Bank feed categorisation powered by machine learning promises to end the drudgery of manual transaction coding, but how does it actually decide where a payment belongs? This article breaks down the pattern-recognition logic behind AI bookkeeping, walks through a worked example for a small consultancy, and shows why confidence scores — not blind automation — are the key to trustworthy management accounts.
Many SME owners assume revenue should hit the profit and loss account the moment an invoice is raised or cash is collected. Under IFRS 15 and revised FRS 102, that is often wrong. This article breaks down the five-step revenue recognition model with a full worked example of a £60,000 software and support contract, showing exactly how to allocate transaction price and recognise revenue over time.