Having financial and accounting knowledge can make a difference in the success of your business. As small business owners you need to be able to manage the financials of the business. Hiring good accountants to perform bookkeeping and accounting of your business can make the difference as it will make you look organised, accurate and up to date. This will also save you time and in return you will save money by saving time. It is very important for or small business owners to know about small business accounting reports and statements. Below are the main accounting statements and reports:

Annual financial reports:
This report is generally issues by your accountant every year and it important requirement for your annual tax return.

Business activity statements (BAS) preparation for GST:
BAS stands for business activity statement this statement is issued by your accountants monthly or quarterly depending on your businesses transactions. BAS is a form submitted to the Australian Taxation Office by all businesses to report their taxation obligation. This include entries of debits and credits of your business. Every activity statement carries a unique Document Identification Number (DIN). Activity statements can be submitted to the ATO on paper (mail), by phone, electronically (Electronic Lodgment System or "ELS") or through the business portal (via a Tax Agent). Small business activity statement, is important for annual tax return.

Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet):
This statement is also prepared by your accountant annually and includes all your current assets, non current assets, current liabilities and non current liabilities. A balance sheet is often described as a snapshot of a company's financial condition. The main categories of assets are usually listed first and are followed by the liabilities. The difference between the assets and the liabilities is known as owner's equity or the net worth of the company or, the net assets, net worth must equal assets minus liabilities.

Statement of financial performance (profit and loss statement):
This statement is also prepared by your accountant annually or quarterly. This includes all your business revenue less all your business expenses.

The accounting can also include financial analysis of your business performance and cash flow report.

Cash flow report:
This statement can be done annually or quarterly, these includes cash going into your business and cash going out of your business. It is usually measured during a specified, finite period of time. Cash flow is a generic term used differently depending on the context. It may be defined by users for their own purposes. It can refer to actual past flows, or to projected future flows.

The above are the main statement used to prepare small business accounting records. It is very important to know about each statement as it is important for your business. I recommend to small business owners to take a small business course which covers the management of small businesses including small business accounting, and finances.