Role of a Bookkeeper in Preparing Financial Statements (2024)

Businesses grow when stakeholders and entrepreneurs know their financial status. They depend on data analysis to make informed decisions that may impact the bottom line of the business. Whether the entity has to hire a new employee or buy new equipment, a business owner needs to look at their financial statements. If they show enough cash, they can proceed further with the plan. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the importance of hiring a bookkeeper for preparing financial statements.

Why Should You Hire a Bookkeeper for Financial Statements Preparation?

Australian companies have to file their financial reports with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for each financial year. These reports need to be prepared by a professional bookkeeper in Melbourne. There are a few companies that are exempted from filing reports with ASIC but still need to prepare these documents.

Financial statements offer all the financial details of the company and are usually prepared by professional bookkeepers. Basically, it involves keeping track of all transactions and organising them accurately in the ledger. It helps in determining the amount you spent and earned through a business in a specific time period to reach your company’s goals. Apart from financial statements, bookkeepers are also responsible for the bank reconciliation process.

How do Bookkeepers Prepare Financial Statements?

Bookkeeping services for small businesses are important for running a business because they help you track your business finances. Here is how a bookkeeper helps you prepare financial statements:

  • Maintain Financial Records

The primary duty of a bookkeeper is to create monthly financial statements. For the purpose of updating accounts payable and accounts receivable in the books, it is necessary to maintain a record of all supplier and customer invoices. They must keep records of the wages and salaries paid to employees as well as the cost of their inventory.

In order to check for missed entries, calculation errors, and fraud, they must reconcile bank accounts. Specialised professionals committed to financial management can handle all of these jobs. As a result, both small and large businesses employ bookkeepers to keep current records.

  • Income Statement Preparation

The income statement is also called the profit and loss statement because it gives data related to the profits and losses made by the business in a specific period. The bookkeeper calculates the total sales generated by the entity after subtracting the discounts. Preparation of income statement includes gross profit generated from selling and buying products.

  • Balance Sheet Preparation

Bookkeepers are also responsible for preparing a balance sheet that shows the financial status of the company. It describes the liabilities, assets, and equity accounts of the entity. The assets include the property, assets, vehicles, and equipment owned by the business. They also identify liabilities that are outstanding debts. Finally, they check shareholder equity, the amount invested by the shareholder after subtracting liabilities from assets. The net worth of the company can be identified using a balance sheet.

  • Cash Flow Statement Preparation

A cash flow statement is helpful in knowing the cash that flows in and out of the company. Cash flow from operations, investments, and funding activities are all taken into account. It helps the business owner in determining the available funds. It is essential to reduce wasteful spending and boost profitable activity.

Is It the Right Move to Hire a Bookkeeper?

Hiring a professional bookkeeper for your company would mean your financial and accounting requirements will be met with the utmost integrity and professionalism. However, you need to get the right person for managing your business books to avoid making costly mistakes. Find a bookkeeper in Melbourne who is experienced and dedicated to helping you manage your business finances.

The integrity and reliability of financial statements are maintained by bookkeepers because they adhere to industry standards and relevant laws. They assist all internal staff members in making sense of the massive amount of data that has been systematically gathered and updated to provide the most recent and correct information.

Conclusion

The blog shares key points to help you know the importance of hiring a bookkeeper for preparing financial statements for your company. For more bookkeeping solutions, you can get in touch with Reliable Bookkeeping Services provider.

Role of a Bookkeeper in Preparing Financial Statements (2024)

FAQs

Role of a Bookkeeper in Preparing Financial Statements? ›

The Bookkeeper's Expertise

Can a bookkeeper prepare financial statements? ›

Yes, a bookkeeper can prepare basic financial statements. These statements, such as the income statement and the balance sheet, are derived from the regular bookkeeping work they perform, like recording daily transactions and ensuring all financial data is accurate and current.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a bookkeeper? ›

A Bookkeeper is responsible for recording and maintaining a business' financial transactions, such as purchases, expenses, sales revenue, invoices, and payments. They will record financial data into general ledgers, which are used to produce the balance sheet and income statement.

What is the role of preparing financial statements? ›

"The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions." Financial statements should be understandable, relevant, reliable and comparable.

Which three key financial statements are bookkeepers typically responsible for? ›

The balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement each offer unique details with information that is all interconnected. Together the three statements give a comprehensive portrayal of the company's operating activities.

Who should prepare financial statements? ›

13 The accountant should prepare the financial statements using the records, documents, explanations, and other information provided by manage- ment.

Who usually prepares the financial statements? ›

Only chartered professional accountants (CPAs) external to the entity are authorized to produce reports on financial statements. There are three types of reports prepared by CPAs. They are different in terms of complexity, level of assurance, and cost.

Who is responsible for preparing financial statements? ›

Directors prepare financial statements; audit committees monitor the integrity of financial information.

How to prepare financial statements for beginners? ›

5 steps to prepare your financial statements
  1. Step 1: gather all relevant financial data. ...
  2. Step 2: categorize and organize the data. ...
  3. Step 3: draft preliminary financial statements. ...
  4. Step 4: review and reconcile all data. ...
  5. Step 5: finalize and report.
Oct 24, 2023

Who must prepare financial statements? ›

(1) Each year, a company must prepare annual financial statements within six months after the end of its financial year, or such shorter period as may be appropriate to provide the required notice of an annual general meeting in terms of section 61 (7).

Who prepares financial statements bookkeeper or accountant? ›

Bookkeepers are the 'keepers of the purse' – the people who record transactions into journals and ensure that the numbers are available at the end of the month for an accountant to prepare formal financial statements.

What is one of the most common bookkeeping mistakes that business owners make? ›

Improper Record-Keeping of Financial Transactions

A common small business bookkeeping mistake is improper receipt and record-keeping. Keeping track of your financial transactions accurately and saving your receipts will prepare you for tax filing and potential IRS auditing.

What reports should a bookkeeper provide? ›

Profit and loss statement: Summarise activity from the income and expenses accounts. Cash flow statement: Show how much actual cash was available throughout the period. Aged receivables: Show which of your sales invoices have yet to be paid. For any that are overdue, show how many days you've been waiting.

Who prepares financial statements, a bookkeeper or an accountant? ›

Bookkeepers are the 'keepers of the purse' – the people who record transactions into journals and ensure that the numbers are available at the end of the month for an accountant to prepare formal financial statements.

Can a bookkeeper compile financial statements? ›

Only a CPA can prepare an audited financial statement and a reviewed financial statement. However, both CPAs and non-certified accountants, including bookkeepers, can prepare compiled financial statements.

Are financial statements a part of accounting or bookkeeping? ›

The financial statements are not a part of the bookkeeping process. The financial reports and statements are prepared under the accounting process. The bookkeeping process is in accordance with the accounting conventions and concepts.

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