Accountant

By:

James Knight

James is a lead editor for Invezz, where he covers topics from across the financial world, from the stock… read more.

Updated: Aug 20, 2021

Ad disclosure

Invezz is an independent platform with the goal of helping users achieve financial freedom. In order to fund our work, we partner with advertisers who compensate us for users that Invezz refers to their services. While our reviews and assessments of each product on the site are independent and unbiased, brands may pay to appear higher up our table rankings or place ads in specific areas of the site. The order in which products and services appear on Invezz does not represent an endorsement from us, and please be aware that there may be other platforms available to you than the products and services that appear on our website. Read more about how we make money >

Generally speaking the term accountant refers to a person who is responsible for preparing and keeping the accounts of an organization. In a more specific sense it is used, with a prefix such as ‘Chief or ‘Assistant’ or ‘Cost’, to denote a post of financial responsibility in industry or commerce, e.g. the chief accountant of a business is the person appointed to control the financial running of the concern and. with his staff, to keep all books and records demanded by law or by the proprietor(s). His position is one of considerable responsibility.

The term is also used in a generic sense much as the term ‘lawyer’. Any unqualified person may set up in business as an ‘accountant’ and take in work – usually tax work. He may advertise himself as such but must not, by the use of a prefix or suffix, suggest that he is a member of a professional association.

Reference: The Penguin Business Dictionary, 3rd edt.