You found our list of bookkeeping books!
Bookkeeping books are manuals that explain the principles of bookkeeping. These books serve as instructional guides for bookkeepers or small business owners who need to keep track of their business transactions. Examples include Bookkeeping for Dummies by Lita Epstein, Mastering QuickBooks by Crystalynn Shelton, CPA, and Bookkeeping: Step by Step Guide to Bookkeeping Principles & Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business by Mark Smith. In addition, these books contain terminology and examples of how to set up accounts, which are helpful for new bookkeepers just getting started and experienced bookkeepers encountering unexpected situations.
These books are similar to accounting books, payroll books and tax books.
This list includes:
- bookkeeping books for beginners
- bookkeeping books for small businesses
- bookkeeping business books
- bookkeeping training books
Here is the list!
List of bookkeeping books
Whether you are a business owner setting up your accounts for the first time or a bookkeeper searching for a solution to an unexpected problem, these bookkeeping books can provide helpful answers.
1. Bookkeeping For Dummies by Lita Epstein
For amateur bookkeepers, Bookkeeping for Dummies by Lita Epstein takes a simplified approach to explaining crucial bookkeeping concepts. Business owners looking to handle their own bookkeeping tasks will find clear instructions for setting up ledgers and journals and examples of how to prepare vital reports and manage taxes. Each chapter breaks down the requirements for small business record-keeping and includes screenshots and sample spreadsheets for visual guidance. There are helpful suggestions for better management of your company’s cash through effective bookkeeping. With simple explanations and clear examples, Bookkeeping For Dummies is one of the more helpful bookkeeping books for beginners to add to their collections.
2. QuickBooks Online for Beginners by Thomas Newton
QuickBooks is essential bookkeeping software, but understanding how it works can be tricky. QuickBooks Online for Beginners by Thomas Newton takes the guesswork out of this helpful program by providing a step-by-step guide for setting up your own customized QuickBooks bookkeeping system. Adding bookkeeping to the list of business tasks can complicate a business owner’s life. This book attempts to simplify the process and is one of the more essential bookkeeping books for small businesses. References include a helpful how-to list with instructions for crucial tasks, such as connecting your bank accounts to QuickBooks and setting up your payroll. There are even instructions for correcting common mistakes in the day-to-day processing of your bookkeeping entries.
Buy QuickBooks Online for Beginners.
3. Bookkeeping: Step by Step Guide to Bookkeeping Principles & Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business by Mark Smith
Business owners without a financial background often struggle to grasp bookkeeping and accounting concepts. In this detailed guide, author Mark Smith explains important topics in easy-to-understand language. One of the more critical topics the author covers is the double-entry accounting method. This method keeps accounts in balance by pairing every debit entry in one account with a corresponding credit entry in an offsetting account. Readers can also learn how to handle assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity. In addition, the author explains the need to keep source documents to support account entries, a vital practice even for businesses using electronic bookkeeping systems. The book also details crucial month-end and year-end processes for clean and accurate closing of the books.
Buy Bookkeeping: Step by Step Guide to Bookkeeping Principles & Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business.
4. Beyond Bookkeeping: How to Partner with Your Clients, Add Tremendous Value, and Build a Profitable Business That Matters by Lisa Campbell
If you are searching for bookkeeping business books that can help advance your business, then this insightful title will provide guidance for using your knowledge to take your company to the next level. Author Lisa Campbell shares her secrets for partnering with small business clients to help their companies become more successful. You can learn to position yourself for success by becoming an advisor to your clients. The author explains how systemizing your work to make bookkeeping functions flow smoother can make you more efficient and improve the customer experience. There are also explanations of how specialized knowledge of cash flow can position you as a valuable resource for clients hoping to gain better control over their company’s finances.
5. Bookkeeping: An Essential Guide to Bookkeeping for Beginners along with Basic Accounting Principles by Robert McCarthy
Business owners wondering about the difference between bookkeeping and accounting can consult Bookkeeping by Robert McCarthy. The author understands the complexity of maintaining financial records in a modern business setting. Small businesses can use the author’s knowledge and save money by bringing their bookkeeping in-house. The book includes comparisons of manual versus computerized bookkeeping, a guide for setting up your bookkeeping system, and explanations of crucial reports such as income statements and balance sheets. In addition, a helpful appendix provides a list of standard bookkeeping and accounting terminology for on-the-job reference.
Buy Bookkeeping: An Essential Guide to Bookkeeping for Beginners along with Basic Accounting Principles.
6. Xero: A Comprehensive Guide for Accountants and Bookkeepers by Amanda Aguillard
Xero is a popular online accounting software that allows businesses cloud-based tracking of transactions. Bookkeepers using the U.S. version of Xero can learn how to set up accounts and record transactions in Amanda Aguillard’s handy guide. You can also explore basic bookkeeping functions and read through the author’s recommended best practices to help you maximize Xero’s capabilities. If your company uses other cloud-based business software, then you can learn how to integrate those programs with your Xero setup. This book also includes helpful templates for invoices, bills, and vital financial reports.
Buy Xero: A Comprehensive Guide for Accountants and Bookkeepers
7. Nonprofit Bookkeeping and Accounting For Dummies by Sharon Farris
Nonprofit Bookkeeping and Accounting For Dummies by Sharon Farris takes a dedicated approach to bookkeeping procedures specific to nonprofit-based companies. Bookkeepers can learn to plan budgets and create payroll accounts to make tax reporting a cinch. The author lists what to do and what not to do when handling grant money, including specific instructions for applying for grants and best practices for filing IRS 990 forms. Helpful tips regarding what you should do during a tax audit will take the guesswork out of the process, a handy resource should your nonprofit undergo an audit.
Buy Nonprofit Bookkeeping and Accounting For Dummies.
8. Mastering QuickBooks by Crystalynn Shelton, CPA
When you understand how to use QuickBooks to the best of its capabilities, you can rest assured that your books are accurate and complete. Mastering QuickBooks by Crystalynn Shelton, CPA, helps you gain the expertise needed to maintain control of your business’s finances. As a CPA and Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, author Shelton lends her expertise to help set up and maintain your accounts. With a focus on the online version of the software, even experienced QuickBooks users will find helpful information on advanced concepts and functions. As a bonus, the Kindle version of the book includes helpful links that provide quick and easy access to the necessary websites for getting your accounts up and running, entering transactions, and producing reports.
Buy Mastering QuickBooks.
9. Bookkeeping Made Simple: A Practical, Easy-to-Use Guide to the Basics of Financial Management by David A. Flannery
Bookkeeping Made Simple is the helping hand new bookkeepers need. The author follows a complete accounting cycle and explains bookkeeping terminology to clarify the main concepts. For example, readers can learn about cash control and how to prepare statements in a chapter layout that follows the accounting period from start to finish. Valuable advanced concepts such as depreciation and calculating interest appear in later chapters. These more complex accounting functions can make it easier for bookkeepers to expand their skills as their business grows.
Buy Bookkeeping Made Simple: A Practical, Easy-to-Use Guide to the Basics of Financial Management.
10. Bookkeeping for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nonprofit Accounting by Murray Dropkin and James Halpin
Bookkeeping for Nonprofits explains concepts specific to nonprofit organizations. Topics range from entering transactions accurately to how bookkeeping and accounting overlap. Illustrations and checklists let readers make sure they understand key concepts. With easy-to-understand language and in-depth explanations of all necessary bookkeeping functions, this guide assists with day-to-day financial tasks that will help nonprofit leaders make essential budgeting decisions to guide their organizations toward success.
Buy Bookkeeping for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nonprofit Accounting.
11. Master Intuit QuickBooks Online: From Setup to Tax Time by Alicia Katz Pollack
The online version of QuickBooks uses the power of the cloud to keep small businesses up to date with their bookkeeping work. In Master Intuit QuickBooks Online, readers can get guidance regarding tools and menus they will encounter when using the program. The author gives a rundown of the most common mistakes bookkeepers encounter and explains solutions to help users avoid similar errors. The best practices and procedures described in these pages come from real-world experience, providing important insight into situations users are likely to encounter.
Buy Master Intuit QuickBooks Online: From Setup to Tax Time.
12. Xero for Dummies by Heather Smith
This manual on popular bookkeeping software is the only book endorsed by Xero, which makes it an excellent choice for new users. Author Heather Smith simplifies setup and maintenance on Xero-based accounts. You can find instructions for converting to Xero from other software and importing existing data for the initial setup. Bookkeepers can learn basic tasks like setting up accounts, running reports, and utilizing templates for easier email communication. Chapters covering fixed assets and multi-currency transactions help clarify more complex topics. You can even find explanations of reporting to various international tax authorities and keep an updated overview of your financial position.
Buy Xero for Dummies.
13. Bookkeeping Essentials: How to Succeed as a Bookkeeper by Steven M. Bragg
In Bookkeeping Essentials, author Steven M. Bragg offers a textbook-style reference guide for new and experienced bookkeepers. Early chapters provide concise definitions for concepts such as balance sheets, accounting cycles, and accrual accounting methods. By including helpful charts and concrete examples of various transactions, the author provides visual aids to help the reader to understand how to process their entries. A useful index in the back of the book simplifies your search for crucial subjects as new transactions arise, making this title a great ongoing resource for bookkeepers to include in their collection of bookkeeping training books.
Buy Bookkeeping Essentials: How to Succeed as a Bookkeeper.
14. 475 Tax Deductions for Businesses and Self-Employed Individuals: An A-to-Z Guide to Hundreds of Tax Write-Offs by Bernard B. Kamoroff C.P.A.
Bookkeepers working for small businesses and self-employed workers can learn how to claim overlooked tax deductions with 475 Tax Deductions for Businesses and Self-Employed Individuals. Author Bernard B. Kamaroff explains the benefits of deducting every allowable penny can and helps identify a wide range of deductions you may not have realized the IRS permitted. Early chapters include definitions of key terms and explanations of the various types of deductions, making it easier to understand how to be strategic when preparing tax filings. The remainder of the book is a handy list of deductions that can help business owners and bookkeepers retain as much money as possible at tax time.
15. DIY Small Business Bookkeeping the Easy Way: Learn How to Master Financial Statements, P&L Statements, Cash Flow, Balance Sheets, Ledgers, Journals & More by Simon Lawrence
Author Simon Lawrence provides easy methods for bookkeepers and small business owners to keep track of their financial records. Lawrence explains the functions of bookkeepers and accountants and details why business owners should have bookkeeping and accounting knowledge even if hiring others to perform those services. Chapters include visual guides for helpful reference, along with tips and tricks to help make bookkeeping work easier. With in-depth examinations of financial statements and step-by-step instructions for creating and maintaining a budget, readers have a detailed yet comprehensible bookkeeping manual.
16. Bookkeeping and Accounting for Beginners: 2 Books in 1: The Definitive Guide to Learn How to Organize and Grow your Small Business for 2020 Step-by-Step by Warren Piper Ruell
Bookkeeping and Accounting for Beginners combines two complete titles into a single book that gives readers a comprehensive overview of small business financial functions. Book One breaks down the bookkeeping process and provides an essential guide for setting up an accounting system. Book Two explores high-level topics such as the difference between cash and accrual accounting and highlights important accounting principles for bookkeepers and business owners to keep in mind. Both titles together provide an insightful guide that gives bookkeepers and business owners a manual for creating a bookkeeping system based on sound accounting principles.
Conclusion
Small business owners looking to tackle their bookkeeping work can find a selection of bookkeeping books that explain fundamental concepts and processes. If in-house bookkeepers are unfamiliar with bookkeeping software, then manuals focusing on mastering cloud-based and desktop programs can help with setup and ongoing maintenance. In addition, bookkeepers can learn advanced concepts from these books to help build their bookkeeping business or expand their clientele.
Next, check out this list of bookkeeping software and this one with accounting software.
We also have a list of the best tax preparation software and one with software for payroll.
FAQ: Bookkeeping books
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about bookkeeping books.
What are bookkeeping books?
Bookkeeping books are guides that clarify the process of bookkeeping. Many of these guides include step-by-step instructions for setting up accounts and entering transactions. You can also find manuals focusing on the proper use of QuickBooks and Xero, the most common bookkeeping programs used by small business bookkeepers.
What are the best books on bookkeeping for a small business?
The best books on bookkeeping for a small business include QuickBooks Online for Beginners by Thomas Newton, which introduces new bookkeepers to necessary software, and Bookkeeping: Step by Step Guide to Bookkeeping Principles & Basic Bookkeeping for Small Business by Mark Smith, a guide that leads novice bookkeepers through the process of recording transactions and producing reports. For nonprofit organizations, Nonprofit Bookkeeping and Accounting For Dummies by Sharon Farris and Bookkeeping for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nonprofit Accounting by Murray Dropkin and James Halpin contain helpful information and special instructions for filing taxes, and processing grant money.
What are good books on the basics of bookkeeping?
Some good books on the basics of bookkeeping are Bookkeeping For Dummies by Lita Epstein and Bookkeeping Made Simple by David A. Flannery. These titles explain bookkeeping fundamentals in simple language. The concepts covered range from account setup through year-end reporting, providing a comprehensive view of the bookkeeping process, and explaining how accounting and bookkeeping differ.
