Comptroller

A comptroller or controller (pronounced /ˈkɒmtroʊlər/ or /kənˈtroʊlər/; also financial controller, abrv. FC) is a person who supervises accounting and financial reporting within an organization. A controller is an accountant in a business who oversees accounting and the implementation and monitoring of internal controls. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, a controller or financial controller is a senior position within most companies.

Etymology

The term comptroller evolved in the 15th century through a blend of the Middle English countreroller (someone who checks a copy of a scroll, from the French contreroule "counter-roll, scroll copy") and the French compte ("an account"), thus creating a title for a compteroller who specializes in checking financial ledgers.^[1][2] This etymology explains why the name is pronounced identically to "controller" despite the unique spelling. However, comptroller is often pronounced phonetically in modern times, by those unaware of its heady origin^[3].

In Government

Colombia

In Colombia the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: Contraloría General de la República de Colombia) is an independent government institution that acts as the highest form of fiscal control in the country. As such, it has a mission to seek the proper allocation of resources and public funds.

Each Departmental Government has its own Comptroller General, and big cities such as Santiago de Cali also have a similar position for accountability purposes.

India

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is an authority, established by the Constitution of India, who audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government. The CAG is also the external auditor of government-owned companies. The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees, which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad). The CAG of India is also the head of the Indian Audits and Accounts Service, which has over 58,000 employees across the country.

Ireland

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) (Irish: Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste) is a constitutional officer whose office was established under Article 33 of the Constitution of Ireland. The CAG is appointed by the President on the nomination of Dáil Éireann. Based in Dublin Castle, the CAG operates independently of government. The office of the CAG is required to audit spending authorized by the legislature. The current CAG is John Buckley. The office of the CAG deals directly with citizens along with State officials.

Singapore

In Singapore, the body managing tax records is referred to as "The Comptroller of Income Tax".

Taiwan

United Kingdom

The title of comptroller is also used in British Politics - the Comptroller of the Household is a senior Whip, a senior member of the Royal Household, though his duties in this regard are purely nominal. The Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, however, is a full-time member of the Royal Household. His duties are concerned with the arrangement of ceremonial affairs rather than financial affairs.

The National Audit Office is headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

In the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Channel Islands, Comptroller is the name for second-most senior Law Officer of the Crown. This corresponds to the office of Deputy Attorney-General in Jersey and other jurisdictions.

United States

In addition to its use in businesses, the title of comptroller is held by various government officials. The Comptroller General is the director of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an agency founded in 1921 to ensure the accountability of the federal government. Banks are supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an officer within the federal Department of The Treasury.^[4] Several states and local governments (cities, counties, etc.) have comptrollers or controllers, variously elected or appointed, with widely varying powers over budgetary and management matters.

See also

Look up comptroller in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Comptroller of the Household
• Treasurer
• Auditor general

Notes and references

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