Triple - Entry Bookkeeping: History and Benefits of the Concept

Abstract

With the emergence of the blockchain technology another concept is revived -triple-entry bookkeeping. The tTerm first occurred in 1989 in a paper written by Yuji Ijiri, this alternative accounting system was expanded at a later time. The Double entry bookkeeping evolved around the 1300s AD in Italy and is still being used to this day. Having in mind that this system is prone to error and fraud, this paper examines how triple entry bookkeeping contributes to transparency, future reference, reconciliation, assurance and auditing. Therefore, the analysis is carried out systematically, uniformly and consistently. Additionally, the changing role of external auditors in everyday operations will be evaluated and the paper concludes with a discussion of a proposed solution for the principalagent problem