Accountant

• Accountants provide financial advice to clients that range from multinational organizations and governmental bodies to small independent businesses. Accountants often specialize in particular areas of practice, including audit, management consultancy, recovery, forensic accountancy, taxation, assurance, and corporate finance (see the accountancy areas of work for more details). Typical duties include:
• Preparing accounts and tax returns
• Administering payrolls and controlling income and expenditure
• Auditing financial information
• Compiling and presenting reports, budgets, business plans, commentaries and financial statements
• Analysing accounts and business plans
• Providing tax planning services with reference to current legislation
• Financial forecasting and risk analysis
• Dealing with insolvency cases
• Negotiating the terms of business deals and moves with clients and associated organizations
• Meeting and interviewing clients
• Managing colleagues, workloads and deadlines.
• Work tends to be office based, with working hours often extending beyond the regular nine to five at peak times, such as at the end of the financial year.

Typical employers of accountants

• Private firms of accountants
• Professional services firms
• Industrial organizations
• Charities and not for profit organizations
• Commercial and corporate organizations
• Governmental bodies
• The public sector