NCERT Class 11 Accountancy Recording of Transaction I

Recording of Transactions-I

In chapter 1 and 2, while explaining the development and importance of accounting as a source of disseminating the financial information along with the discussion on basic accounting concepts that guide the recording of business transactions, it has been indicated that accounting involves a process of identifying and analysing the business transactions, recording them, classifying and summarising their effects and finally communicating it to the interested users of accounting information.

In this chapter, we will discuss the details of each step involved in the accounting process. The first step involves identifying the transactions to be recorded and preparing the source documents which are in turn recorded in the basic book of original entry called journal and are then posted to individual accounts in the principal book called ledger.

3.1 Business Transactions and Source Document

After securing good percentage in your previous examination, as promised, your father wishes to buy you a computer. You go to the market along with your father to buy a computer. The dealer gives a cash memo along with the computer and in exchange your father makes cash payment of Rs. 35,000. Purchase of computer for cash is an example of a transaction, which involves reciprocal exchange of two things: (i) payment of cash, (ii)  delivery of a computer. Hence, the transaction involves this aspect, i.e. Give and Take. Payment of cash involves give aspect and delivery of computer is a take aspect. Thus, business transactions are exchanges of economic consideration between parties and have two-fold effects that are recorded in at least two accounts.  Business transactions are usually evidenced by an appropriate documents such as Cash memo, Invoice, Sales bill, Pay-in-slip, Cheque, Salary slip, etc. A document which provides evidence of the transactions is called the Source Document or a Voucher. At times, there may be no documentary for certain items as in case of petty expenses. In such case voucher may be prepared showing the necessary details and got approved by appropriate authority within the firm. All such documents (vouchers) are arranged in chronological order and are serially numbered and kept in a separate file. All recording in books of account is done on the basis of vouchers.

3.1.1 Preparation of Accounting Vouchers

Accounting vouchers may be classified as cash vouchers, debit vouchers, credit vouchers, journal vouchers, etc. There is no set format of accounting vouchers. A specimen of a simple transaction voucher is used in practice is shown in figure 3.1.

These must be preserved in any case till the audit of the accounts and tax assessments for the relevant period are completed. Now a days, accounting is computerised and the necessary accounting vouchers showing the code number and name of the accounts to be debited and credited are prepared for the purpose of necessary recording of transactions. A transaction with one debit and one credit is a simple transaction and the accounting vouchers prepared for such transaction is known as Transaction Voucher, the format of which is shown in figure 3.1. Voucher which records a transaction that entails multiple debits/credits and one credit/debit is called compound voucher. Compound voucher may be: (a) Debit Voucher or (b) Credit Voucher.

Questions for Practice

Short Answers

1. States the three fundamental steps in the accounting process.

2. Why is the evidence provided by source documents important to accounting?

3. Should a transaction be first recorded in a journal or ledger? Why?

4. Are debits or credits listed first in journal entries? Are debits or credits indented?

5. Why are some accounting systems called double accounting systems?

6. Give a specimen of an account.

7. Why are the rules of debit and credit same for both liability and capital?

8. What is the purpose of posting J.F numbers that are entered in the journal at the time entries are posted to the accounts.

9. What entry (debit or credit) would you make to: (a) increase revenue (b) decrease in expense, (c) record drawings (d) record the fresh capital introduced by the owner.

10. If a transaction has the effect of decreasing an asset, is the decrease recorded as a debit or as a credit? If the transaction has the effect of decreasing a liability, is the decrease recorded as a debit or as a credit?

Long Answers

1. Describe the events recorded in accounting systems and the importance of source documents in those systems?

2. Describe how debits and credits are used to analyse transactions.

3. Describe how accounts are used to record information about the effects of transactions?

4. What is a journal? Give a specimen of journal showing at least five entries.

5. Differentiate between source documents and vouchers.

6. Accounting equation remains intact under all circumstances. Justify the statement with the help of an example.

7. Explain the double entry mechanism with an illustrative example.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 11 Accountancy - Recording of Transaction I