The name given to the collective process of recording and processing the accounting events of a company. The series of steps begin when a transaction occurs and end with its inclusion in the financial statements. The nine steps of the accounting cycle are:

1. Collecting and analyzing data from transactions and events.
2. Putting transactions into the general journal.
3. Posting entries to the general ledger.
4. Preparing an unadjusted trial balance.
5. Adjusting entries appropriately.
6. Preparing an adjusted trial balance.
7. Organizing the accounts into the financial statements.
8. Closing the books.
9. Preparing a post-closing trial balance to check the accounts.

The accounting process is a series of activities that begins with a transaction and ends with the closing of the books. Because this process is repeated each reporting period, it is referred to as the accounting cycle and includes these major steps:

1. Identify the transaction or other recognizable event.

2. Prepare the transaction's source document such as a purchase order or invoice.

3. Analyze and classify the transaction. This step involves quantifying the transaction in monetary terms (e.g. dollars and cents), identifying the accounts that are affected and whether those accounts are to be debited or credited.

4. Record the transaction by making entries in the appropriate journal, such as the sales journal, purchase journal, cash receipt or disbursement journal, or the general journal. Such entries are made in chronological order.

5. Post general journal entries to the ledger accounts.

An accounting information system (AIS) is the system of records a business keeps to maintain its accounting system. This includes the purchase, sales, and other financial processes of the business.

Accounting activities that occur during a specific period of time. The period starts and ends with the account balance, all its credits, debits, and any other transactions recorded during the cycle.