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Accounting Career

Learn about what it means to be an accountant, duties you'll experience on the job, required education and training, and more.

Get Qualified For an Accounting Career:
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Industry

Business and Financial Operations

Career Description

Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization.

Education

Other Job Titles for Accountants

  • Treasurers and Controllers
  • Cost Estimators
  • Auditors
  • Budget Analysts
  • Credit Analysts
  • Tax Examiners, Collectors, and Revenue Agents
  • Actuaries
  • Economists

Common Accountant Work Tasks

  • Prepare, examine, or analyze accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
  • Compute taxes owed and prepare tax returns, ensuring compliance with payment, reporting or other tax requirements.
  • Analyze business operations, trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations, to project future revenues and expenses or to provide advice.
  • Report to management regarding the finances of establishment.
  • Establish tables of accounts and assign entries to proper accounts.
  • Develop, maintain, and analyze budgets, preparing periodic reports that compare budgeted costs to actual costs.
  • Develop, implement, modify, and document recordkeeping and accounting systems, making use of current computer technology.
  • Prepare forms and manuals for accounting and bookkeeping personnel, and direct their work activities.
  • Survey operations to ascertain accounting needs and to recommend, develop, or maintain solutions to business and financial problems.
  • Work as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents.
  • Advise management about issues such as resource utilization, tax strategies, and the assumptions underlying budget forecasts.
  • Provide internal and external auditing services for businesses or individuals.
  • Advise clients in areas such as compensation, employee health care benefits, the design of accounting or data processing systems, or long-range tax or estate plans.
  • Investigate bankruptcies and other complex financial transactions and prepare reports summarizing the findings.
  • Represent clients before taxing authorities and provide support during litigation involving financial issues.
  • Appraise, evaluate, and inventory real property and equipment, recording information such as the description, value and location of
    property.
  • Maintain or examine the records of government agencies.
  • Serve as bankruptcy trustees or business valuators.

Projected Employment Growth

  • Projected growth (2006-2016): 17.70%
  • Projected need (2006-2016): 225,575
  • Employment (2006): 1,274,357
Get Qualified For an Accounting Career:
Request more information from a top accounting school