Identify and Analyze Transactions:
Determine which business activities are financial (e.g., sales, purchases, expenses) and gather source documents like invoices or receipts.
Journalize Transactions:
Record these transactions chronologically in the general journal, noting debits and credits for each entry.
Post to the General Ledger:
Transfer (post) the journal entries to individual ledger accounts (like Cash, Accounts Payable) to summarize activity for each account.
Prepare an Unadjusted Trial Balance:
List all ledger account balances to check if total debits equal total credits before adjustments.
Make Adjusting Entries:
Record necessary end-of-period adjustments for accruals, deferrals, and depreciation that weren't in the initial entries.
Prepare Financial Statements:
Use the adjusted figures to create key reports: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows.
Close the Books:
Zero out temporary accounts (revenues, expenses, dividends) by transferring their balances to Retained Earnings to start the next period fresh.