Learn how to enter closing journal entries to end one accounting period and start another from a practicing CPA, CGMA, CPI, with a Masters of Science in Taxation (US TAX based).
The financial accounting closing process is the final step in the accounting cycle. We will learn why the closing process is needed and be able to perform the closing process in multiple ways.
In addition to instructional video, this course will include downloadable
• Downloadable PDF Files
• Excel Practice Files
• Multiple Choice Practice Questions
• Short Calculation Practice Questions
• Discussion Questions
The PDF files allow us to download reference information we can use offline and as a guide to help us work through the material.
Excel practice files will be preformatted so that we can focus on the adjusting process and learning some of the basics of Excel, like addition, subtraction, and cell relationships.
Multiple choice example question helps us improve our test-taking skills by reducing the information into the size and format of multiple-choice questions and discussing how to approach these questions.
Short calculation questions help us reduce problems that have some calculation down to a short format that could be used in multiple-choice questions.
Discussion Question will provide an opportunity to discuss these topics with the instructor and other students, a process many students find very helpful because it allows us to see the topic from different viewpoints.
As indicated by the title, the closing process takes place at the end of the accounting cycle. The main event of the accounting cycle is the financial statements. Once we have completed the financial statements we need to get ready for the next accounting period, get ready with the closing process.
The closing process will zero out temporary accounts including income statement accounts of revenue and expenses and the draws or dividends account.
We can perform the closing process in multiple ways. We will consider the closing process from three perspectives. Each perspective has pros and cons and the repetition of each method as well as performing the closing process from multiple angles will provide a solid understanding of the concepts.
Understanding the closing process helps us understand the concept of temporary accounts and permanent accounts, which helps us understand the relationship between the financial statements and how to read them.
CPA, CGMA, M.S. Tax, CPI
Through working with students from many different schools, Mr. Steele has learned best practices for helping people understand accounting fast. Learning new skills and finding the best way to share knowledge with people who can benefit from it is a passion of his. Mr. Steele has experience working as a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA), an accounting and business instructor, and curriculum developer. He has enjoyed putting together quality tools to improve learning and has been teaching, making instructional resources, and building curriculum since 2009. He has been a practicing CPA since 2005. Mr. Steele is a practicing CPA, has a Certified Post-Secondary Instructor (CPI) credential, a Master of Science in taxation from Golden Gate University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in accounting from The University of California Santa Barbara, and a Global Management Accounting Designation (CGMA) from The American Institute of CPA (AICPA). Mr. Steele has also authored five books that can be found on Amazon or in audiobook format on Audible. He has developed bestselling courses in accounting topics including financial accounting and QuickBooks accounting software. In addition to working as an accountant, teaching, and developing courses Mr. Steele has helped create an accounting website at accountinginstruction, a YouTube channel called Accounting Instruction, Help, and How Too, and has developed supplemental resources including a Facebook Page, Twitter Page, and Podcasts that can be found on I-tunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. Mr. Steele's teaching philosophy is to make content applicable, understandable, and accessible. Adult learners are looking for application when they learn new skills. In other words, learners want to be able to apply skills in the real world to help their lives. Mr. Steele’s formal accounting education, practical work experience, and substantial teaching experience allow him to create a curriculum that combines traditional accounting education with practical knowledge and application. He accomplishes the goals of making accounting useful and applicable by combining theory with real-world software like Excel and QuickBooks. Many courses teach QuickBooks data entry or Excel functions but are not providing the real value learners want. Real value is a result of learning technical skills like applications, in conjunction with specific goals, like accounting goals, including being able to interpret the performance of a business. Mr. Steele makes knowledge understandable by breaking down complex concepts into smaller units with specific objectives and using step by step learning processes to understand each unit. Many accounting textbooks cram way too much information into a course, making it impossible to understand any unit fully. By breaking the content down into digestible chunks, we can move forward much faster. Mr. Steele also makes use of color association in both presentations and Excel worksheets, a learning tool often overlooked in the accounting field, but one that can vastly improve the speed and comprehension of learning accounting concepts. The material is also made understandable through the application of concepts learned. Courses will typically demonstrate the accounting concepts and then provide an Excel worksheet or practice problems to work through the concepts covered. The practice problems will be accompanied by an instructional video to work through the problem in step by step format. Excel worksheets will be preformatted, usually including an answer tab that shows the completed problem, and a practice tab where learners can complete the problem along with a step by step presentation video. Mr. Steele makes learning accounting accessible by making use of technology and partnering with teaching platforms that have a vision of spreading knowledge like CPDformula.
