When starting a business, it is of utmost importance that you have to determine the method you are going to use for business accounting and paying taxes. Theoretically speaking the two choices are the cash method and the accrual method.

Cash Method

In case if you are looking for simplicity, the cash method is probably your best accounting choice. More often than not, income and deductions can be claimed when payment is actually received or made. Let us depict it properly with an example.

Let assume you open a small business accounting and have to order business cards and stationary. You receive the products and pay the invoice on April 17, 2006. It is worth pointing that under the cash method, you can deduct the cost on your 2006 tax return.

There is no denying that some business accounting are restricted from using the cash method. As a matter of fact C corporations may only use the cash method if they have less than $5 million in gross revenues for a particular year. On the other hand professional Service Corporations can use the cash method without limit, while farming corporations can due so if gross revenues are less than $25 million. Always remember that tax shelters are prohibited from using the cash method.

Accrual Method

If experts are to be believed, the Accrual Method of accounting is a bit more complex. As a matter of fact under this method, the focus in on the date the expense is incurred not paid. However this may seem a small difference, it can play havoc with your books and piece of mind.

Using above-mentioned example, assume you order business accounting cards and stationary on the January 17, 2006. Furthermore you receive the products on January 28th, but don*t pay the invoice until February 20, 2006. The question now arises: When can the expense be claimed* Fact remained that it depends on when economic performance occurred.

Theoretically speaking, economic performance occurs when goods or services are provided to you. If the case is same as the above example, economic performance would arguably occur when the business cards and stationary were delivered with the invoice. As is pretty much evident, the cash method is the easier of the two accounting methods. But to determine the best method for your business, it is advisable to speak with a tax professional.

The question now arises: Should your company use a new accounting software program or should you simply just go with what you have* In an ideal scenario there are many advantages to using software as opposed to relying on your employees. First and foremost, here are some of the reasons why you need to have the latest accounting software in order to keep your business on track.

* If experts are to be believed, you need accuracy and you need to know it*s right. While there is no denying that humans can never be error free all of the time, you*ll find that software can be. Furthermore can you afford to let your guard down here*

* Always remember that you also need the information at your fingertips quickly. Fact remained that you don*t have time for all the paperwork to get finished. In simple terms, you want to know if your company is in the red or the black. In addition you need accurate reports in a moments notice. In theory you need to be able to see what is happening, in detail in the middle of the night. There is no hiding the fact that software can do all of these things for you.

* Furthermore you also need something that is updated. It is worth mentioning in this regard that tax codes change so often that you can*t even have your employees finishing one course by the time the next one is set up. Fact remained that with automatic updates through the software distribution companies, you*re already set.

* Moreover you also need ease of use. It is worth remembering that as technology advances, so does the ability of it to become easier to deal with. More often than not you*ll find a wide range of options to consider here that are easy to use and just as complex in what they can provide for you.

* Last but surely not the least, you need something that is well within budget. There is no denying that accounting software can do that for you because it is more than likely a one-time purchase. Moreover even if you do pay monthly for it, you*ll find it to be less expensive than those errors out there, right*

Theoretically speaking accounting software can be purchased to make your business better, more efficient and easier to deal with all around.

When talking about the best business accounting software, it is quite mandatory that you must first know the relationship between finance and accounting. If concepts are taken into account, they are closely related to the extent that accounting is an important input in financial decision making and there are key differences in viewpoints between them. Always remember that accounting is a necessary input into finance. As a matter of fact, accounting is a sub-function of finance.

In simple terms, accounting generates information or data relating to the operations or activities of the firm. Furthermore the end product of accounting constitutes financial statements such as the balance sheet, the income statement (profit and loss account) and the statement of changes in financial position (sources and uses of funds statement). It is worth mentioning in this regard that the information contained in these statements and reports assists financial managers in assessing the past performance and future directions of the firm and in meeting certain legal obligations, such as payment of taxes and so on. That*s why, accounting and finance are functionally closely related.

But fact remained that there are key differences between finance and accounting. In an ideal scenario the first difference relates to the treatment of funds while the second relates to decision making. According to experts, the viewpoint of accounting relating to the funds of the firm is different from that of finance. In addition the measurement of funds (income and expenses) in business accounting is based on the accrual system.