Double Entry Bookkeeping provides a wide variety of tutorials, examples, references, and no-nonsense advice on bookkeeping and accounting. It aims to answer all those questions you’ve always wanted to ask . . . and some you didn’t know you needed to.
At double entry bookkeeping.com you will learn how to understand and use your accounting records to manage your business. We offer free tutorials in all aspects of bookkeeping and accounting.
Double Entry Bookkeeping Tutorials
Select a category from the menu to the left or chose one of the Tutorials below.
Popular Tutorials
- Allowance Method for Uncollectible Accounts
- Foreign Exchange Forward Contract Accounting
- Bills Payable in Balance Sheet
- How to Calculate a Zero Coupon Bond Price
- Balancing off Accounts
Double Entry Bookkeeping Examples
The best way to learn is to look at examples. At double entry bookkeeping.com you can look at examples of how you can apply the principles and concepts discussed in the Tutorials in practice.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts receivable | 100 | |
| Revenue | 100 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Select a category from the menu to the left or chose one of the Examples below.
Popular Examples
- Paid Cash for Supplies
- Unearned Revenue Journal Entry
- Payroll Advance to an Employee Journal Entry
- Goods Distributed as Free Samples
- Prepaid Rent Accounting Entry
Double Entry Bookkeeping References
At double entry bookkeeping.com you will find references for all our topics. The references are usually in the form of tables and serve as quick guides or cheat sheets for each bookkeeping and accounting topic.
Popular References
- Excel RATE Function
- Lump Sum Number of Periods Formula
- Future Value Tables
- Special Journals to General Ledger Entries
- Excel NPV Function
Double Entry Bookkeeping Quizzes
Test your knowledge of debits and credits. At double entry bookkeeping.com you will find a selection of accounting quizzes.
Popular Quizzes
- Quiz 1: Bookkeeping Basics Quiz
- Quiz 2: Accounting Equation Quiz
- Quiz 3: Debits and Credits Quiz
- Quiz 4: Debits and Credits Test
- Quiz 5: Basic Accounting Principles Quiz
Accounting Templates
You can find free double entry accounting templates, accounting forms, bookkeeping templates and bookkeeping forms.
Popular Accounting Templates
- Bank Reconciliation Template
- Journal Voucher Template
- Petty Cash Voucher Template
- Expense Claim Form Template
- Accounting Ratio Calculator
Bookkeeping Glossary
At double entry bookkeeping.com you will find an A to Z guide to the world of bookkeeping and accounting.
Popular Glossary Terms
Double Entry Accounting Ratios
You will find information on what are the most important accounting ratios used in managing a business.
Popular Accounting Ratios
- Working Capital Turnover Ratio
- Creditor Days Ratio in Accounting
- Net Profit Ratio
- Overhead Ratio
- Gearing Ratio Analysis
What is Bookkeeping?
When you set out to start a business as an entrepreneur you need to be in control of your finances and be able to track the performance of the business. The only way to achieve this is to have good accounting information and be able to understand what the information is telling you.
Bookkeeping is distinct from accounting which is usually undertaken by more senior staff. The purpose of the book-keeping process is to record financial transactions. The output from the bookkeeping process then becomes the input for the accounting process, which is the language of business used to interpret and analyse the information.
A Bit of History on the Double Entry Accounting System
Double entry bookkeeping is a system of bookkeeping which records each transaction twice. The system was first developed in the 13th century and used by Italian merchants. In 1494 Luca Pacioli a monk and mathematician was the first to publish a treatise (Summa de arithmetica) which included details of double entry bookkeeping. Pacioli recommended the Venetian method which included three books of account, the memorandum, the journal, and the ledger. The treatise was widely available and accessible and formed the basis of double entry bookkeeping practiced today.
The first entry records what comes into the business (a debit) and the second entry what goes out of the business (a credit). Every Debit must have a corresponding equal and opposite Credit.
Double-Entry-Bookkeeping.Com
All businesses are under pressure from all sides and only well managed businesses will survive. We started the website with one clear goal in mind to offer users a wide variety of tutorials, examples, references, and no-nonsense advice on small business bookkeeping and accounting.
We aim to give you the information you need to help you understand and use your accounting records to manage your business. We make bookkeeping and accounting more usable, easier to navigate, faster and more reliable. In other words: we make your bookkeeping system records work.
Whilst there are many places that you can learn double entry accounting and bookkeeping, they tend to provide you with a confusing array of information. The first rule for any business is to know what you’re doing, and what you’re aiming for. The only way to do that is to have good double entry accounting system records to provide quality accounting information and to be able to understand what that information means for your business.
About the Author
Chartered accountant Michael Brown is the founder and CEO of Double Entry Bookkeeping. He has worked as an accountant and consultant for more than 25 years in all types of industries. He has been the CFO or controller of both small and medium sized companies and has run small businesses of his own. He has been a manager and an auditor with Deloitte, a big 4 accountancy firm, and holds a degree from Loughborough University.