What are books of accounts?
They’re the official record of your business income and expenses. Every BIR-registered business has to keep them. Most self-employed people keep these four:
- Cash Receipts Book — money coming in.
- Cash Disbursements Book — money going out.
- General Journal — entries that aren’t simple cash in or out.
- General Ledger — everything summarized by account.
Manual or loose-leaf?
Manual books are the columnar notebooks you buy, register and write in by hand. Loose-leaf books are printed from a computer. They need to be registered with the BIR (through ORUS or your RDO), then printed, bound and submitted after the year ends.
The January 15 deadline
For loose-leaf books, the bound books for the whole year are usually due within 15 days after the year ends — by January 15. Deskless Books reminds you before the deadline.
How Deskless Books helps
- Record your income and expenses during the year (any plan).
- On the Advance plan, download the BIR Books of Accounts package: Cash Receipts, Cash Disbursements, General Journal, General Ledger and a trial balance, ready to print.
- You print, bind, and register or submit them with the BIR.
Keep them safe
The BIR can ask to see your books for several years after the year ends, so keep the bound copies and export your data before you ever delete your account.