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Qualities Required To Be An Accountant

Introduction An accountant handles one of the most crucial roles in a business regardless…

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Introduction

An accountant handles one of the most crucial roles in a business regardless of it being for a large corporation or a small business. They are the financial backbone of a business and handle monetary records, money transactions, and timely taxes.

There are different types of accountants. Government accountants work for government agencies’ monetary records. Public accountants are either self-employed who work audits, documentation, and tax for clients or they account for firms. Management accountants are employed by a single company and they account for internal financial records of that company only.

Who Is An accountant?

An accountant is a professional who is in charge of the protection and transliteration of technical records and survey of financial statement analysis. They work for firms or big and small companies.

An accountant’s day-to-task mostly depends on their educational background and the designation they hold. Have you ever wondered if there was an accounting centre near me? How wonderful would it be to start your journey towards your dream job!

Most people start their journey by getting themselves into a school followed by a Bachelor’s degree in the same BCom course.

But some firms may demand additional educational certifications after BCom. Some of the common accounting designations are  Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). So, for accounting training and placement, one should look for good cl.

What Does An Accountant Do?

Accountant paints a picture of a company’s stand in the global market by using numbers and financial statements. Some of the accountants’ everyday tasks include the following :

  1. Preparation of profit and loss statements and monthly cost accounting reports.
  2. Maintaining and processing monthly payments and stipends.
  3. Completing audits and interacting with auditors.
  4. Analyzing and accounting.
  5. Evaluating and accounting budgets, outlay, payments, and bills.
  6. Settling account discrepancies.
  7. Maintaining computer software and manual filling systems.

Who Hires An Accountant?

Various businesses hire accountants to balance their taxes and audit the financial records. Organizations having complex financial systems and loaded transactions require accountants.

Some examples of such organizations are:

  1. Universities And Schools
    Schools and colleges have complex monetary systems and require professional accountants to manage their profits and expenditures. The accountants hired are supposed to make sure that the capital and funds are sufficient to meet the needs of the institution’s various departments and covers the college tuition expenses.
  2. Hospitals
    Hospitals and healthcare providers work with insurance agencies to help people with medical needs. The job will require working directly with insurance companies and make sure the organization doesn’t exceed its expenses.
  3. Agencies of Government
    This sector needs high-precision accounting and ensuring that the revenue and expenditure get properly recorded. Since the government agencies are so large, the job vacancies are a lot as well. The candidate will be responsible for recordings of various programs and initiatives under the compass of these agencies.
  4. Entertainment and hospitality companies
    These businesses perform thousands of transactions every day and experience a lot of revenue every day. They also need accountants to collect the receipts, records, and tax time rolls. They also involve in managing employee payrolls.

Strengths That An Accountant Should Have

  • Analytical Skills
    “Good accountants can pull the analysis together, great accountants look at the output and judge whether it is reasonable, so as not to waste everyone’s time on an analysis that makes no sense when you take a step back and look at it from a common-sense standpoint.”- Bob Prather

    Accounting is a meticulous task that demands attention and precision. 
  • Organization
    The work of an accountant includes client meetings, deadlines, and following proper guidelines. Each of these works demands a notable amount of documentation and keeping track of all the paperwork. 

    “The best way to stay on top of deadlines is by getting organized”- Logan Alec
  • Critical Thinking
    Critical thinking is an invaluable skill in the accounting profession.
    Accountants face a lot of fallacies, discrepancies, and imprecision in their daily work that needs to be detected and rectified. 
    These fallacies’ can have serious aftermath if not addressed in time. Hence, accountants need to think beforehand and think critically to face all potential risks and solve them in time.
  • Adaptability
    As we know that change is the only constant, it holds for the accounting profession as well.
    It constantly changes and evolves. Accountants should always be ready to readjust to technical advancements, workplace dynamics, and altering standards and protocols.
  • Interpersonal Communication
    Accountants serve as data translators. Accountants work for clients and many of them may not be aware of complex monetary concepts. Thus accountants are required to spell out their work and transform the complex concepts into average peoples’ understanding.
  • Time Management
    “Working on different projects and being able to manage deadlines is a trait that separates passable accountants from their top-shelf peers” – Kyle Bryant

    Multitasking and proper management of all the work are the top skills an accountant should have to provide satisfactory results for their clients in time.
  • IT And Industry Knowledge
    Accountants should understand how software accounting works and how it can be applied to make a change for progress.

Top Accounting Skills For Success

  • Innovation
    The evolving business world demands an evolving accounting system along its side. Companies often look for candidates assuring to create a change for the better.
  • Enthusiasm
    Enthusiasm is contagious and it brings positive energy to the team. It shows that the candidate is eager to learn his/her trade and believes what he/she is working towards.
  • Trade awareness 
    It is the knowledge of where the company stands in the global market, how it is affected by social, economic, and political issues and how to make progress and move ahead.
  • Integrity
    Building trust and reputation get the job done halfway. Credibility opens the door for new opportunities.
  • Communication
    Accounting systems are not understandable by the common people, this is where communication skills come in. An accountant should be well-versed with the task they are working on and the way they have to translate it for the common people to understand. They have to fill the gap between numbers and stories.
  • Understanding
    Comprehending new statistics and data is crucial.
  • Initiative
    Initiative proves that the candidate is an independent thinker and can work on his own. This welcomes more trust and better opportunities.

Conclusion

Accounting job includes transaction and producing of monetary reports. 

Candidates have to develop problem-solving skills, decision-making, and critical thinking. So if you are someone who is considering venturing into the accounting field, be sure to develop these characters to be the perfect match for what’s expected to come your way in this field.

DEFERRED TAX

The tax effect due to the timing differences is termed as deferred tax which…

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The tax effect due to the timing differences is termed as deferred tax which literally refers to the taxes postponed. Deferred tax is recognised on all timing differences.

Timing Difference can be categorized into two parts namely:
1) Permanent timing difference
2) Temporary timing Difference

PERMANENT TIMING DIFFERENCE
A permanent difference is the difference between the tax expense and tax payable caused by an item that does not reverse over time.

For example if any expense which is booked in the books of accounts but is not allowable under the Income Tax Act,1961 then this amount of difference will cause an entity to pay more amount of tax as compare to amount of tax which is payable as per books of accounts.

This difference is always be present and cannot be reversed as expense is not allowable under Income Tax.

Entity has to pay taxes as per rules prescribed under Income Tax Act, 1961.

TEMPORATRY TIMING DIFFERENCE
Difference occurs due to transactions that create temporary differences are recognized by both financial accounting and accounting for tax purposes, but are recognized at different times.

For example a timing difference can be a rent income. Accrual accounting will only allow revenue to be recorded when it is earned, but if a company receives an advance payment of rental income, it must report this under taxable income on its tax return. As such, this revenue will be recorded on the tax return but not the book income. This creates a timing difference in this period. At a future period when the rental revenue is finally earned, the company will record that revenue under book income but not on its tax return, thereby reversing and eliminating the initial difference.

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITY OR ASSET
A deferred tax liability or asset is created when there are temporary differences between book tax and actual income tax. There are numerous types of transactions that can create temporary differences between pre-tax book of accounts income and taxable income as per Income Tax Act, 1961  thus creating deferred tax assets or liabilities.

Deferred tax liability occurs when Taxable income books of accounts is more than taxable income as per Income Tax Act, 1961.

As per books of accounts company is liable to pay more tax but as per Income Tax Act company is required to pay tax on Rs. 8500 only. This difference arise as there is an difference in rate of depreciation but this will settle in future times.

Deferred tax asset is created when Profit as per books of account is less than the Taxable income under Income Tax Act, 1961.

Let us say an electrical goods Company has a revenue of Rs 5 lakhs and it has expenses of Rs 3 lakhs, thus a profit of Rs 2 Lakhs. However, the expenses are bifurcated as Rs 2.5 Lakhs for the cost of goods sold, general expenses, etc., and Rs 50,000 for future warranties and returns. The Income tax do not consider future warranties as an expense. It is because this expense has not been incurred but only accounted for. Therefore, the Company cannot deduct such an expense while calculating taxes thus, pay tax on Rs 50,000 as well. Therefore, this amount will be part of the deferred tax assets in the balance sheet.

To summarise, the deferred tax asset or liability can be understood in the following manner.

To know more about accounting and treatment in books of accounts you can refer accounting course in Ahmedabad.

 

Fixed Asset Accounting

Accounting involves keeping and maintaining the record of a corporation’s financial transactions in a…

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Accounting involves keeping and maintaining the record of a corporation’s financial transactions in a given year. The annals are further used for analysis by the stakeholders, agencies, and tax collection bodies making accountants a crucial wedge in the company’s innards.

Of the concepts an accountant should be well-versed with, the ones of assets and liabilities are the most basal yet indispensable. Here we introduce you to the fundamentals of fixed assets and their accounting.

What Are Fixed Assets?

Fixed assets are the non-liquid physical possessions an organization holds to generate income over the long haul. They are also referred to as capital assets or property, plant, and equipment (PP&Es). 

Fixed assets are not to be done away with in the same accounting year. The list comprehensively includes land, vehicles, office spaces, computers and software licensing, buildings, etc.

The principal criterion for anything to identify as a fixed asset is that it should be held by the company for more than one accounting year. Also, they are tangible and intangible. Long-term bonds and securities don’t make it to the list.

An esoteric aspect of fixed assets is that their book values usually exceed the capitalization limit as set by the organization. However, a company must be careful while setting a cap limit. A too higher or lower value can have far-reaching impacts on its balance sheet.

How? That requires us to delve deeper into the topic. Here is a verified Accounting Certificate Course in Ahmedabad you can take.

Initial Asset Inclusion

It is done at the time of purchase of an asset. 

Now, before adding to its capital stock, a corporation makes the requisite assessments. It compares the total cost incurred on the asset with the gross amount of cash flow it leads to. If the deal seems profitable, it is sealed. 

The initial recordation incorporates the cost of the assets, their transportation and installation amount, testing and preparation fees, taxes, and other such expenditures. Meanwhile, administrative charges, general overhead costs, and expenses not directly enhancing its utility are not recorded here.

When an asset is purchased at its market value, we note its fair value. On the other hand, the interest amount has to be mentioned while documenting for an asset bought on credit. 

The case of an asset being exchanged for another one calls for recording the fair value of the new body. While if it is not possible to assess its cost, the price of the one given up is considered.

Depreciation of Assets

Assets start losing their productivity or we say, they get used up with time. We need to make allowances for this downturn. In accounting, depreciation is apportioning the cost of an asset over its useful life.

Of all the techniques to account for the depreciation of assets, the written down value method is extensively used. As it shows the fair value of the asset at every end of the year. In this method, depreciation is more in the initial year compares to subsequent years. Another method of depreciation is the straight-line method. Here, the accountants are required to subtract the salvage value of the asset from its cost. The resulting difference is then divided by the number of years the company intends to hold the asset for. The figure they arrive at is the yearly monthly depreciation of the asset. In this method, the Depreciation of asset is uniform during the life of the asset.

Companies can choose their modus operandi. However, as per the caveats of the IAS (International Accounting Standards), they are allowed to change it only once. To know more about the IAS and their impact in the field, you can go for this Accounting Course in Ahmedabad as recommended by our experts.

Disposal Of Assets

After a certain point, when assets cease to be profitable, they are to be exscinded. It is usually done when their useful lives come to an end. Sometimes, an unforeseen circumstance (for instance, unexpected obsolescence) forces the company to discard an asset. 

It is however not necessary to throw a valuable possession away when it can be liquidated. The company can exchange the asset for newer ones. Also, they may sell it off. A price higher than the then book value of the asset marks a profit and a lower one points towards a loss.

Whatever the case may be, the loss of a company’s asset shows on its balance sheet. Fresh investments need to be undertaken.

Asset Impairment

Impairment of an asset is where its current carrying value exceeds the gross profits it is estimated to bring in. It is usually the result of unexpected predicaments. 

In simpler words, asset impairment has to do with the chance that fixed capital may not be as economically viable as it is computed to be. Impairment leads to a radical slump in a business’ profits. Asset impairment on the balance sheet is associated with a corresponding loss in the income statement. 

Intangible holdings such as copyrights and trademarks stand higher chances to get impaired. However, under circumstances like unexpected obsolescence, natural calamities, adverse market fluctuations, judgment failures or may be due to some unaccountable reason, fixed assets may undergo the same fate. 

Accountants are supposed to be on the lookout for such incidents. They must warn the stakeholders and the decision-makers of the company’s state of affairs.

Disclosure Of Assets

A corporation does not want every confidential detail to be presented on its annual financial statements. However, certain norms formulated by the national and international bodies need to be followed. An organization has to make the following disclosures about its fixed assets.

  • The carrying value of the assets at the beginning and the end of each accounting year
  • The useful life of the assets
  • Rate of depreciation and the method used to calculate it
  • The effects of acquisitions, disposals, and net foreign exchange on the value of the assets
  • Impacts of revaluation 

To learn about other disclosures, go to the link for this certified Accounting Training in Ahmedabad and stake in your growing accounting expertise.

The Strict Don’ts

While accounting for fixed assets, you need to eliminate the three commonly made mistakes. 

  • Not considering expense costs transportation charges, taxes, and installation amount while recording the purchase of a new asset
  • Disregarding the alteration in the assets’ use while maintaining them
  • Ignoring record-keeping demands relating to insurance