Early accounting generally only refers to counting and reporting, the main purpose of which is to record and calculate the income and expenditure of goods and currency, and does not involve the custody of property. In ancient times, the accounting method of official hall was mainly used in early China. Official hall was the main body of financial management and only recorded the income and expenditure of official hall.

With the development of society, the meaning and content of accounting are gradually enriched. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, government accounting gradually developed to non-governmental, and non-governmental accounting appeared.

Subsequently, in the Han Dynasty and the Tang and Song Dynasties, China's accounting system gradually developed and improved, and some famous wealth managers and wealth management works appeared. For example, Yuan Heng's "Managing Horses" is a famous ancient veterinary work, which involves the concepts of private accounting, such as receipt, payment and deposit.

Great changes have taken place in China's accounting system during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. With the development of capitalist economy and the intensification of commercial competition, commercial accounting has been greatly developed. The concepts and applications of modern accounting, such as commercial bookkeeping and industrial bookkeeping, appeared in the late Qing Dynasty.

After the founding of New China, China's accounting system has been further improved and developed. 1985 The promulgation of "Accounting Law of People's Republic of China (PRC)" marked the legalization of China's accounting system. With the development of market economy and the deepening of reform and opening up, China's accounting system is gradually in line with international standards and is constantly developing in the direction of modernization, standardization and internationalization.

The role of accounting:

1. Decision Support: Accounting provides decision-making basis for managers by collecting, sorting and analyzing various financial information. For example, accounting can provide data on cash flow, budget, cost control, investment, etc., to help decision makers understand the financial situation and operating performance of enterprises, so as to make more informed decisions.

2. Financial management: Accounting is the basis of financial management. Through accounting work, we can know the company's income, expenditure, assets and liabilities, so as to make reasonable financial plans and budgets, control costs and improve the company's economic benefits.

3. Providing economic information: Accounting provides accurate and timely economic information for shareholders, creditors, management and other stakeholders by preparing financial statements, such as balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements.