---
name: accountant
description: "Occupational skill for the role 'accountant' (also: accounting technician, bookkeeper, accounting supervisor, accounting officer, certified public accountant, financial accountant). Use when the user asks for typical accountant work such as: Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.; Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.; Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies."
---

# Accountant

Accountants review and analyse financial statements, budgets, financial reports, and business plans in order to check for irregularities resulting from error or fraud, and provide their clients with financial advice in matters such as financial forecasting and risk analysis. They may audit financial data, resolve insolvency cases, prepare tax returns and provide other tax-related advice in reference to current legislation.

## Core workflow

1. Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
2. Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
3. Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
4. Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
5. Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
6. Confer with company officials about financial and regulatory matters.
7. Examine and evaluate financial and information systems, recommending controls to ensure system reliability and data integrity.
8. Inspect cash on hand, notes receivable and payable, negotiable securities, and canceled checks to confirm records are accurate.

## How to use this skill

- Read `references/profile.md` for the occupation profile and scope.
- Consult `references/tasks.md` for the full task and activity inventory.
- Check `references/skills.md` for essential vs. optional competences.
- Check `references/tools.md` for the software commonly used in this role.

## Key competences (essential)

- accounting department processes
- accounting entries
- accounting techniques
- analyse financial performance of a company
- attach accounting certificates to accounting transactions
- bookkeeping regulations
- calculate tax
- check accounting records
- commercial law
- depreciation
- draft accounting procedures
- ensure compliance with accounting conventions
- explain accounting records
- financial department processes
- financial statements

## Hot technologies

- Intuit QuickBooks
- SAP Concur
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- SAS
- Alteryx software
- Tableau
- Salesforce software
- Teradata Database
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft SQL Server

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*Sources: ESCO v1.2.1 (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/eda0d957-3c3c-4139-b89a-a18bc9e18897), O*NET 30.3 (13-2011.00). See manifest.json for licensing/attribution.*
