Accountant

Welcome to the world of finance! In this role, you’ll be handling the numbers and keeping things in order. Let’s break it down into simple steps.

What accountants do

• Recordkeeping: Your first job is to keep a record of all the money-related stuff using things like invoices and receipts. Think of it like taking notes in a diary. This makes everything organized and easy to understand.
• Summarizing: Then, you take all those notes and turn them into simple reports. Imagine making a summary of a big book. These reports show how the city is doing financially. Some important reports are like the city’s bank balance, income, and expenses.
• Financial detective: Next, you become a bit of a detective. You look at those reports and figure out what’s going well and what’s not. This helps the city make smart decisions. You can also compare our city to others to see how we’re doing.
• Explainer: Lastly, you explain all this financial stuff to people who need to know. This could be helping them understand how the city is doing, what might happen soon, or where to invest money. This helps everyone make smart choices based on the city's money.

Keeping the books

In finance, we use something called double-entry bookkeeping. It's like a fancy way to keep track of the city's money. Here's the basic idea:

• We have five types of accounts: stuff we own (assets), what we owe (liabilities), how much the owner invested (owner’s equity), money from selling things (revenue), and the cost of running the city (expenses).
• We use two main actions: debits and credits. Debits are like a positive change; they increase assets and expenses but decrease liabilities, owner’s equity, and revenue. Credits are the opposite.
• We write down all the money actions in journals, making sure we use debits and credits correctly. Each journal entry needs at least one debit and one credit, and they should balance out.
• After that, we put the journal entries into the general ledger, which is like a big book with all our accounts and how much money is in them.
• We also use a trial balance to make sure everything is correct and balanced. This is important to keep our financial records tidy.

The goal of all this bookkeeping is to create financial statements that show how the city is doing financially. These statements help everyone make good decisions about how to run the city.

The accounting cycle

The accounting cycle is just a fancy term for how we keep our financial records in order. It has a few steps:

1. Record everything: We write down every money thing that happens in the city. This is like keeping a journal.
2. Put it in the ledger: After we record everything, we put it in the ledger, which is like a big book with all our accounts and how much money is in them.
3. Check the balance: We make sure everything adds up correctly by doing something called a trial balance. It’s like counting all your money to make sure it’s all there.
4. Adjustments: Sometimes, we need to make changes to our records, like when we have bills to pay or money we’re waiting to get. We add these changes to our records.
5. Final statements: After making all the changes, we create financial statements. These statements tell us how the city is doing with its money. They’re like the city’s report card.
6. Start over: We reset everything for the next period. This makes sure our records are always up to date.

Financial statements

Financial statements are like the city’s financial report card. They show how much money we have, how much we owe, and if we’re making a profit. There are four main ones:

1. Balance sheet: This is like a snapshot of the city’s money at a specific time. It tells us what we own (assets), what we owe (liabilities), and what’s left for the owner (owner’s equity).
2. Income statement: It’s like a money diary for a specific time, usually a few months or a year. It tells us how much money we made and how much we spent. The difference is our profit (or loss).
3. Statement of owner's equity: This statement keeps track of changes in the owner’s investment in the city. It tells us if the owner’s investment is growing or shrinking.
4. Cash flow statement: This is like a money GPS. It tells us where the money is coming from and where it’s going. It helps us see if we’re managing our money well.

Accrual versus cash accounting

There are two ways to keep track of money:

• Accrual accounting: This method records money when it is earned or spent, even if we have not received or paid it yet. It shows a more detailed picture of the city's finances.
• Cash accounting: This method only records money when it actually comes in or goes out. It is simpler but may not show the full financial picture because it does not consider money we are owed or owe.

Management accounting

This is all about helping the city make good financial decisions. Some important things to do:

• Budgeting: Make a plan for how the city will spend its money for the year.
• Variance analysis: Compare what we planned to spend with what we actually spent to see if we need to make changes.
• Cost allocation: Figure out how much it really costs to do different things in the city. This helps us make good decisions about what to do and how much to charge.
• Profitability analysis: See which parts of the city make the most money. This helps us use our resources better.
• Costing methods: Use different ways to figure out how much things cost. It depends on what we need the information for.
• Performance evaluation: Check how well different parts of the city are doing and if they’re meeting our goals.

Financial analysis

This is like looking at the city’s money health. We use special math (ratios) to see how well we’re doing. Here are some examples:

• Liquidity ratios: These tell us if the city can pay its bills quickly. It’s like checking if we have enough cash on hand.
• Solvency ratios: These show if the city can pay its long-term
• Profitability ratios: look at a company’s ability to make profits compared to its sales, assets, or equity. These ratios help us see how well a company is doing financially and if it can make returns for shareholders.

Current ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Current assets
  • Y = Current liabilities

This shows if a company can pay its short-term obligations without selling inventory.

Acid-test ratio equation

• (X-Y)/Z
  • X = Current assets
  • Y = Inventory
  • Z = Current liabilities

This shows if a company can pay its short-term obligations using its short-term assets.

Debt-to-equity ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Total debt
  • Y = Total equity

This shows how much debt and equity are used to finance a company's assets.

Debt ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Total debt
  • Y = Total assets

This shows what percentage of a company's assets are financed by debt.

Gross profit margin equation

• (X/Y)*100
  • X = Gross Profit
  • Y = Net Sales

This shows the percentage of revenue left after taking out the cost of goods sold.

Net profit margin equation

• (X/Y)*100
  • X = Net income
  • Y = Net sales

This shows the percentage of revenue left as net income after taking out all expenses and costs.

Return on assets equation </summary>

• X/Y
  • X = Net income
  • Y = Total assets

This shows how well a company makes profits from its assets.

Return on equity equation

• X/Y
  • X = Net Income
  • Y = Total Equity

This shows the return a company makes for its shareholders.

Inventory turnover ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Cost of goods sold
  • Y = Average inventory

This shows how fast a company sells its inventory during a certain time.

Accounts receivable turnover ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Net credit sales
  • Y = Average accounts receivable

This shows how well a company’s credit and collection policies are working.

Asset turnover ratio equation

• X/Y
  • X = Net sales
  • Y = Total assets

This shows how well a company uses its assets to make sales.

Conclusion

We hope that this friendly guide has provided you with the essential knowledge and confidence to tackle the in-game exam for the accountant role. Remember, earning this role not only showcases your dedication to mastering the game’s financial aspects, but it also serves as an invitation for other players to consider you as a valuable addition to their company. Take your time, practice, and don’t forget to have fun as you embrace this unique opportunity.

We understand that the exam might seem daunting at first, but don't worry! This guide is designed to support you every step of the way. As you prepare for the test, feel free to revisit any sections to refresh your memory or clarify any doubts. And remember, the community is always here to help and encourage one another.

So, gather your resources, refine your accounting skills, and set forth on this exciting journey to become a trusted and sought-after accountant. With persistence and dedication, you'll soon be an integral part of the thriving in-game economy. Best of luck, and may your ledger always be balanced!

Passed the exam? Now what?

It is recommended that you get the Entrepreneur guide and register a business on the Business Portal subforum or look for a company who is in need of one of the above accountant roles!

• For more info, read the making money guide.
• Find a player-owned business to work for with the DC #employment channel!