Bookkeeping is the recording, on a day-to-day basis, of the financial transactions and information pertaining to a business. It ensures that records of the individual financial transactions are correct, up-to-date and comprehensive. Accuracy is therefore vital to the process. Bookkeeping provides the information from which accounts are prepared. It is a distinct process, that occurs within the broader scope of accounting. Each transaction, whether it is a question of purchase or sale, must be recorded. There are usually set structures in place for bookkeeping that are called ‘quality controls’, which help ensure timely and accurate records.

Activities involved in book-keeping are:

• Identifying
• Measuring
• Recording
• Classifying