Formally defined, accounting is a set of concepts and techniques that are used to measure and report financial information about an economic unit. While this may seem relatively straightforward, accounting is actually a very complex field that requires both technical proficiency and also a certain amount of artistry. This text introduces new practitioners to accounting fundamentals and helps prepare them for further studies in the field. It is available to download as a free e-book.
In Part 1, the reader is shown the difference between financial and managerial accounting, and introduced to professional ethics and the fundamental accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ Equity). Using concrete examples based on everyday scenarios, the text then outlines how a corporation collects account receivable, makes purchases using loan proceeds, and distinguishes between revenue and income. Additional topics covered include financial statements, retained earnings, articulation, debit and credit rules, asset and expenses dividends, the accounting journal, and T-accounting. Diagrams and charts are used throughout the text to help explain important concepts.

Readers interested in continuing their study should refer to author Larry M. Walther’s additional titles in the Accounting Cycle series, including Income Measurement and the Reporting Cycle, which is also available for free download on bookboon.com.

从形式上讲，会计是一套概念和技术，用来衡量和报告一个经济单位的财务信息。虽然这看起来相对简单，但会计实际上是一个非常复杂的领域，既需要熟练的技术，也需要一定的艺术性。本文介绍了新的从业人员会计基础，并帮助他们准备在该领域的进一步研究。它可以作为免费电子书下载。
第一部分介绍了财务会计和管理会计的区别，介绍了职业道德和基本会计等式（资产=负债+所有者权益）。然后，本文以日常情景为例，概述了企业如何收取应收账款，如何利用贷款收益进行采购，以及如何区分收入和收入。所涵盖的其他主题包括财务报表、留存收益、衔接、借贷规则、资产和费用股息、会计日记账和T-accounting。在整个文本中使用图表来帮助解释重要的概念。
有兴趣继续他们的研究的读者应该参考作者拉里M。Walther在会计周期系列中的其他标题，包括收入计量和报告周期，也可以在bookboon.com上免费下载。