What is the difference between book-keeping and accounting, book-keeper and accountant?

Some people confuse a book-keeper with an accountant and book-keeping with accounting. Meanwhile the distinction between them is significant enough. Book-keeping is one of the minor parts of the whole of accounting.

It can be defined as the procedure used in recording business transactions. Book-keeping is justly said to require only minimal knowledge of accounting. In fact, it is the routine and clerical side of accounting/ A book-keeper is known to record the repeated and uncomplicated transactions to business. In contrast the accountant is a professional who is competent in analyzing accounting information, systems design and financial advising.

To put it differently, an accountant should be particularly interested in the relationship between the financial results and events which have created them. Apart from that he is believed to study the various alternatives open to the business. In a word, he is thought to use accounting experience to help the management in decision- making. As a rule, there are two essential questions that the managers or owners of a business want to know: first, whether or not the business will be able to meet its commitments. Therefore, the accountant’s role in business activity is difficult to overestimate. As for the book-keeper, his function is that of a clerk working in a finance department. A person might become a proficient book-keeper in a few weeks or months. To become a professional accountant, however, is a far greater challenge. It requires years of study, experience and an ongoing commitment, to keeping current.

Vocabulary study

1. to record – записывать, регистрировать

record - запись, регистрация; pl учетные записи, документы, регистры;

to keep records – вести записи (учета)

make/keep (kept; kept) держать, содержать, вести (о записях)

record –keeping – ведение записи (учета).

2. diverse – различный; diverse in nature – разнообразный по характеру

3. basically – в основном, по существу

4. to deal (with smth) - иметь дело

5. to summarize – суммировать, подводить итог

6. to verify - проверять, контролировать, удостоверять, подтверждать

7. transaction –операция, сделка; business transactions- деловые операции; accounting transactions - бухгалтерские операции

8. account- счет; account books-бухгалтерские книги

9. to examine -обследовать, проверять, изучать; examine accounts-проверять счета (отчетность)

10. to provide - предоставлять, снабжать, обеспечивать; to provide information-предоставлять информацию

11. supply - поступление, поставка; to supply- поставлять, доставлять

12. to be available – быть в наличии, иметься

13. performance -выполнение обязанностей

14. prompt – быстрый; promptly – быстро

15. tedious- скучный, монотонный, длительный

16. to devise – разрабатывать, придумывать

17. to assess - оценивать, давать оценку

18. to enable – делать возможным создавать

19. to contribute - вкладывать, вносить; contribution-вклад; to make contribution-делать вклад, вносить

20. to promote – способствовать

21. to mould – формировать

22. momentous – имеющий важное значение, серьезный

23. uncertainty - неопределенность, неясность

24. to be inherent (in smth) – быть присущим, свойственным (чему-либо).

Контролировать to check, to control, to monitor

1. а) to check – контролировать, проверять.

Have you checked the figures on the invoice? Вы проверяли цифры в счете-фактуре?

We regularly check the activity of accounting department. Мы регулярно контролируем (проверяем) работу бухгалтерии.

b) to check (on smth) проверять, выяснять, убеждаться (в чем-либо)

~ on the past experience of the applicants for the post of chief accountant – выяснить уровень квалификации претендентов на должность главного бухгалтера ; ~ on the facts – проверять факты.

с) to check (with smth) – сличать, сверять (с чем-либо)

Let’s check the figures in his report with those in the book.

Давайте сверим цифры из его отчета с цифрами из учетного регистра.

2. а) to control –управлять, руководить, регулировать; ~prices – регулировать цены.

He knows how to control people.

Он умеет руководить людьми.

b) to control – контролировать, проверять; ~accounts –проверять счета

Accountants usually control and analyze accounts before selecting only meaningful information for the presentation to the management.

Бухгалтеры обычно проверяют и анализируют отчеты, перед тем, как выбрать существенную информацию для предоставления руководству.

3. monitor-контролировать (наблюдать)регулярно

We monitor the work of reorganizing accounting department very carefully.

Мы тщательно контролируем работу по реорганизации бухгалт. отдела.

PRACTICE 1. Re-read the text to answer the following questions. Note that some of the questions have answers in the text and some haven’t.

1. What is the main task of accountants?

2. What exactly attracts lots of young people to the field of accounting?

3. What is the key problem facing accounts?

4. What changes have taken place in accountings?

5. What does the modern accountant look like?

6. What changes should be introduced in accounting education?

7. Why does the accountant begin to play an increasingly important role in business activity?

8. What is the influence of accounting information on economic growth of a country and economic thinking?

9. What qualities should people acquire by education and experience to be good accountants?

10. What is the difference between book-keeping and accounting,

book-keeper and accountant?

EXERCISE 1 Найдите русские эквиваленты английским словам в левой колонке.

1. nature 1) десяток

2. analyze 2) выбирать

3. figures 3) представлять

4. information 4) статус

5. select 5) легенда

6. present 6) функция

7. status 7) роль

8. function 8) современный

9. legend 9) информация

10. role 10) анализировать

11. decade 11) природа, характер

12. modern 12) цифры

4