Internship Report
Internship Report
Internship Report
DECLARATION
I, DIKSHA DINESH YADAV the student of T.Y.B.S. Semester V(2016-2017) hereby declare
that I have completed the internship report.
The information submitted is true and original to the best of my knowledge.
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Ms. DIKSHA DINESH YADAV, Roll no.4361 of Third Year B.M.S,
Semester V(2016-2017) has successfully completed the internship report under the guidance of
Course Coordinator
_____________________________ ___________
Project Guide/Internal Examiner Principal
_________________
External Examiner
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To list who all have helped me is difficult because they are so numerous and the depth is so
enormous.
I would like to acknowledge the following as being idealistic channels and fresh dimensions in
the completion of this project.
I take this opportunity to thank the university of Mumbai for giving me chance to do this project.
I would like to thank my principal, _____________ for providing the necessary facilities
required for completion of this project.
I take this opportunity to thank our coordinator ______________,for her moral support and
guidance.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude towards my project guide_____________
whose guidance and care made the project successful.
Lastly , I would like to thank each and every person who directly or indirectly helped me in the
completion of this project especially my parents and peers who supported me throughout my
project.
No Name of the topic Page no
Chapter 1- Organisation
The word is derived from the Greek word organon, which means "organ".
Vision
To be the most highly respected professional firm in the region where clients come for the peace
of mind that their interests are being cared for by a team that enjoys working with them and one
another.
Mission
Chartered Accountancy course is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious course a commerce
student can opt for. With the cadre professional appeal and multifaceted opportunities it brings, it
is indeed a big value on the table. On the other side any student or qualified professional very
well knows the importance of quality of article-ship experience of a CA Student.
1) Real world experience: Joining a company as an intern gives you the opportunity to
work hands on in a professional environment. As an intern you're not just there to get
coffee or run errands but you're there to gain actual work experience. Internships help by
teaching you more about the career path you are pursuing. Think of it like this –
internships are a way to test drive possible jobs and explore different career options
2) Networking: Internships often give you the opportunity to attend meetings and events.
By interacting with professionals you gain new connections and learn how to communicate
in a professional environment. Personally, my internships have introduced me to a lot of
useful resources and have given me the opportunity to meet a variety of professionals in my
field. Networking has helped me acquire references and find new job opportunities.
Internships can even provide you with a professional mentor.
3) Resume Builder: As a college student I know the importance of a strong resume. Without a
solid resume it can be tougher to be considered for a position. And how can you have a strong
resume without any experience? Internships are key to building experience as a student or recent
graduate. Employers are much more likely to hire someone with internships and work experience
rather than someone with a generic resume, lacking experience.
4) Time Management: As an intern you'll become a master of time management. When you're
working in a fast paced professional environment you need to know every minute counts. Time
management is vital in every circumstance whether you're attending meetings, finishing tasks on
deadlines, making phone calls, picking up your boss' dry cleaning or walking their dog (just
kidding about those last two).
5) Career Foundation: Internships provide you with the building blocks you need for your
future. Many internship opportunities help set the foundation for your career. It is important that
you choose you internships based on your interests and career prospects. As an intern you have
the opportunity to get your foot in the door with a company. Keep in mind, employers often use
internships as a recruitment tool to test out future employees and in many cases, companies hire
interns after graduation.
Internships are great tools to improve your chances as a job applicant and help make you a better
potential employee. So make the investment in your career and look into becoming an intern.
Work culture
Organizational culture encompasses values and behaviour that "contribute to the unique social
and psychological environment of an organization." According to Needle (2004), organizational
culture represents the collective values, beliefs and principles of organizational members and is a
product of such factors as history, product, market, technology, strategy, type of employees,
management style, and national culture; culture includes the organization's vision, values, norms,
systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs, and habits
Sundaram seshan & associates believes that culture is dynamic so it important that employees
should be capable to adapt the changes in culture. Employees are given full freedom to take
decision which promotes flexibility in decision making flexibility helps in retention of business.
It’s a firm which promotes team work. As team work enhance the potentiality of the employees
and gives effective outcome by using individual skills. It promotes the team work due to
following advantages;-
Good teamwork maximizes involvement, utilizing everybody’s strengths and areas of expertise,
as well as distributing responsibility to all.
Information is shared amongst the team members, maximizing the levels of knowledge and
learning for the whole organization.
A good team can produce a wide range of possible solutions to each specific problem and
ascertain the most effective one from the range through collective input and interaction.
Teamwork gives people shared goals. It also gives individuals an interest in encouraging and
aiding other members of the team to achieve those shared goals.
A team often produces more accurate, innovative and practical solutions to problems than
individuals (think in terms of “collective wisdom”, or “the wisdom of crowds”).
Teamwork in general produces better end results, as well as bringing out better quality
performances from individual members of the team.
It encourages a wider sense of ownership for the organization, both collectively and individually,
making team members more responsible and enthusiastic.
Workers are more emotionally positive and are better at sharing knowledge, learning and
responsibilities when they experience the personal security of being part of an effective team.
Individuals are more likely to take risks when they experience the security of being part of an
effective team, as they receive the support and reassurance of being part of a group.
A group can sometimes deal with complicated, difficult, deep, and involved problems more
effectively than individuals can.
Last but not least, effective teamwork is fun for the people involved and this raises motivation
and morale.
Type of organisation
Sundaram seshan and Associates is service type of business which provides intangible product
(product with no physical form) it offer professional skills, expertise, advice, and other similar
products.
Organizational structure
Any operating organization should have its own structure in order to operate efficiently. For an
organization, the organizational structure is a hierarchy of people and its functions.
A hierarchy is an arrangements of items (objects, names , values, categories, etc.) in which the
items are represented as being “above” “below” or “at the same level as” one another and with
only one “neighbour” above and below each level. These classification are made with regard to
rank, importance, seniority, power status, or authority. A hierarchy of power is called as a power
structure.
Depending on the organizational values and nature of the business, organization tend to adopt the
structures for management purposes.
Partners
Senior managers
Managers
Supervisors
Senior trainee students
Junior trainee
Partners are often founders of the firm. Most of the firms names are associated with the names of
the partners. They are basically the main parties who issue and sighn any report (specifically
audit report) on behalf of the firm. Partners mostly communicate with the senior managers. In
other words the progress of any report and any inquiry is made from the managers and hierarchy
structure is strictly followed to avoid any disruption.
Managers are inquired of by the senior managers and mostly managers manage audit field works
etc and after field work managers with cooperation of senior manager makes and finalize any
audit report to be issued. Senior manager is a qualified chartered accountant having more den 10
year working experience.
Field work and information collection and implementation of policies by adopting changes in
rules and regulation is the main responsibility of supervisors and trainess. They use different
kind of techniques for error and fraud detetction.
Sundaram Seshan and Associates is having head office in Navi Mumbai-Vashi. Almost all the
controls and regulations are dealt at head office in vashi.
Types of services
Audit
An audit is a systematic and independent examination of books, accounts, statutory records,
documents and vouchers of an organization to ascertain how far the financial statements as well
as non-financial disclosures present a true and fair view of the concern. It also attempts to ensure
that the books of accounts are properly maintained by the concern as required by law. Auditing
has become such a ubiquitous phenomenon in the corporate and the public sector that academics
started identifying an "Audit Society". The following are the audits done in sundaram seshan and
associates:
1. Company audit:
The firm provide audit service to different companies. The company needs to appoint an auditor
either individual or a firm. The auditor has the right to access the books of holding as well as
subsidiary in relation to consolidation. Auditor can inquire the following matters: a. whether
loans and advances made by the company on the basis of security have been properly secured
and whether the terms on which they have been made are prejudicial to the interests of the
company or its members
b. whether transactions of the company which are represented merely by book entries are
prejudicial to the interests of the company
c. where the company not being an investment company or a banking company, whether so
much of the assets of the company as consist of shares, debentures and other securities have been
sold at a price less than that at which they were purchased by the company
d. whether loans and advances made by the company have been shown as deposits;
f. where it is stated in the books and documents of the company that any shares have been
allotted for cash, whether cash has actually been received in respect of such allotment, and if no
cash has actually been so received, whether the position as stated in the account books and the
balance sheet is correct, regular and not misleading
2. Internal
Tax
Tax audits are conducted to assess the accuracy of the tax returns filed by a company and are
therefore used to determine the amount of any over or under assessment of tax liability towards
the tax authorities.
In some jurisdictions, companies above a certain size are required to have tax audits after regular
intervals while in other jurisdictions random companies are selected for tax audits through the
operation of a balloting system.
External
External audit, also known as financial audit and statutory audit, involves the examination of the
truth and fairness of the financial statements of an entity by an external auditor who is
independent of the organization in accordance with a reporting framework such as the IFRS.
Company law in most jurisdictions requires external audit on annual basis for companies above a
certain size.
The need for an external audit primarily stems from the separation of ownership and control in
large companies in which shareholders nominate directors to run the affairs of the company on
their behalf. As the directors report on the financial performance and position of the company,
shareholders need assurance over the accuracy of the financial statements before placing any
reliance on them. External audit provides reasonable assurance to the owners of the company
that the financial statements, as reported by the directors, are free from material misstatements.
External auditors are required to comply with professional auditing standards such as the
International Standards on Auditing and ethical guidelines such as those issued by IFAC in order
to maintain a level of quality and trust of all stakeholders in the auditing exercise.
Sundaram seshan and associates also do company audit, co-operative society audit and trust
audit. As it believes in team work, few people are appointed from the office to work together.
They try their best to provide quality audit.
Tax
A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed upon a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity)
by a state or the functional equivalent of a state to fund various public expenditures. A failure to
pay, or evasion of or resistance to taxation, is usually punishable by law. Taxes consist
of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as its labour equivalent. Some countries
impose almost no taxation at all, or a very low tax rate for a certain area of taxation.
1. Income tax:
An income tax (IT) return is the tax form or forms used to file income tax with the
Income Tax Department. The tax returnis usually in a predefined worksheet format where
the income figures used to calculate the tax liability are written into the documents
themselves.
The law states that tax returns must be filed every year for an individual or business that received
income during the year, whether through regular income (wages), dividends, interest, capital
gains or other sources.
Tax returns, regardless of whether it relates to an individual or a business, must be filed by a
specific date.
If the return shows excess tax has been paid during a given year, the assesse is eligible for a ‘tax
refund’, subject to the department’s interpretations and calculations.
2.Professional tax
Professional tax is the tax by the state governments in India. Anyone earning an income from
salary or anyone practicing a profession such as chartered accountant, company secretary,
lawyer, doctor etc. are required to pay this professional tax. Different states have different rates
and methods of collection. In India, professional tax is imposed at the state level. However, not
all states impose this tax.
The professional tax is a slab-amount based on the gross income of the professional. It is
deducted from his income every month.
The owner of a business is responsible to deduct professional tax from the salaries of his
employees and pay the amount so collected to the appropriate government department. He/she
has to furnish a return to the tax department in the prescribed form within the specified time. The
return should include the proof of tax payment. In case the payment proof is not enclosed, the
return shall be deemed incomplete and invalid sec 16(iii).
3.Service tax
Service tax is a tax levied by the government on service providers on
certain service transactions, but is actually borne by the customers. It is categorized
under Indirect Tax and came into existence under the Finance Act, 1994.
It was increased to 14% for transactions that happened on or after 1 June 2015 and then
for transactions that occurred on or after 15 Nov 2015, the new Swachh Bharat Cess at
0.5% was also added to the Service Tax. Therefore, the effective rate became 14.5% with
effect from 15 Nov 2015. For transactions that occurred on or after 1 June 2016 this tax is
at 15%.2016 Union budget of India has proposed to impose a cess, called the Krishi
Kalyan Cess, at 0.5% on all taxable services effective from 1 June 2016. The current
service tax is at 15%.
A deductor is required to issue a TDS certificate called form 16 for salaried employees and form
16A for non salaried employees within a specified time.
He has to issue TDS Certificates within one month of the next financial year.
This TDS is required TDS on property is required to be deposited in 30 days from the end of the
month in which deduction is made for all payments to be made on or after 01st June 2016.
Before 01.06.2016 time limit to deposit TDS on property is 7 days from the end of the month in
which deduction is made
Section 194C of Income Tax Act
Section 194C of Income Tax Act - Tax need to be deducted 1% (for individual, HUF)/ 2% (for
others) of payment where payment is made for carrying out any work (including supply of labour
for carrying out any work and advertisements) by a contractor/sub-contractor. Such work must
be in pursuance of a contract (including sub contract) between the contractor and payer. TDS is
to be made at the time of credit to the account of contractor or at the time of payment in cash or
by cheque or draft or by any other mode whichever is earlier.
TDS on Dividends
TDS provisions under this section are attracted only in respect of deemed dividend u/s 2(22)
(e), If such dividend exceeds 2500 in year.
Rate of deduction of tax in respect of such dividend is 10%.
Provisions will not apply to dividend receivable by LIC, GIC(General Insurance
Corporation)
Accounting
Accounting has variously been defined as the keeping or preparation of the financial records of
an entity, the analysis, verification and reporting of such records and "the principles and
procedures of accounting"; it also refers to the job of being an accountant
Accounting can be divided into several fields including financial accounting, management
accounting, auditing, and tax accounting. Accounting information systems are designed to
support accounting functions and related activities. Financial accounting focuses on the reporting
of an organization's financial information, including the preparation offinancial statements, to
external users of the information, such as investors, regulators and suppliers and management
accounting focuses on the measurement, analysis and reporting of information for internal use by
management. The recording of financial transactions, so that summaries of the financials may be
presented in financial reports, is known as bookkeeping, of which double-entry bookkeeping is
the most common system.
Financial accounting:
Financial accounting focuses on the reporting of an organization's financial information to
external users of the information, such as investors, regulators and suppliers. It calculates and
records business transactions and prepares financial statements for the external users in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
Management accounting:
Management accounting focuses on the measurement, analysis and reporting of information that
can help managers in making decisions to fulfil the goals of an organization. In management
accounting, internal measures and reports are based on cost-benefit analysis, and are not required
to follow the generally accepted accounting principle (GAAP).[7] In 2014 CIMA created
the Global Management Accounting Principles
The firm provides accounting services to the company, individual and co-operative society as
well. It uses the modern approach for accounting i.e Tally ERP 9. It’s a software used for the
accounting.
Learning objective
I chose to work with sundaram seshan & associates. During this internship I have learnt many
new skills. Before internship I had only theoretical knowledge about work in organisation but
now I have some practical experience of working in organisation. Now I have knowledge about
the working environment of the organisation and how organisation work and achieve their goals
and objectives.
This internship has given me the understanding of business and also about the elements of
strategic thinking, planning and implementation and how these things are applied in a real world
organisation environment. Following are the objectives that I had in my mind before working as
an internee:
To develop an understanding of the tax software the firm uses to prepare client returns.
Chartered Accountants work in a wide range of business sectors and in a broad spectrum of
roles, from Chief Executives to Financial Controller.
No matter where you live or how the economy is doing, there is going to be a need for
accountants.
It’s a great opportunity to work under a CA, we get knowledge related to tax and how to manage
financial accounts and preparing budget. As a professional with in the field you will likely need
to stay up to date on best practices to be successfu . Accounting provides working
opportunities in all kind of career options.
Work experience
TDS return is summary of all the transaction made during the quarter field in the form of
26Q, 24Q, 27Q by computer readable media on CD ROM/PIN drive as format described
under Income Tax Act.
The person who deducts TDS is liable to furnish eTDS Return. It is mandatory to file TDS
Return within time as given below; otherwise they are liable to pay penalty for non-submitting of
e-TDS Return. The following persons are required to file e-TDS return quarterly.
Company
Persons whose accounts Audited (See limit for Audit of Accounts)
Govt. Officers
Salary
Interest and dividends
Winnings from the lottery
Insurance commission
Rent
Fees from technical and professional services
Payment to contractors and subcontractors
1) TDS Return Software: First of all you need the software to prepare TDS return as the format
given by e-Filing Administrator /Income tax Department. You can find the data format on the
official website of Income Tax Department i.e. www.incometaxindia.gov.in and e-TDS
Intermediary’s website i.e. http://tin.nsdl.com. There is also software to validate the file which is
prepared by TDS software. But you don’t need to download it, if you have purchased the TDS
software from valid vendor. The e-tDS Intermediary (NSDL) has also provided the valid vendor
of TDS soft wares. You can buy online or offline.
All software has its help file to prepare TDS return/statement. As we have experience, all
software required to enter three entries after creation of master of payees/deductee and
payers/deductors.
2) After Preparing and validating the .fvu file (e-TDS file after preparation), it will generate form
27A. You should Printout two copies of 27A.
4) Copy the .fvu file to Pen Drive or burn the CD. But confirm form your nearest TIN
Facilitation centers for facility of Pen drives.
5) Now go to the TIN center with CD/Pen Drive and form 27A.
6) Pay the fee for process of TDS return (Rs.31 up to 100 deductees, Rs. 185 for maximum 1000
and minimum 101 deductees, Rs. 618 for more than 1000 deductees)
7) Now take the provisional receipt from TIN Center and you have done.
Audit vouchers
Voucher is known as the evident for the support of a transaction in the books of account. It may
be bill, receipts, requisition form, agreement, decision, bank paying slip etc.
Objectives Of Vouching
Main objective of vouching is to find out the regularity or irregularity of transactions, frauds and
errors. Regularity means maintaining record and performing the work compliance with the rules,
regulation and law. But irregularity means doing the work crossing to the line of rules, regulation
and laws. Some of the major objectives of vouching are given below:
Some important point when auditing a voucher which a auditor must kept in mind:
1.All the voucher should be consecutively arranged.because if all the vouchers are not
consecutively arranged then lots of time will be lost to find out a specific voucher.
2.A auditor must pay attention to the dates,amount,name of the party who is using the voucher
and to whom the voucher is issued which must be similar with the cash book.
3. He should also check the nature of the payment whether it related to business or not.
4.He should also check where the payment is posted, in revenueor in capital.
6.He should also check that whether Receipted invoice is consider as voucher or not.if not then it
must be consider as voucher there is a danger of payment being made twice.
7.While check the voucher for insurance,rents,taxes ,etc theauditor should notice the period
because sometimes these payment are made in advance,so he should check weather proper
adjustment is made or not.
Journals are adjustment entries, which do not involve Cash account and Bank account. However
in exceptional cases where the user would like to account Journal entries involving Cash/Bank
Account, Tally.ERP 9 has the flexibility of passing such entries by enabling the option under F12
configuration.
Bank reconciliation
Accounting
Before the advent of fast and cheap computers, accounting traditionally was processed manually
with all transactions recorded in columnar papers and kept in voluminous binders. Once
computers became popular and software affordable, accounting tasks moved into this medium,
where concepts stayed the same but mechanics changed from papers to programs.
The most important accounting reports are called the financial statements.
Remember that the word statement, as used in the term financial statements, simply means
a report. So the financial statements are simply financial reports.
The financial statements are prepared from the information in the trial balance
Accounting reports come in various formats and all provide different information. However, they
all have one thing in common: they give useful information about a business (or about an aspect
of the business) to the reader.
The specific stated purpose of the financial statements is to show the reader the financial
position, financial performance and cash flows of a business.
But here's a question - who are the readers or users of the financial statements? Who are these
reports prepared for?Save
Well, the financial statements are like the business scorecard - they show if the business is
doing well or not.
The people who want to see the financial statements are the people that are interested in this
business scorecard - the guys who want to know how well the business is doing and details about
the business income, expenses, assets, etc.
1) Business owners - They have the most direct interest in how well the business is doing. The
better the business performs, the more money they make.
2) Business executives - Managers (people employed by the owners to run the business) will get
fired if the business performs poorly, or get bonuses if it performs well!
3) Investors - Investors are only going to invest in businesses with good scorecards.
4) The bank - They are interested in the financial statements (the business scorecard) of
businesses they have a relationship with. For example, they may want to look at the financial
statements to see how risky it would be to loan money to the business.
5) The government and tax authorities - They want to know that the business is fulfilling their
legal duties, and in particular, that they are paying enough tax! The financial statements give a
good idea of how much tax the business should be paying over.
6) Suppliers - Suppliers want to get paid by the business they are supplying goods to! So they
may want to check the financial statements of the business before they even begin to make any
agreements to trade with them.
7) Employees - Though this is not often the case, an employee may want to know how well the
business is doing so he or she can plan for the future. For example, if the business looks like it
might fall apart soon, the employee would probably want to start looking for another job!
Note that the drawing up of financial statements is a compulsory (legal) obligation for public
companies - companies that are listed on a public stock exchange. Also, after they are finalized,
their financial statements have to be audited (checked by an external auditor). For these
companies the financial statements must be prepared once a year, but the company executives
may also want them prepared more often for internal and other uses. For other types of
corporations such as private companies, it is also customary to prepare the financial statements
annually.
Alright, now that we know what the financial statements are, let's take a look at the first of its
reports, the income statement (also known as the profit and loss report).
INCOME STATEMENT
The income statement is a report showing the profit or loss for a business during a certain period,
as well as the incomes and expenses that resulted in this overall profit or loss. The amount of the
profit or loss for a business during a certain period indicates the financial performance of the
business.
Income Statement Accounting Period
An income statement usually covers a year; however this statement may be drawn up for shorter
periods, such as one month, three months (quarters) or six months. The period of time that is
covered by the income statement (and other financial statements) is called the accounting
period.
A regular 12-month accounting period does not necessarily have to begin on the first day of the
year and end on the last. Accounting periods can, for example, run from March 1st to February
28th, or July 1st to June 31st, etc. The choice of the accounting period rests with the enterprise
itself.
The income statement is drawn up from the figures in the trial balance. Let's look at an
example. Our previous trial balance for George’s Catering is shown below.
We will now take the income and expense items and create a simple income statement:
Note that when we are creating an income statement, we only take the incomes and expenses
from the trial balance, we ignore everything else (assets, liabilities and owners equity).
Budgeted income statements can also be drawn up, showing targeted figures for sales, expenses
and profits. These budgeted figures can then be compared to the actual figures and action can be
taken to rectify any shortfalls.
In the budgeted income statement above, we can see that the actual profit for the period is about
Rs8,500 less than what was planned for. This was due to the income being Rs5,400 less
(Rs100,000 – Rs94,600), and the expenses (such as water and electricity) being greater than
expected.
These budgeted figures would normally be drawn up based on actual figures from past years, but
taking into account any expected future changes. The budgeted figures (and the way these
figures were obtained) could be explained or justified in additional notes to the income
statement.
BALANCE SHEET
The balance sheet shows the balances of assets, liabilities and owner's equity on a particular
day.
The balance sheet thus provides a snapshot of a business at an exact point in time - it shows
the balances of the various accounts on the last day of the reporting period.
(Rs in Cr)
Mar' 16 Mar' 15
SOURCES OF FUNDS
Owners' Fund
Loan Funds
USES OF FUNDS
Fixed Assets
10,479.7
Less : Current Liabilities & Provisions 9,909.28
4
Note
Mar' 16 Mar' 15
Income :
Expenses
Mar' 16 Mar' 15
Speed
The most glaring difference between traditional and computerized accounting is the speed of
operations. With an accounting program, data is entered once and it is saved. The program
provides management with reports in a speed never dreamed possible in the traditional days. No
more waiting days or weeks to know whether your business is making a profit. Using
computerized accounting, information can be accessed in a matter of minutes. Once data is
available in the system, it can be used in reports, queries and analysis.
Accuracy
Computerized systems have drastically increased accuracy of calculations when compared to the
traditional, manual system, in which columns had to be added up, numbers moved from one page
to the next, and trial balance and financial statements manually compiled. If errors occurred,
many hours had to be spent trying to find and correct them. With accounting software, this
problem is eliminated. In the case of accounting spreadsheets, adding simple formulas still may
be needed, but it is an easier and more accurate process. Efficiency goes through the roof when a
computerized system is used.
Costs
The traditional manual accounting system with paper and pencil is cheaper than the
computerized version, in which a firm needs a computer, software, printer and other expenses
associated with a system. The manual system may work for small businesses up to a certain
point, but with the affordable costs of computers and software, many firms are opting for the
computerized system. They are easy to use, and finding experienced employees to run the system
is not a hurdle.
Backups
When using a manual system, the risk of losing data is real. If important papers are damaged or
destroyed, that work may have to be re-created. Copies of the original work can be made, but
that could be expensive and time-consuming. Accounting on a computerized system offers the
choice of saving work on a CD, portable or external hard drive, flash drive, or even online. Many
firms back up data every night as a precaution. If something happens the next day, the data can
be restored from the backup.
Considerations
Using a computerized accounting system keeps all of the information organized and in one place
& dash;the computer hard drive. Finding and accessing information on an accounting software
program is much easier than the traditional method. Specific data can be found using system
functions, which usually include a "find" or ; key. For example, finding information about a
vendor on a manual system could take many steps and significant time. The same process in a
computerized system most likely would yield the information in a snap, with less confusion and
aggravation.
Timing
I have worked in Sundaram Seshan & Associates for the period of 2 months
commencing from 01/04/2016 to 31/05/2016.
5. Learned Experience
To determine if working for an accounting firm is an appropriate goal for me.
Every year legislators twist and tweak tax laws, leaving the average citizen scratching
his head when faced with financial decisions such as selling investment property or
claiming a tax deduction for a home office. Accounting firms stay abreast of the new
tax laws, and many offer financial advice and help individuals and small businesses
develop budgets and set financial goals. Whether you need someone to handle weekly
payroll or you just want reliable tax advice, you’ll be happier with your choice if you
ask some preliminary questions.
Business Specialties
Accountants generally specialize in a few business areas in order to offer clients better service. A
retail tax accountant might not be as much assistance to a farmer as an accountant who
specializes in helping rural and agricultural clients.
Certification
Tax preparation firms hire and train tax preparers to assist the public in filing income taxes, but
these firms can’t offer in-depth advice to small businesses. In general, the greater your
accounting needs, the more you’ll benefit from a general accounting firm that employs certified
public accountants, or CPAs.
Advice
Some accounting firms are quick to offer advice on when to purchase equipment and how to
keep financial records, while other accounting firms compile the necessary financial reports but
offer little feedback. The amount of advice you need or want depends upon your financial
knowledge and experience. If you need a lot of help, select a firm that offers in-depth financial
counseling.
Level of Service
If you need complete bookkeeping services, look for a full-service accounting firm that employs
bookkeepers who handle day-to-day client transactions. An accounting firm that does not employ
bookkeepers will charge more if a CPA handles routine bookkeeping tasks.
Availability
Some clients are content to meet with their accounting firm once a year for tax-filing purposes.
Others clients have frequent business questions that require timely answers. Find out if your
accountant is a phone call away or if you'll have to schedule a time to come into the office and
talk in person.
Personal Connection
You can hire the highest-priced accounting firm in town, but if you don’t feel comfortable
discussing your finances, you aren’t getting the service you need. If the accountant talks in terms
you don’t understand or if you feel intimidated, look for a different firm.
Goal Setting
Some accountants offer to help clients set goals and monitor financial progress, which can be
very helpful if you’re just starting out in business. Find out the firm’s policy on goal setting and
if you’ll be charged an additional fee for the service.
Audit Support
When the Internal Revenue Service comes knocking, it’s reassuring to know that your
accountant will be right by your side. IRS audits are a way of life for some small-business
owners and individual taxpayers, but facing an audit is a stressful situation. Some accounting
firms offer their own offices for audit purposes and provide an accountant to represent your
interests.
To study the methods of cost accounting used by this firm.
The accountant keeps all of the business transactions of a sole proprietorship separate from the
business owner's personal transactions. For legal purposes, a sole proprietorship and its owner
are considered to be one entity, but for accounting purposes they are considered to be two
separate entities.
Economic activity is measured in U.S. dollars, and only transactions that can be expressed in
U.S. dollars are recorded.
Because of this basic accounting principle, it is assumed that the dollar's purchasing power has
not changed over time. As a result accountants ignore the effect of inflation on recorded
amounts. For example, dollars from a 1960 transaction are combined (or shown) with dollars
from a 2015 transaction.
This accounting principle assumes that it is possible to report the complex and ongoing activities
of a business in relatively short, distinct time intervals such as the five months ended May 31,
2015, or the 5 weeks ended May 1, 2015. The shorter the time interval, the more likely the need
for the accountant to estimate amounts relevant to that period. For example, the property tax bill
is received on December 15 of each year. On the income statement for the year ended December
31, 2014, the amount is known; but for the income statement for the three months ended March
31, 2015, the amount was not known and an estimate had to be used.
4. Cost Principle
From an accountant's point of view, the term "cost" refers to the amount spent (cash or the cash
equivalent) when an item was originally obtained, whether that purchase happened last year or
thirty years ago. For this reason, the amounts shown on financial statements are referred to
as historical cost amounts.
Because of this accounting principle asset amounts are not adjusted upward for inflation. In fact,
as a general rule, asset amounts are not adjusted to reflect any type of increase in value. Hence,
an asset amount does not reflect the amount of money a company would receive if it were to sell
the asset at today's market value. (An exception is certain investments in stocks and bonds that
are actively traded on a stock exchange.) If you want to know the current value of a company's
long-term assets, you will not get this information from a company's financial statements–you
need to look elsewhere, perhaps to a third-party appraiser.
If certain information is important to an investor or lender using the financial statements, that
information should be disclosed within the statement or in the notes to the statement. It is
because of this basic accounting principle that numerous pages of "footnotes" are often attached
to financial statements.
This accounting principle assumes that a company will continue to exist long enough to carry out
its objectives and commitments and will not liquidate in the foreseeable future. If the company's
financial situation is such that the accountant believes the company will not be able to continue
on, the accountant is required to disclose this assessment.
The going concern principle allows the company to defer some of its prepaid expenses until
future accounting periods.
7. Matching Principle
Under the accrual basis of accounting (as opposed to the cash basis of accounting), revenues are
recognized as soon as a product has been sold or a service has been performed, regardless of
when the money is actually received. Under this basic accounting principle, a company could
earn and report $20,000 of revenue in its first month of operation but receive $0 in actual cash in
that month.
9. Materiality
10. Conservatism
If a situation arises where there are two acceptable alternatives for reporting an item,
conservatism directs the accountant to choose the alternative that will result in less net income
and/or less asset amount. Conservatism helps the accountant to "break a tie." It does not direct
accountants to be conservative. Accountants are expected to be unbiased and objective.