through a type of barter arrangement.
Second
When using cash accounting, the company cannot delay income recognition, but income must be recognized when it is received constructively, and income is received constructively when money is provided to the seller (whether by sending it to his account or receiving it by his agent).
Third
The method of monetary accounting has implications for taxes, and under this method, Only expenses incurred during the accounting year can be deducted s net income, also under cash accounting revenue and expenses are recorded at the time of exchange of cash, when cash is received from a sale expense ", is recorded in the accounts as a sale, and when paid on an expense, it is recorded as an expense.
Defects in the use of cash accounting
Cash accounting does not give companies the real picture of their long-term financial capacity, the company may receive payments for services in advance but incur expenses in the future, it may seem profitable when the advance payment arrives but it may quickly turn unprofitable in the coming months.
Some lenders may request access to the financial statements on an accrual basis when the company applies for a loan; Companies that keep their books using the cash accounting method may need to spend a long time transferring their records, to the maturity method to apply for the loan they need.
Also unlike other methods of accounting, cash accounting does not match expenses and income in a given period, this may be a problem for companies because it can be difficult to track profitability on a real-time basis.
Conclusion:
Companies often choose to use the cash accounting method, with the aim of avoiding the need to keep more complex records, because it is a simple way to maintain cash transactions, and by using cash accounting, the transaction is recorded when the payment is made or received.
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