Rachunkowoci

Rachunkowoci (rachunkowość) is the Polish term for accounting, the systematic process of recording, measuring, and communicating financial information about economic entities. It encompasses the bookkeeping activities that capture economic events and the broader analysis that informs decisions, controls, and reporting.

Key functions include: recording transactions using double-entry bookkeeping, classifying and summarizing data, and preparing financial statements. Core statements typically include the bilans (balance sheet), rachunek zysków i strat (income statement), rachunek przepływów pieniężnych (cash flow statement), and the ich zestawienie zmian w kapitale własnym. Rachunkowoc is used for external reporting to investors, creditors, and regulators, as well as internal management purposes such as budgeting and performance assessment.

Rachunkowoci covers several areas. Financial accounting focuses on preparing external reports; rachunkowosc zarządcza (management accounting) supports internal decision making; rachunkowosc podatkowa addresses tax obligations; and auditing and forensic accounting provide assurance and investigations. In Poland, accounting practices are guided by the Ustawa o rachunkowości (Polish Accounting Act) and related regulations. For listed and certain large entities, international standards such as Międzynarodowe Standardy Sprawozdawczości Finansowej (IFRS) may be used for consolidated statements; many other entities follow national standards and the Polish framework, sometimes referred to as Polskie Standardy Rachunkowości (PSR).

History traces modern rachunkowoc to the development of double-entry bookkeeping, with early formulations attributed to medieval merchants and Pacioli’s 1494 summaries. Today, it serves as the foundation for financial transparency, accountability, and economic decision making across private, public, and non-profit sectors.