Does my accounting program use double-entry bookkeeping?

Accounting Program

[simple_tooltip content=’A single entry system records each accounting transaction with a single entry to the accounting records, rather than the vastly more widespread double entry system.’]Single-entry[/simple_tooltip] bookkeeping is a simple type of financial recordkeeping used by individuals and businesses that don’t carry unpaid client balances, have only a few employees, and don’t owe people money.^[1] Generally businesses that 1) have less than $5 million in annual gross sales or less than $1 million in gross receipts for inventory sales, 2) are not a C Corporation, 3) operate a service business, and 4) collect customer payments at the point of sale, may use a single-entry bookkeeping system.^[2] Since most law firms do not collect customer payments at the point of sale, even though the law firm may not be a C Corporation and does not keep inventory on hand, they should still use a [simple_tooltip content=’Double-entry bookkeeping, in accounting, is a system of bookkeeping so named because every entry to an account requires a corresponding and opposite entry to a different account. The double entry has two equal and corresponding sides known as debit and credit.’]double-entry[/simple_tooltip] bookkeeping system.

Single-entry bookkeeping systems are all manual, paper systems.^[3] All computerized accounting programs are double-entry bookkeeping systems, which means that each financial transaction affects two [simple_tooltip content=’A general ledger contains all the accounts for recording transactions relating to company assets, liabilities, owners equity, revenue, and expenses.’]general ledger[/simple_tooltip] accounts.^[3]

You may think that your computerized accounting program is a single-entry bookkeeping system because you only enter one general ledger account when recording the transaction. But your computerized system is a double-entry system because it automatically enters the information into the second general ledger account. For example, if you enter a check, the accounting program automatically deducts the transaction amount from your bank account balance. By selecting “check”, “withdrawal”, “deposit”, etc. the program automatically knows that a cash account is being affected and it automatically makes enters the transaction into the cash account. So, although you don’t see the accounting program assign a second general ledger account to a transaction, rest assured that the transaction absolutely does affect two accounts as required in a double-entry system.