Bookkeeping Books for Reference
Top 5 Bookkeeping Books
Are looking for bookkeeping books to assist your small business accounts? Take a look at our top 5 books. I keep a selection of books to help in research for articles, guides for clients and continuing professional development.
There is lots of information on the internet about accounting and bookkeeping, but sometimes having everything in one place is helpful. You can also look at a book while having the internet open.
All the links are for Amazon UK but are all available in other countries as well. Our first book is our go-to book.
1. Practical Accounts & Bookkeeping – In Easy Steps
It is a great book to get you started. It includes lots of examples and easy to read text. Each section is broken down and guides you through step by step. It builds up to the balance sheet and profit and loss account.
It is a basic book and aimed more at the beginner, if you are looking for something more advanced then Accounting for non-Accountants or Fank Woods Business accounting is recommended.
2. Bookkeeping and Accounting for Dummies
It is six books in one and covers everything from getting started to managing your own business and preparing financial statements. Each section is explained well in a clear language and broken down into small parts.
It includes lots of worked examples, including Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet.
One advantage of this book is that if you have read the for Dummies books, you will recognise the format.
3. Accounts Demystified: The Astonishingly Simple Guide
It is another book written for people without a financial background and has sold over 100,000 books worldwide.
The author is not an accountant but has explained everything in a way that a business owner can understand. There is also a website that accompanies the book, giving more examples and a quiz.
4. The Finance Book: Understand the numbers
This book is more about the financial side of the business. It breaks everything down into small sections and explains it well. It covers budgeting, ratios, cash management and profitability.
If you are starting it is probably not the book for you, but it is useful for understanding the financials of a small business.
5. Frank Wood's Book-keeping and Accounts
Frank Wood’s books are aimed more for students and are one of the books I used for studying AAT. Although it is in-depth, it is also well laid out and easy to understand. Throughout the book are exercises to help with revision.
The book is used in the study for Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB), A-Level Accounting, Oxford Cambridge and Royal Society of Arts (OCR), and as a general foundation text for personnel employed in the accountancy profession.
These are my top 5 bookkeeping books. There are other books that I also refer to for small business and may assist your understanding of finance and running your business.
The Financial Times Guide to Business Start-Up
If you are starting a new business, then this is the book for you. It takes you step by step in explaining how to set up a business from initial research to forecasting, taxation, VAT and Insurance. The book is updated each year, so you know the information is up to date.
Starting and Running a Business All-in-One For Dummies
It is another excellent book to read to help you start in business and is in a format that most people recognise. It includes nine books – Laying the groundwork, sorting out your finances, finding and managing staff, keeping on top of the books, marketing and advertising, growing and improving your business and becoming a great manager.
There are many other bookkeeping books available, it is also worth reading our bookkeeping basics section.
There are lots of online guides; our favourite one is the accounting coach. It includes both free and paid-for courses and can include certificates of achievement.
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