An astonishingly simple guide to the fundamental principles of accounting,
written specifically for those without a financial background.
Simple, easily absorbed and clearly explained, this book will guide you through
all the major accounting concepts. You will learn how to master company accounts,
understand balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and cash flow systems and how to
analyse and monitor your company’s financial performance.
This new edition is updated throughout to incorporate changes in accounting
regulations and includes a new chapter on keeping personal accounts.
Whether you manage a small company, are a trainee accountant, an entrepreneur, a
business studies or MBA student, an investor on the stock market or a manager in a big
corporation, you will not want to be without this definitive and user-friendly guide to
the fundamental principles of accounting.
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xii
Prologue xiii
Introduction xv
Part 1: The basics of accounting
1 The balance sheet and the fundamental principle 3
Assets, liabilities and balance sheets 4
Sarah’s ‘personal’ balance sheet 4
The balance sheet of a company 7
The balance sheet chart 10
Summary 12
2 Creating a balance sheet 13
Procedure for creating a balance sheet 13
SBL’s balance sheet 14
The different forms of balance sheet 38
Basic concepts of accounting 40
Summary 42
3 The profit & loss account and cash flow statement 43
The profit & loss account 43
The cash flow statement 45
‘Definitive’ vs ‘descriptive’ statements 46
Summary 48
4 Creating the profit & loss account and cash flow statement 49
Creating the profit & loss account 49
Creating the cash flow statement 53
Summary 61
5 Book-keeping jargon 63
Basic terminology 63
The debt and credit convention 66
Part 2: Interpretation of accounts
6 Wingate’s annual report 75
Accounting rules 76
The reports 77
Assets 78
Liabilities 86
Shareholders’ equity 91
Terminology 93
The P&L and cash flow statement 94
The notes to the accounts 99
Summary 100
7 Further features of company accounts 101
Investments 102
Associates and subsidiaries 104
Accounting for associates 105
Accounting for subsidiaries 107
Funding 108
Debt 109
Equity 111
Revaluation reserves 113
Statement of recognised gains and losses 115
Note of historical cost profits and losses 115
Intangible fixed assets 116
Pensions 117
Leases 118
Corporation tax 121
Exchange gains and losses 121
Fully diluted earnings per share 123
Summary 125
Part 3: Analysing company accounts
8 Financial analysis – introduction 129
The ultimate goal 130
The two components of a company 133
The general approach to financial analysis 140
Wingate’s highlights 142
Summary 144
9 Analysis of the enterprise 145
Return on capital employed (ROCE) 145
The components of ROCE 148
Where do we go from here? 151
Expense ratios 152
Capital ratios 157
Summary 163
10 Analysis of the funding structure 165
The funding structure ratios 165
Lenders’ perspective 168
Gearing 170
Shareholders’ perspective 173
Liquidity 179
Summary 182
11 Valuation of companies 183
Book value vs market value 183
Valuation techniques 185
Summary 189
12 Tricks of the trade 191
Self-serving presentation 192
Creative accounting 193
Why bother? 212
Summary 214
Glossary 215
Appendix 235
Index 249
280 pages, Paperback