Overview

What is this book about?

The Finance and Accounting Desktop Guide is the ideal introduction to accounting for the non-financial professional – comprehensive, practical and accessible. Each chapter is in two parts: section one explains the basic statements, definitions and models, section two develops the subject in more depth.

This way you can uncover basics first without being overwhelmed by unnecessary details or complication – and study section two as and when you need to.

You can use this book as a desk companion to refer to as and when you need to, or you can use it as a text and work your way through each of the topics.

Key features

• A CD containing 26 spreadsheets to aid your own planning, budgeting and forecasting
• Plenty of examples of different statements throughout the text
• Review questions and feedback
• Checklists, definitions and icons to highlight the text
• Large ring-binder format so you can add your own notes
• An expert consultant and author with the power to ensure you grasp each concept first time around

Contents overview

1 Balance Sheets
2 Profit and Loss Accounts
3 Cash Flow Statements
4 Accounting Records and Systems
5 Accounting Concepts, Policies and Standards
6 Interpretation
7 Cash Budgeting
8 Costing for Planning
9 Costing
10 Budgeting

Content

CHAPTER ONE

Section 1:

• Balance sheets
• What is a balance sheet?
• What do balance sheets reveal?
• Interpreting balance sheet profiles
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Balance sheets
• Balance sheets: structure and contents – UK
• Interpreting the balance sheet
• Balance sheets: structure and contents – US
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER TWO

Section 1:

• Profit and loss accounts
• What is a profit and loss account?
• What do profit and loss accounts reveal about a business?
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Profit and loss accounts
• Profit and loss accounts in published or statutory accounts
• US revenue or income statement
• (P & L account) structure and contents
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER THREE

Section 1:

• Cash flow statements
• If there are profits there must be cash
• Cash flow statements
• What can cash flow statements tell us?
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Cash flow statements
• Published cash flow statements
• Definitions
• Compiling and interpreting a cash flow statement
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER FOUR

Section 1:

• Accounting records and systems
• Why have accounting records?
• Distinction between accounting systems and accounting records
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Accounting records and systems
• Accounting systems and procedures
• Classic ledger structure
• Sales system
• Purchase system
• Wages system
• Audit function
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER FIVE

Section 1:

• Accounting concepts, policies and standards
• Why do we need concepts and rules?
• Fundamental accounting concepts
• Fundamental concepts in operation
• Accounting policies
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Accounting concepts, policies and standards
• Accounting standards
• Detailed accounting policies
• Developing accounting policies
• A contractor
• A travel agency
• Creative accounting
• Creative accounting illustration
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER SIX

Section 1:

• Interpretation
• Ratio analysis
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Interpretation
• Detailed ratio analysis
• Profitability ratios
• Asset turnover analysis
• Stock market measures
• Detailed performance measurement – bench marking
• What is bench marking?
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER SEVEN

Section 1:

• Cash budgeting
• Cash flow forecasts
• Outline of a simple cash flow forecast
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Cash budgeting
• What is capital expenditure?
• Cash flow forecasts
• Non-discounted measures
• Discounted cash flow techniques and measures
• Sensitivity analysis
• CHECKLIST

CHAPTER EIGHT

Section 1:

• Costing for planning
• What is costing?
• Costing for planning
• CHECKLIST

Section 2:

• Costing for planning
• Detailed planning and break-even analysis
• CHECKLIST

The author

Ralph Tiffin is a mechanical engineer who subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant and became manager in one of the largest international firms of accountants. He is now managing partner of an accountancy and consultancy practice. He has a wealth of experience with companies of all sizes in the UK and overseas. Work typically involves developing clients reporting and management systems along with appropriate management training and developing project appraisal processes and spreadsheets.

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