Certificate in Bookkeeping Course Guide

This course will provide an overview of the accounting equation and the basic principles underlying the double entry system of accounting. It will include but not be limited to the function and purpose of accounting and its key concepts, a look at the principal qualitative characteristics and their effect on financial statements, and the basic and expanded accounting equation and its connection to the double-entry method of accounting. 

This course will take a close look at the difference between the general journal and the general ledger, the chart of accounts, and fundamental rules in respect of when to debit or credit an account. It will include but not be limited to the definition and purpose of general journals, account categories, and how to prepare journal entries. 

This course will provide an introduction to the General Ledger and the Trial Balance, and will include but not be limited to the process of posting source journals to the general ledger, how to calculate closing balances of general ledger accounts, as well as the purpose of a trial balance and how to prepare one. 

This course will provide an introduction and overview of depreciation and will include but not be limited to the purpose of depreciation, how to calculate depreciation and the different calculation methods, as well as how to prepare journal entries using the straight-line method or the diminishing balance method. 

This course will provide an introduction to cash basis and accruals basis accounting concepts, and will include but not be limited to the purpose of adjusting entries, the key adjusting entries that need to be made at the end of the financial year, and how to interpret and prepare the balance day adjustments for a range of adjusting entries.

This course will take a close look at the purpose of financial statements, and will include but not be limited to the Profit & Loss Statement and the Balance Sheet and how to prepare these statements, the purpose of inventory and the two common inventory systems, how to prepare journal entries, and how to calculate the year-end stock adjustment.

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of Value Added Tax (VAT) with regards to small businesses. It will include but not be limited to the key terms and concepts used when dealing with VAT, how to complete simple VAT calculations, and the requirements for registering for VAT, invoicing, record keeping, filing and paying VAT.

This course will take a look at the fundamentals of payroll with regards to small businesses, with a focus on the employer responsibilities and obligations towards the various employee types. It will include but not be limited to termination and minimal notice periods, the four methods of calculating PAYE, benefits in kind and a look at the Universal Social Charge (USC) and who it applies to.

This course is comprised of two sections. The first section provides an introduction to online accounts software Sage One and will include but not be limited to how to create a company in Sage, how to record products and services and how to prepare invoices. The second section will provide an introduction to the basics of working with Quickbooks Essentials, including but not limited to how to create a company in QuickBooks, how to import transactions, prepare invoices, and customise and export reports.

This course will provide an overview of how to use Xero, including but not limited to the benefits of using Xero and cloud computing, Bank Reconciliation & Managing Accounts in Xero, Xero Sales, Invoicing, Quotes & Inventory, plus Purchase & Bills.

This course will take a close look at the preparation of budgets, forecasts and cash flow management, including but not limited to the purpose of a budget and forecast, the importance and advantages of budgeting, how to prepare a budget and how to compare actual results with analyse variances as well as a look at the cash conversion cycle.

This course will provide an introduction to the fundamentals of Microsoft Excel, including but not limited to the key functions within the software including formulas, functions and data manipulation, how to add content to spreadsheets as well as formatting styles.