Accounting Cycle encompasses the entire Accounting procedure
beginning from initially identifying accounting transactions to
finally preparing the trial balance.
- Identifying appropriate financial transactions- Only
transactions that have a bearing on business and can be measured in
monetary terms are taken into the accounting cycle.
- Recording into Journal- Each transaction has
two sides viz Debit and Credit. Thus transactions are recorded into
Journal at first. Journal is also called the book of original
entry.
- Ledger posting- The transactions entered into
journal are transferred to their respective ledger accounts.
- Unadjusted Trial Balance:To ascertain the
correctness of debits/credits in posting of entries an unadjusted
trial balance is prepared. Errors, if any are rectified by way of
correcting entries.
- Adjusting Entries: Entries for accrual,
prepaid, Outstanding, deferrals, depreciation, allowances etc are
made.
- Financial statements: After
adjusting entries, the next process is that of preparation of
financial statements viz. Balance Sheet, Profit &loss account,
Cash Flow statement.
- Closing entries: These entries are made to
various accounts of income/expenses which are temporal in nature by
transferring them to Income statement.
- Post Closing Trial balance: it contains real
accounts only.