ECONOMIC EXAMINATION OF HORTICULTURAL HOLDINGS WITH THE HELP OF A COMPUTER

There are some 55,000 agricultural enterprises¹) in the German Federal Republic which keep regular accounts. The vast majority do it because they must, it being mandatory for enterprises with an income of over DM 12,000, or a standard value of over DM 100,000, or a turnover of over DM 200,000 to provide evidence of taxable profit on the basis of properly kept accounts²).

Of these 55,000 agricultural enterprises, some 5,000³) are engaged in horticulture. It is not possible to give an exact number because the distinction between agriculture and horticulture is somewhat blurred, being more a question of definition when it comes to large-scale fruit and vegetable growing.

The requirements of the Revenue authorities in the matter of book-keeping are minimal as regards itemization, their main concern being to have a consolidated account of expenditure and income. However, many managers and advisers early realized the advantage of placing the accounts under appropriate heads, i.e. distributing expenditure and income under various rational headings, thus making the accounts into a most important management tool. As I see it, I would say that the main object of keeping accounts today is, or ought to be, for the information of and control by management, the need to show profits for income tax purposes being secondary.