The glossary to understand and take action

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping consists of recording transactions, filing their supporting documents and monitoring accounts according to a regular organisation.

Notion comptable, fiscale ou juridique · Luxembourg Fiduciaries Editorial Team · Reviewed on

Understand the scope

Definition and points to distinguish

It must be supplemented by controls and closing work. Define with the firm the timetable for supporting documents, reconciliations and the handling of missing documents.

In your file

What this changes in practice

Bookkeeping includes the collection, filing and recording of transactions according to a consistent organisation. It requires legible supporting documents, correct identification of third parties and allocation to the appropriate accounts and periods. Automated data entry facilitates processing but does not eliminate controls. To avoid delays, define a process for submitting documents and a procedure for missing invoices or expenses whose nature remains uncertain.

A scenario to help you understand

Educational example

A company sends its invoices and bank statements each month. The firm identifies bank transactions without supporting documents; the manager documents them before these discrepancies accumulate at closing.

Fictitious situation, presented to illustrate the concept.

Prepare for what comes next

Points to check

  • Fixer le calendrier de collecte
  • Traiter les pièces manquantes
  • Contrôler les doublons et les imputations

The practical question

Find out more

La connexion bancaire suffit-elle pour tenir la comptabilité ?

Elle facilite la récupération des mouvements, mais ne remplace pas les justificatifs ni l’analyse des opérations. Une entrée bancaire peut être une vente, un apport ou un remboursement ; une sortie peut couvrir plusieurs factures. Il faut rapprocher les mouvements des pièces, enregistrer les opérations non encore réglées et contrôler les propositions automatiques du logiciel.

Connecting concepts

Terms to know as well

Continue with the concepts, contacts and procedures related to this topic.

Accounting documentAn accounting document is a document that substantiates a transaction: an invoice, statement, contract or other evidence appropriate to its nature.Bank reconciliationA check that explains differences between the transactions and balances of a bank account and those recorded in the accounts.OCR — optical character recognitionOCR enables a tool to recognise characters in a scanned document in order to extract text or data from it.AccountingAccounting organises the recording of transactions and the production of information on the company’s financial position and results.Reversibility of accounting dataReversibility refers to the ability to retrieve the documents and data needed to continue management with another tool or service provider.GDPR — protection of personal dataThe General Data Protection Regulation governs the processing of personal data within its scope of application.

Put it into practice

Explore further with our guides

Practical guideDigitising accounting: documents, automation and human oversightPractical guideAccounting obligations of an SARL in Luxembourg: organising compliance

Sources and verification

References consulted on 20 September 2026. Official procedures specify the applicable conditions and exceptions.

This guide explains a general process. The applicable rules depend on your situation; it does not constitute personalised advice. Report a correction.

A definition gives you a reference point. To examine your situation, clarify your question with a professional.