Evidence of Accounting in a Computer-based Environment

The doctoral thesis deals with the evidence in accounting in terms of Information and Communication Technologies. The aim of the thesis is to gather all of the available information about the ICT in accounting, to emphasize the impacts of ICT on accounting and following draw the attention to the risks which result from the application of ICT. In order to achieve the aim the qualitative analysis and the search of the accessible information resources are used. Some parts of the thesis are demonstrated on examples. The purpose of single chapters is to discuss, according to the theoretical base defined, subsequently all phases of the life cycle of accounting documents which are presented as financial statements at the output from the accounting. Special attention is given to accounting evidence. The last part of the thesis has application nature. The use of XML in financial reporting is demonstrated there in the real existing and secured systems based on ICT. According to the analysis made I came to the conclusion that because of the requirement for the reliability of accounting the internal control system has growing importance. Regardless the technologies used there is need to preserve the evidence at the level of accounting record during all of its life cycle phases -- when it is made out or received, when it is transferred, conversed to some other form and archived. I dealt also with another important phase of the life cycle of accounting records -- with the evidential financial reporting. There I came to conclusion that key phases are following: Firstly, there is need to provide evidential linkage between bookkeeping and the statements assembled. Further it is crucial to assure secured transfer of the statements to the final storage place or publishing location of the statements. Finally it is desirable to consider trustworthy storage place for the statements and also its evidential method of publishing them on the web. It is possible to deduce from the statistics available that information and procedures described in the thesis do not correspond with the actual ordinary practice in the Czech Republic. More likely it can be seen as a sum of the knowledge which can be technically and legally used by the accounting entities. Its wider use can be expected in the following years