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Bookkeeping Template Introduction

If ever comes the time when you decide you want to learn how to do bookkeeping and accounting, this is the place you want to be, for sure.

Expand for your short written intro to the Videos below.

​Anyone who wishes to learn Bookkeeping or Accounting needs to learn what we refer to as "Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting" first. 

1. Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting, also referred to as Bookkeeping for Financial Accounting, is a small subset of your overall Bookkeeping and Accounting needs. The other portion of your needs are referred to typically as Managerial or Cost Accounting.
2. Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting has very specific requirements defined by others which actually makes it easier to learn and complete as compared to the rest of your needs where you have more say.  
3. The objective of the Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting process is TWO Reports: 1) An Income Statement  and 2) A Balance Sheet .  We give these new names in our Formal Education to help with easier ongoing clarity, but you'll get to that later. 
4. This is the only subset of bookkeeping where "everyone" needs the exact same basic education, no matter if they are going to be the CEO of a Large Company, a Small Business Owner, a Head of Household or a financially responsible individual engaged in organized society. 
5. To the surprise of many, detailed information related to individual Customers, Vendors, and Employees should not be included in this part of your bookkeeping process. 
6. Furthermore, and also to the surprise of many, our simple bookkeeping template has been designed to mimic an IRS Auditors audit process, and that's how we know this is the proper start for everyone's Tax Accounting needs .

The information in the diagram below repeats the information above with a few more details.  pop out to print

Our  Resources > Education > Subdomains page starts with a more in depth Tax vs Managerial Accounting comparison. The content on that landing page alone  will take you a step further into understanding, and each of the subdomains allow you to slip further into learning with ease.  

Our "Orientation" menu is another wonderful place to get introductory information. Those who go through it learn about the separation between Managerial and Tax Accounting via the 6 Box Model. The also get to see the proper location of a Bookkeeping Module when viewed in the chronological context of a full commercial flow. See "Box 5" below.  

If you move on with the videos below, we expect you to have the following disposition:

1. You have a desire to learn (more) about Bookkeeping and Accounting
2. You understand the very specific Scope of Work that ZAP's Bookkeeping Template is intended to address.
3. You understand why features and reports that may be found in other "bookkeeping software" that mixes Tax and Managerial Accounting is not included. 
4. You understand that Managerial Accounting Spreadsheet Templates, Software, Tools and/or Reports will be needed to properly fulfill all of your Bookkeeping and Accounting needs, as is the case with any digital bookkeeping solution you use, no matter how much they may want you to believe they offer an all-in-one solution. 
5. You understand this ZAP Accounting Software website offers Managerial Accounting Templates, Information and Education as well as Tax Accounting related information, but you also understand you should master Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting with our Bookkeeping Template first for numerous reasons.
6. You understand the videos below are designed to "introduce you to" the Bookkeeping Template features and functions. They are not intended to "teach you" vocabulary nor how to setup or use the spreadsheet template. 
7. You understand that there is a lot more content and education to help you setup and use our templates, but you will need to dig into that material on your own to make it all happen for you.  

ZAP's Bookkeeping Template Video Series...

1) Introduction - 7:00
Intro to the difference between bookkeeping for Tax/Financial Accounting vs Managerial/Cost Accounting.  Defines proper scope for a Tax/Financial Bookkeeping Module/Template.  

2) Basic Functionality - 5:48
Intro to Chart of Accounts, Statements Worksheet, Raw Txn Worksheets, Checking/Credit Card Journals, Income Statement, & Balance Sheet

3) Basic Functionality - 4:40
Intro to Nav 1, ExpensesPaidVia Journal, General Journal, & General Ledger

4) Basic Functionality - 6:45
Intro to the other Income Statement Report Worksheets and the Transaction Search worksheet.

5) Basic Functionality - 6:47
Intro to the General Ledger Reports that show the queries that are used to create the Balance Sheet. A peak at the Balance Sheet secret columns and the on/off button for debits and credits in the General Ledger. 

6) Optional Functionality - 9:11
Intro to Budgeting Functionality, ZIDs, Historical Balance Sheet Recording, & the reality that a Balance Sheet actually requires a Start Date and an End Date to be created...

In video 6 we introduce the idea that the Balance Sheet is actually a cross check tool that requires both a start date and an end date for creation.  It can't be that and a "snap shot in time" simultaneously, and with this information, one of the most blatant cases of mass educational misdirections in modern curriculum is unmasked. 
Welcome to a New Paradigm for Accounting and Technology Education. 

Template Orientation videos 7-12 ...

7) Silent Worksheets - 8:25
Intro to each of the Silent Worksheets.  DIY1 menu used to bulk hide worksheets

10) Transaction Generator - 5:56
Intro to the Transaction Generator (Master Txn Worksheet, Output Worksheet, and txnGen Checking and Credit Card Journals)

8) Google Script Projects - 5:26
Intro to the Bound & Unbound Google Script Projects / libraries. Intro to custom scripts for this file template related to PDF saving, emailing  and the txnGenerator.

11) Bilbos Bank - 5:27
Intro to the Bilbo's Bank Website and the tools/utils needed to build your own market specific education curriculum.

9) DIY1 Menu Introduction - 5:55
Intro to the DIY-1 Menu items. (Nav1, Show/Hide Tabs, Create/Save PDFs, attach PDFs to emails/drafts, DataValidition Cell creator util, txnGenerator ) 

12) Summary - 2:20
A quick summary and discussion about target markets and applications as well as a brief thank you to all supporting this transformational, educational effort. 

The Purpose and Process of Bookkeeping for Tax Accounting 

The purpose and process of bookkeeping is simple to understand if you start at the end goal, and work backwards to your Income Statement data and its source. Then, when you realize the Balance Sheet  just offers a simple cross check tool for your Income Statement, you'll have the Bull by the Horns!

The Role of the Income Statement in Tax/Financial Accounting  - 10:45
An Income Statement (aka Net Income Statement, aka Profit / Loss Statement) produces the EXACT information that is required on a tax form for a small business. Choosing Account Names that align with the tax form you need to complete makes your income reporting an elementary process.. If you want more resolution in reporting of income and expenses than the categories required for Tax Reporting,  just setup a second file with different account names in the Chart of Accounts and load the same data into both files. 

The Role of the Balance Sheet in Tax/Financial Accounting  - 10:39
The Balance Sheet, better referred to as a Comparative Net Worth Statement is a "reconciliation tool". Only half of it is the "snapshot in time". The entire report in totality is a mathematical tool that helps ensure data integrity.  Once you see how we've setup our Balance Sheet, with the cognitive information you need to work with it easily, you'll be forever happy with this simple system. 

The Purpose and Process of Bookkeeping DETAIL VIDEOS with ZAP Accounting as your bookkeeping solution...

1. The End Goal for Small Business Bookkeeping --  view (3:00)
2. An ideal Income Statement for your end goal view (2:12)
3. Your online banking console is the ideal data source! view (3:04)
4. The Statements Tab is step 1 in the bookkeeping process view (4:06)
5. The Raw Transaction Tab is step 2 in the bookkeeping process view (4:46)
   
   ​to be continued... 
6. Copy from Raw Transactions To the Ledger and Crosscheck with statements tab
   xxxxx (xxx)
   ​
7. The Ledgers for Categorization and comments
8. The Income Statement!!!
9. The Balance Sheet for the perfect cross check. Without this, you have not benefited from double entry bookkeeping at all...

Videos by Tab... 

• Chart of Accounts
• Statements Tab
• Raw Transactions Tab
• Checking Ledger
• Credit Card Ledger
• The Income Statement (intro)
• The Balance Sheet (intro)

Videos by Topic...

• The Licensing Model Introduced
• The Licensee Portal
• What does the Licensee get?
• What does the Sponsored User get and not get?

​and more...

The Monthly/Quarterly/Semi-Annual Bookkeeping process at full speed and in 5 minutes

​This video was part of a training set so it may make reference to a little information out of context but it should still do the job for you. This video highlights:

1. The statement data recording process
2. The transaction data download and semi-automated data import process
3. The aggregated reconciliation process and 
4. The transaction categorization process. 

All of this work will be done in just under 5 minutes...

ZAP Accounting Software's Double Entry Bookkeeping Solution

ZAP Accounting 'Software' is a full double entry bookkeeping solution designed and offered as a stand alone google sheet template.  ZAP Accounting 'Software' Part A, is the core module and it comes in a Positive and Negative values version as well as a Debits and Credits version. We expect most to use the Positive and Negative values version for greater simplicity.  

• Our master file gets copied to your Google Drive, you get a little professional help with personal setup and orientation, and away you go. 
• Once on your drive the file is a stand alone file and private to you.
  • There are no communication strings or connections back to us or any software vendor.
  • There are no ongoing fees. 
  • There are no auto updates either, but that's okay because you shouldn't really need any. 
• The file is pre-configured with a Chart of Accounts inline with Schedule C and 1)  two checking accounts 2) two credit card accounts 3) a liability account for expenses incurred outside your business accounts 4) a general ledger 5) an income statement 6) a balance sheet and 7) basic reporting. 
• The Chart of Accounts has no required accounts and no limitations. There is no limit on Checking accounts or credit card accounts but going beyond two of each requires some professional configuration (5 minutes per added account). The file can be customized in any way, because it is a stand alone file.
• There's a lot of advanced features that can be unhidden  for those who want bells, whistles, crickets and such.
• Anyone who 'feels' this is overwhelming after watching the videos is 'trying to take it all in'.
  • You'll only use the pieces you need, and you'll hide the rest. 
  • It only takes most 45-60 minutes with some good coaching to get into the groove with their own data in play.
  • It feel's a lot better with your own data in play. 
  • Some tutoring for the first few months of use is suggested to find the groove faster and faster each month, but in short time you'll be grooving on your own and loving it. 

This software is not yet commercially available. We are working through a very new commercial model now.  Expect the software to have a one time licensing fee for life that may be between $49 and $99.  Then again, if we can get a reasonable donation train going, it may be free. We'd hope to then make money ongoing via small annual donations from our users, as well as via fees for training and certification courses and maybe some youtube video royalties or sumthin like that. This will be marketed as the most efficient bookkeeping software on the planet,  as accounting training material, as google sheets programming training material, as javascript training tools and anything else we can find in the kitchen sink that fits.

Another goal is also to create a new peer to peer commercial industry with folks supporting each other technologically for reasonable fees. An uber type of system except we don't want to force the collection of a portion of the fees between the parties. We'll be happy with some certification fees or maybe some donations from engaging parties as it makes sense.   Courtesy of the 220 Club.

​Interested in being on the Advisory Committee?  click here...