SOP
SOP
Accounting plays a vital role in running a business because it helps you track income
and expenditures, ensure statutory compliance, and provide investors, management,
and government with quantitative financial information which can be used in making
business decisions. The primary role of accounting is to maintain a systematic, accurate
and complete record of all financial transactions of a business. These records are the
backbone of the accounting system. Business owners should be able to retrieve and
review the transactions whenever required. Business owners need to plan how they
allocate their limited resources including labor, machinery, equipment and cash towards
accomplishing the objectives of the business. An important component of business
management, budgeting and planning enable businesses to plan ahead by anticipating
the needs and resources. This helps in the coordination of different segments of an
organization.
Early 2000 witnessed a series of accounting frauds in the United States involving major
companies like Enron, WorldCom and some other entities and Auditing firm Arthur
Andersen. In these cases, independent auditor failed to report illegal accounting
practices. Such accounting fraud and scandals resulted in the fall of Arthur Andersen.
Post such scandal Sarbanes and Oxley Act was introduced in the United States of
America. This act requires top management of an enterprise to certify the correctness of
financial statements, auditor’s independence and formation of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) among other things.
Similar accounting fraud was witnessed in India in January 2008 when Satyam
Computer Managing Director publicly accepted that he along with top management and
independent auditors had fudged books of accounts of the company over several years.