VI What are the latest types and formats of accounting books for businesses according to Circular 99? Can businesses design, modify, or supplement accounting book templates as stipulated in Circular 99? How are the opening, recording, and closing of accounting books regulated? Let’s explore this further with Pham Consult!
What are the latest types and formats of accounting books for businesses according to Circular 99?
The types of accounting books and forms of accounting books are stipulated in Part B, Appendix III issued with Circular 99/2025/TT-BTC, specifically as follows:
Accounting books include general accounting books and detailed accounting books. General accounting books include: Journal Book, General Ledger. Detailed accounting books include: Detailed accounting books and cards.
(1) General Accounting Books
– The Journal Book is used to record economic and financial transactions arising in each accounting period and in an accounting year in chronological order and the corresponding relationships of accounts of the transactions. The accounting data in the Journal Book reflects the total debit and credit entries of all accounting accounts used in the enterprise. The Journal Book must fully reflect the following contents:
+ Date of entry;
+ Number and date of the accounting document used as the basis for entry;
+ Summary of the content of the economic and financial transaction;
+ The amount of economic and financial transactions that occur.
– The General Ledger is used to record economic and financial transactions that occur in each period and in an accounting year according to the accounting accounts prescribed in the accounting account system applied to the enterprise. The accounting data in the General Ledger reflects the overall situation of assets, capital sources, and the situation and results of production and business activities of the enterprise. The General Ledger must fully reflect the following contents:
+ Date of recording;
+ Number and date of the accounting document used as the basis for recording;
+ Summary of the content of the economic and financial transaction that occurs;
+ The amount of the economic and financial transaction that occurs recorded on the Debit or Credit side of the account.
(2) Detailed accounting books and cards
Detailed accounting books and cards are used to record economic and financial transactions that occur related to accounting objects that need to be monitored in detail according to management requirements. The data in detailed accounting books and cards provides information for managing each type of asset, capital, revenue, and expense that is not reflected in the Journal and General Ledger. The number and structure of detailed accounting books and cards are not mandatory. Businesses base their decisions on the State’s guiding regulations on detailed accounting books and cards and their own management requirements to open the necessary and appropriate detailed accounting books and cards.
* Types of accounting books:
– General Journal accounting system;
– Journal-Ledger accounting system;
– Voucher accounting system;
– Journal-Voucher accounting system;
– Computerized accounting system.
Each accounting book system has specific regulations regarding the number, structure, book format, sequence, recording methods, and relationships between the accounting books.
Can businesses design or modify accounting ledger forms as stipulated in Circular 99?
Based on Article 12 of Circular 99/2025/TT-BTC, the regulations on accounting ledgers are as follows:
Accounting Ledgers
- The accounting ledgers of a business must be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Accounting Law, guiding documents of the Accounting Law, and amending, supplementing, or replacing documents.
- Businesses should refer to and apply the accounting ledger forms in Appendix III issued with this Circular.
In cases where it is necessary to suit the characteristics of production and business activities and management requirements, businesses may design or modify accounting ledger forms compared to the forms guided in Appendix III issued with this Circular. When designing, modifying, or supplementing accounting forms for businesses, they must ensure compliance with the provisions of Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Article 24 of the Accounting Law and must fully, promptly, truthfully, transparently, and easily verifyable, controllable, and comparable the assets and capital of the business.
When designing additional or modified accounting ledger forms, businesses are responsible for issuing Accounting Regulations (or equivalent documents) regarding the modified or modified contents to serve as the basis for implementation. The regulations must clearly state the necessity of the modification or modification and the business’s legal responsibility for the modified or modified contents.
If the business does not design additional or modified accounting ledger forms, it shall apply the accounting ledger forms guided in Appendix III attached to this Circular.
According to the above regulations, in order to suit the characteristics of production and business activities and management requirements, businesses may design additional or modified accounting ledger forms compared to the forms guided in Appendix III attached to Circular 99/2025/TT-BTC.
How are the opening, recording, and closing of accounting ledgers regulated?
The opening, recording, and closing of accounting books are regulated in Article 13 of Circular 99/2025/TT-BTC as follows:
(1) Opening books: Accounting books must be opened at the beginning of the accounting year. For newly established enterprises, accounting books must be opened from the date of establishment.
(2) Recording: Enterprises must record accounting books based on accounting documents in accordance with the Accounting Law and its amendments, supplements, or replacements. Accounting books must be recorded promptly, clearly, and completely according to their contents. Information and data recorded in accounting books must be accurate and truthful in accordance with accounting documents.
(3) Closing books: Enterprises must close accounting books at the end of the accounting period to prepare financial statements and in other cases as prescribed by law.
