accountant

n.
One that keeps, audits, and inspects the financial records of individuals or business concerns and prepares financial and tax reports.

accountancy ac·coun'tan·cy (-tən-sē) n.

A professional person who performs accounting functions.

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Accountants are the bean counters!

One who performs accounting services. Accountants prepare financial statements and tax returns, audit financial records, and develop financial plans. They work in private accounting (e.g., for a corporation), public accounting (e.g., for a CPA firm), not-for-profit accounting (e.g., for a governmental agency). Accountants often specialize in a particular area such as taxes, cost accounting, auditing, and management advisory services. A Bookkeeper is distinguished from an accountant as one who employs lesser professional skills. The bookkeeping function is primarily one of recording transactions in the journal and posting to the ledger. See also Certified Public Accountant.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A person who has the requisite skill and experience in establishing and maintaining accurate financial records for an individual or a business. The duties of an accountant may include designing and controlling systems of records, auditing books, and preparing financial statements. An accountant may give tax advice and prepare tax returns.

A public accountant renders accounting or auditing services for a number of employees, each of whom pays the accountant a fee for services rendered. He or she does more than just bookkeeping but does not generally have all the qualifications of a certified public accountant.

A certified public accountant is one who has earned a license in his or her state that attests to a high degree of skill, training, and experience. In addition to passing an accounting examination, a candidate must have the proper business experience, education, and moral character in order to qualify for the license. The letters CPA are commonly used and generally recognized to be the abbreviation for the title Certified Public Accountant.

The practice of accounting is a highly skilled and technical profession that affects public welfare. It is entirely appropriate for the state to regulate the profession by means of a licensing system for accountants. Some states do not permit anyone to practice accounting except certified public accountants, but other states use the title to recognize the more distinguished skills of a CPA while permitting others to practice as public accountants. All states limit the use of the title and the initials to those who are licensed as certified public accountants.

All accountants are held to high standards of skill in issuing professional opinions. They can be sued for malpractice if performance of their duties falls below standards for the profession.

IN BRIEF: A bookkeeper or a person who keeps financial records.

Mom took the receipts to her accountant.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - bogholder, revisor

Nederlands (Dutch)
accountant

Français (French)
n. - comptable

Deutsch (German)
n. - Buchprüfer, Rechnungsprüfer, Wirtschaftsprüfer, Buchhalter

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - λογιστής, λογίστρια

Italiano (Italian)
ragioniere, contabile

idioms:

• chartered accountant    commercialista

Português (Portuguese)
n. - contador (m), auditor (m)

idioms:

• certified public accountant    perito-contador (m)
• chartered accountant    revisor (m) contábil juramentado

Русский (Russian)
бухгалтер

idioms:

• certified public accountant    дипломированный бухгалтер
• chartered accountant    дипломированный бухгалтер

Español (Spanish)
n. - contador, contable

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - revisor, bokförare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
会计师, 会计人员

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 會計師, 會計人員

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 회계원

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 会計士, 会計係

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مسؤول ألمحاسبه, محاسب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רואה-חשבון, חשבונאי‬

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