The accounting department is responsible for various crucial duties in an organization. Some of its responsibilities include creating the payroll, billings, financial statements, cost accounting, and paying suppliers. It plays a vital role in tracking the expenses and revenue of the organization and ensuring compliance with all statutory requirements. The organization should ensure that the accounting department has all the tools and resources to perform its roles effectively and efficiently. Here are six things to introduce to your accounting department
Accounting Software
Accounting software helps to easily manage your business’ daily transactions and track income, liabilities, expenses, and assets. It also helps to calculate account totals, create financial reports and statements, store digital copies of documents and receipts, and reconcile bank accounts. You can opt for accounting software that can integrate with your payroll software, allowing you to get all the information without entering the data manually.
You can also introduce cloud accounting software that enables you to access your account anywhere anytime. Members of the accounting department only need an internet connection to change or add anything to the accounts. This ensures that the department is running smoothly and saves time. You can also integrate your accounting software with a final expense underwriting tool to save time underwriting for multiple carriers.
Invoicing Software
Invoicing software comes in handy, especially if your accounting software lacks invoicing capabilities. It facilitates effective and efficient customer payment collection and improves the speed around the department. You can use the software to create a uniform template for all your invoices to dispatch invoices quickly. It all keeps digital copies of all the invoices for quick reference.
Business Bank Accounts
Creating separate bank accounts for your accounting department is essential in tracking business transactions. This will allow you to organize your financial records and make accurate deductions. You can have various business account signers and accept credit card payments when you have a business bank account. It also fosters a relationship with the bank that works to your advantage when taking a loan. Business bank accounts also give you a professional appearance to clients and suppliers.
Business Credit Cards
Separating your bank account from personal accounts means you can have separate credit cards. Business credit cards allow you to maintain correct tax fillings and financial records. They also make tracking tax-deductible expenses easier since you won’t use business credit card statements to purchase personal items. Business credit cards make it easier to prove to the IRS that your purchases are for business purposes only. They also have other benefits, including higher spending limits for your business operations.
Financial Calendar
The accounting department handles many tasks, with some having strict deadlines. Accountants also attend various meetings that can push crucial financial deadlines down the priority list or eventually forget about them. A financial calendar lets you mark important dates and tasks that you cannot afford to miss.
You can have online calendars installed on the computers or have a physical copy placed on the desks. Online calendars can be linked to smartphones or email to send alerts and reminders as you approach the deadlines. Some of the essential things to mark in your calendar include departmental meetings, IRS due dates, or days to compile financial documents.
Accountants
Even with the increased automation in the accounting department, you still need accountants. It’s crucial you ensure that your accounting department has sufficient accountants to deal with all the transactions and the functions. The number of accountants in the department will depend on the size of your organization.
Accountants help make critical financial decisions for the business. They can analyze the books of accounts and develop new strategies to make the department more efficient and effective. Accountants perform various tasks around the office, including filling and depositing taxes, organizing accounting books, and offering financial advice. They also help in creating your budget and prevent common budgeting errors.
These items will help improve your accounting department and help you manage your business finances more effectively. They can help your business grow and become more profitable since accounts will be more productive. These tools can help you prevent errors, save time and protect sensitive accounting data from unauthorized third parties. They can also facilitate easy sharing of financial documents and promote integration.