Can I ask, how many people on this website, could actually produce a set of "books" or "accounts" using pen and paper only? Solar calculators maybe your only tool
If we lost all power, and computers would you know how to produce a set of accounts to either trial balance or even final accounts?
It would be easy enough to do - but it would just be so tedious. I'm not even talking about using accounting software. I still class using Excel as being a manual system and without Excel it would be painful.
EDIT : What is the angle you are getting at?
EDIT 2 : I've seen your post on codes and maybe this is the angle?
-- Edited by Peasie on Saturday 14th of January 2012 12:58:37 PM
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Never buy black socks from a normal shop. They shaft you every time.
Yes I could probably do it to trial balance, probably abit rusty on the P & L and balance sheet, although it wouldn't take long to look up my notes and get back into it, again though like Peasie said depending on how big the business is it could be abit tedious! Mind you I only do bookkeeping I don't offer final accounts yet.
I suppose this could relate back to those of of that was tought manual bookkeeping before embarking on the computerised siade of it. So many people think by getting a certificate in computerised bookkeeping that that is all they need to do peoples' books, when in reality theres an awful lot more to it than this!
This is just my opinion of course and I'm sure others will disagree!
-- Edited by Amanda on Saturday 14th of January 2012 01:52:14 PM
I definitely can (and quite often do). Just give me my trusty old staples 550 desktop calculator (Which will run on solar power alone) and a lot of blank paper (I use seperate sheets for each of the calculations).
Did you get three power cuts in rapid sucesssion as well last night Frauke? We're supposed to be getting a lot of solar flares this year which really could put this to the test.... Or wipe all life off the face of the planet, one or the other.
Of couse the real issue here would be getting HMRC to accept anything that doesn't come in electronic form.
My view is that unless people understand (and can apply) the manual side then they are basically just data inputters into a software package.
No disagreement from me Amanda.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I don't have a problem except where to keep all those large ledgers and books!!! When I learnt it was in the days of £sd and the only calculators were mechanical adding machines. I think it's not just knowing how to do books manually, it also about the cross referencing of folios a bit of a lost art these days.
I could definitely do it... If anything I'm more confident on doing it manually than on a lot of the accounting programs (I only really use vt+). I don't think you should be able to call yourself a bookkeeper/accountant until you can do it all manually!
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Please correct me if I'm wrong... I am only human sucking up knowledge... Sometimes bits leak out!
I don't have a problem except where to keep all those large ledgers and books!!! When I learnt it was in the days of £sd and the only calculators were mechanical adding machines. I think it's not just knowing how to do books manually, it also about the cross referencing of folios a bit of a lost art these days.
Sheila
They still (or did when I started) teach manual ledgers with folio references in your first year of AAT.
The reason is that I am surprised by the number of "book-keepers and accountants" who would not know where to start. Accountants I can understand as unless they have worked as a bookkeeper for a practice the majority wouldn't have a clue, as there knowledge starts after Trail Balance and not before. But too many book-keepers (and a few accountants) tell me they cannot use any other accounting software except one particular one (!) and from the work I have seen wouldn't have a clue as they rely on the software to get it right rather than their accounts expertise.
I did have a power cut last week, lost WIFI etc so I could not even use my mobile phone as the 3G does not work where I am based.
All we need is a "sun spot surge" and all electrical equipment would be "destroyed" and unusable. It could be months or years before we cut get back to normal.
I also find correcting errors made in accounting packages tedious, sorting and correcting the incorrect setup of accounting packages far more tedious than doing manual accounts.
I never got bored or fustrated doing manual accounts. Am I just getting old?
-- Edited by YLB-HO on Saturday 14th of January 2012 06:33:20 PM
All we need is a "sun spot surge" and all electrical equipment would be "destroyed" and unusable. It could be months or years before we cut get back to normal.
Not all, a lot of defence, banking, important systems are protected against emp effects.
Rhianrach wrote: Not all, a lot of defence, banking, important systems are protected against emp effects.
I told my "techy" friends this, and they thought it was very funny and said that anyone who beleived this was kidding themselves. As one said, the only things that can be protected from EMP effects are anything none electrical or using pre-electrical technology, i.e. machanical only. Thats why MIGs (that used valves rather than electrical systems) were not effected to EMP effects whereas our fighters are.
-- Edited by YLB-HO on Saturday 14th of January 2012 08:13:00 PM
Wondered why that they had started issueing us all with Abacus's at the bank!
Actually I've heard rumours about metal shielded bunkers (faraday cages???) and I know that the backup generators are petrol driven.
On the MIG thing I think that come the worst we'll all end up speaking Russian as when I lived over in the East for a while (you really get to see the world in the fun world of banking!) I found that every block of flats has a fallout shelter in the basement.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Rhianrach wrote: Not all, a lot of defence, banking, important systems are protected against emp effects.
I told my "techy" friends this, and they thought it was very funny and said that anyone who beleived this was kidding themselves. As one said, the only things that can be protected from EMP effects are anything none electrical or using pre-electrical technology, i.e. machanical only. Thats why MIGs (that used valves rather than electrical systems) were not effected to EMP effects whereas our fighters are.
-- Edited by YLB-HO on Saturday 14th of January 2012 08:13:00 PM
Power stations, banks and defence systems have been sheilded from EMP attacks for a long time, this is due to terrorist attacks and from a national defence point of view, to prevent eradication of MAD.
It isn't hi-tech or magic, it is in fact a simple thing to do, and has been for a long time.
Have a google see what you think.
-- Edited by Rhianrach on Sunday 15th of January 2012 11:23:41 AM
I still scribble the odd T account on the corner of my studytexts, they may be childish to some but i think it's the most basic way of explaining a situation to yourself. That reminds me, when i was taking a manual bookkeeping course in college the tutor had us prepare a set of accounts to trial balance using T accounts. All i had was blank paper, and it took me the best part of a week over the Easter hols to complete. The assignment was never marked, but although it was tedious work, it stuck in the old noggin.
I'm sith you Neil, I still use T accounts especially for journals before doing them on the laptop.
The old fashioned ways are the best. Years ago we use to do the assignment starting with T accounts and then going to TB, but like you say its sticks in the mind!!!
