Various Ways To Use An Accounting Degree

By Tom Addison


What to do with an accounting degree is often a matter of personal interest as well as where a person sees him or herself in the future. For example, an individual who is an art lover may be an accountant for an art gallery or a museum. Another person might prefer to be self-employed with the option of hand-picking each client. Since there are four major branches where an accountant can work, public, government, auditing, and management, choosing a specialty may not be easy, but the possibilities are endless.

Public accountants may choose taxation as a specialty. They would be responsible for preparing personal and corporate income taxes. They would also advise clients on which financial moves to make in order to take advantage of tax laws. Some individuals may choose to become forensic accountants. Their job is to investigate discrepancies in the financial records of people accused of embezzlement, insider trading, or money laundering.

Private and public businesses subject to government regulation or taxation are monitored by government accountants. These individuals examine, maintain, and track financial information to make sure businesses obey laws and regulations. Government accountants can work at the federal, state, or local level.

Auditing is another specialty area individuals can choose from. Internal auditors monitor and evaluate the financial and information systems within their own corporations. Their goal is to identify fraud, wasteful spending, and misappropriation of funds at the management level. External auditors perform an identical role for corporations outside the ones they work for.

Management accountants record and interpret financial data for the companies they work for. They use this information to generate reports that affect the decision-making process of corporate executives. Reports are also prepared so shareholders and stockholders can determine the financial health of a company.

There are a lot of things a person can do with an accounting degree. However, the decision will probably be most affected by present interests and future goals.




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