Basic Concepts of Accounting

The early development of accounting dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, and is closely related to developments in writing, counting and money; there is also evidence for early forms of bookkeeping in ancient Iran, and early auditing systems by the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. By the time of the Emperor Augustus, the Roman government had access to detailed financial information. Double-entry bookkeeping developed during in medieval Europe, and accounting split into financial accounting and management accounting with the development of joint-stock companies. Accounting began to transition into an organized profession in the nineteenth century,with local professional bodies in England merging to form the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1880.