Welcome to Accounting Basics
for Students!

Accounting Basics for Students is the best source of free basic financial accounting information - a site that has the simplest accounting tutorials, explanations and examples on the net!

My name is Michael Celender. I’ve been tutoring, lecturing and helping accounting students for a number of years. I created this site to help students and working professionals around the world learn accounting basics.

This site is based entirely around an accounting book I wrote (e-book pictured here, softcover book coming to Amazon in May/June 2013). The first six links on the navigation bar (on your left) are the first six chapters in the accounting book itself. In other words, Basic Concepts is chapter 1 in the book, Basic Transactions is chapter 2, Double Entry Accounting is chapter 3, and so on.

These 6 chapters (50 accounting tutorials in total) have been provided here absolutely free for you to look through – basically a free accounting course online. I recommend going through these six sections (all 50 accounting lessons) in order, especially if you are brand new to the subject.

If you're looking for information on a specific accounting topic, use the search feature on the top-right of your screen. It'll show all the web pages, lessons and accounting questions on this site that deal with your topic.

What else can you expect to see on the site?

At the bottom of each and every one of the 50 lessons on this site you can find a question box where you can ask a question about a specific accounting topic. You will also find questions already asked by other students here. This is a public forum: a place where you can ask a question, and also where you can help others by answering their questions (and test your knowledge at the same time). Use the search box to help you locate questions on specific topics you are interested in.

If you would like more practice with professional accounting exercises, get our website's official accounting book, which includes 88 accounting questions and exercises, or get one of the other excellent accounting exam E-books (pictured alongside). Our awesome accounting dictionary (over 300 terms defined) can also help you a lot in your studies.

In the section, Your Voice, you can contribute to the site and our community (and win prizes by doing so)! Here you can find or recommend an accounting tutor, create a page about yourself, and even tell us a funny or frightening accounting or student story!

Finally, stay up to date with us by signing up for our free newsletter, or check the Accounting Basics Blog, which lists the latest additions to the site.

All the best in your studies,

Michael Celender

P.S. The accounting information presented on this site is in line with both U.S. and international accounting 101-type curricula, as accounting basics are virtually identical the world over. Only minor terms may differ (depending on where you are studying).

P.P.S. If you're a student, use this site as a supplement, not as a complete replacement of your accounting textbook or lecturer, as you will be tested on what your lecturer and textbook say, not on this site, right? Right. :-)

Basic Accounting Concepts: Learning the basic accounting concepts sets you on the path to understanding the more complicated principles of the subject.
Basic Accounting Transactions: In this section we will look at each of the basic accounting transactions and see how each one affects our basic accounting equation.
Double Entry Accounting: Time to venture into the world of double entry accounting, otherwise known as debits and credits.
The Accounting Cycle: In these lessons we'll take a look at the big picture of accounting - the accounting cycle - and we'll delve into its various steps.
Accounting Reports: It's time to look at the final product of an accountant's work: the accounting reports of a business.
What is Inventory?: In this section we're going to answer the question,
Basic Accounting Book: This basic accounting book is the perfect companion for both high school and college students for learning basic accounting principles.
Accounting Questions: Try these accounting questions and exercises and succeed in accounting!
Basic Accounting Terms: This accounting dictionary will provide readers with all the basic accounting terms and definitions needed for a solid understanding of the subject.
Your Voice: Your voice - that's what matters - and that's what this section of Accounting Basics for Students is all about...
Free Accounting Newsletter: Sign up for our free accounting newsletter for notifications of new accounting lessons, questions, information and updates.
The Accounting Basics Blog: Welcome to the Accounting Basics Blog! Subscribe to this blog and you'll be notified whenever there's a new lesson, article, exercise or update to the Accounting-Basics-for-Students website.
Contact Us: Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, recommendations or simply want more information.
About Me: This is a page about me, the creator of Accounting Basics for Students.com