BOOK KEEPING:

Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include

sales, purchases, income, and payments by an individual or organization.
Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not
be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually performed
by an accountant. The accountant creates reports from the recorded
financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper. There are some common
methods of bookkeeping such as the single-entry bookkeeping system and

the Double-entry bookkeeping system. But while these systems may be seen
as "real" bookkeeping, any process that involves the recording of financial
transactions is a bookkeeping process.

A bookkeeper (or book-keeper), also known as an accounting clerk or

accounting technician, is a person who records the day-to-day financial
transactions of an organization. A bookkeeper is usually responsible
for writing the "daybooks." The daybooks consist of purchase, sales,
receipts, and payments. The bookkeeper is responsible for ensuring all
transactions are recorded in the correct daybook, supplier’s ledger, customer
ledger, and general ledger. The bookkeeper brings the books to the trail
balance stage. An accountant may prepare the income
statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by
the bookkeeper.

BOOK KEEPING SYSTEMS:

Two common bookkeeping systems used by businesses and other

organizations are the single-entry bookkeeping system and the double-entry
bookkeeping system. Single-entry bookkeeping uses only income and
expense accounts, recorded primarily in a revenue and expense journal.
Single-entry bookkeeping is adequate for many small businesses. Double-
entry bookkeeping requires posting (recording) each transaction twice,
using debits and credits.

BOOK KEEPING ASSOCIATIONS:

Bookkeeping associations are founded to provide support and standards

for the bookkeeping industry. This is achieved by creating common
standards for the industry that bookkeepers can work towards and that allow
the users of bookkeepers to know what level of knowledge a bookkeeper
they hire has.

The definition of a Bookkeeper is broad and wide and open to interpretation.

Each country can have its own standards and anyone can call themselves a
bookkeeper while not having any qualifications or knowledge of the industry.
The method of obtaining a bookkeeping qualification vary. A person can to
pay a fee and not have to sit exams, obtain a qualification based on your
experience, sit examinations without supervision, or sit examinations fully
supervised in an exam hall or in a computer environment training exam
centre. In many countries there are competing bookkeeper associations, but
their qualifications are achieved in different ways and their knowledge levels
can be different.

Bookkeeping associations can provide help on bookkeeping issues, tax

issues, legal issues and professional development for their members. They
can also lobby on behalf of their members to help promote their interests.
They can as a body promote the standards of bookkeeping and market the
benefits of using a qualified bookkeeper.
LIST OF BOOKKEEPING ASSOCIATIONS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD:

By By
Country By By
Body Unsupervised Supervised
Experience Licence
Exam Exam
The Canadian
Canada Bookkeepers
Association
Institute of
Professional
Canada
Bookkeepers of
Canada
Irish Bookkeepers
Ireland No Yes Yes No
Association
Institute of Certified
UK
Bookkeepers
International
UK Association of
Bookkeepers
The American Institute
USA of Professional
Bookkeepers
National Association of
USA Certified Public
Bookkeepers
National Bookkeepers
USA
Association

EXPLANATION OF THE TABLE:

Country

The country the bookkeeping association represents. Where a bookkeeping

association is represented in more than one country, there should be a
separate entry for each country it represents.
Body

The full registered name of the bookkeeping association

By Unsupervised Exam

An exam where not independent verification that the exam taken without
help.

By Supervised Exam

An exam is taken and supervised independent personnel

By Experience

The qualification is issued based on the experience of the person and no

exam is taken. That person has provided the required evidence of their
experience.

By Licence

The person buys the right to use a title identifying them as a bookkeeper but
no evidence of experience or examinations is requested or required.