Why Two Sets of Books?

This past year you were married. This coming April you will be faced with preparing your first tax return since mom and dad said “you are now on your own.” As you review the IRS regulations, you notice several differences from what you learned in your accounting class. It appears that businesses must keep two sets of books: one for the IRS and one in accordance with GAAP. Why aren’t GAAP and IRS rules the same?