accounting
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accounting department
The department in a company that is responsible for documenting all financial transactions, such as income and expenses.
Bitte leiten Sie die Rechnung direkt an die Buchhaltung weiter.
Please forward the invoice directly to the accounting department.
The word is made up of 'Buch' (book) and 'Haltung' (from the verb 'halten' (to hold)). It literally describes the 'holding' or keeping of books in which all of a company's financial transactions are recorded.
Eine ordentliche Buchhaltung ist die Grundlage für den finanziellen Erfolg.
Proper accounting is the foundation of financial success.
You can tell whether the department or the activity is meant from the sentence structure. Prepositions like 'in' (in) or 'an' (to) point to the department. Verbs like 'machen' (to do) or 'erledigen' (to take care of) refer to the activity.
Ich arbeite seit fünf Jahren in der Buchhaltung.
I have been working in accounting for five years.
When referring to the activity, 'Buchhaltung' (accounting) is often combined with the verbs 'machen' (to do), 'führen' (to keep), or 'erledigen' (to take care of).
Viele kleine Firmen lassen ihre Buchhaltung von einem externen Dienstleister machen.
Many small companies have their accounting done by an external service provider.
book
'das Buch' and 'die Buchhaltung' are connected only in one specific area: money and business figures. In the expression 'Buch führen' (to keep books) or in the plural 'die Bücher' (the books), it is about recording income and expenses. 'Buchhaltung' means either this activity or the department that takes care of it. Learners may confuse the words because 'Buchhaltung' contains the word 'Buch'. In the normal sense, however, a book is something you read. In companies and with invoices, you say 'Buchhaltung' or 'die Bücher führen' (to keep the books).
Nach der Prüfung hat die Kundin die Rechnung an die Buchhaltung geschickt.
After the audit, the customer sent the invoice to the accounting department.
In der Firma führt Herr Kaya genau Buch über alle Ausgaben.
At the company, Mr. Kaya keeps careful records of all expenses.