Elements Of The Accounting System : Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable

ACCOUNT PAYABLE

Whom do you owe? Keep track with the accounts payable ledger, The accounts payable subledger is similar to that used to track accounts receivable. The difference is that accounts payable occur when you purchase inventory or other assets on credit from a supplier.
It is important to track accounts payable in a timely manner to ensure that you know how much you owe each supplier and when payment is due.

Many a good supplier relationship has been damaged due to a sloppy accounts payable system. Also, if your suppliers offer discounts for payment within 10 days of invoice, a good automated accounts payable system will alert you when to pay to maximize the discounts earned.

ACCOUNT RECEIVABLE

Who owes you? Keep track with an accounts receivable ledger, If you plan to sell goods or services on account in your business, you will need a method of tracking who owes you how much and when it is due. This is where the accounts receivable subledger comes in. If you will be selling to a number of different customers, then an automated system is a must.

A good bookkeeping software system will allow you to set up subledgers for each customer. So when a sale is made on account, you can track it specifically to the customer. This is essential to ensure that billing and collection are done in a timely manner.