The following are the main objectives of accounting:
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To keep systematic records:
Accounting is done to keep a systematic record of financial transactions. In the absence of accounting there would have been terrific burden on human memory which in most cases would have been impossible to bear.
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To protect business properties:
Accounting provides protection to business properties from unjustified and unwarranted us. This is possible on account of accounting supplying the information to the manager or the proprietor.
To ascertain the operational profit or loss:
Accounting helps is ascertaining the net profit earned or loss suffered on account of carrying the business. This is done by keeping a proper record of revenues and expenses of a particular period. The profit and loss account is prepared at the end of a period and if the amount of revenue for the period is more than the expenditure incurred in earning that revenue, there is said to be a profit. In case the expenditure exceeds the revenue, there is said to be a loss.
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To ascertain the financial position of business:
The profit and loss account gives the amount of profit or loss made by the business during a particular period. However, it is not enough. The businessman must know about his financial position i.e., where he stands; what he owes and what he owns? This objective is served by the balance sheet or position statement.
To facilitate rational decision making:
Accounting these days has taken upon itself the task of collection, analysis and reporting of information at the required points of time to the required levels of authority in order to facilitate rational decision making.