Accountants Continued…

A variety of accreditations are available to Accountants who work to achieve more advanced skills:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)-offered for Accountants who complete a 2 day exam, have a 4 year degree, and have taken an extra 30 semester hours of accounting course work
  
  
• A CPA may be conferred the Accredited Business Valuation (ABV), Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), or Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation for specialized knowledge in those areas.
  
  
• The Institute of Management Accountant (IMA) offers a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation to Accountants who have worked 2 years in management accounting and passed a 4-part examination
  
  
• An Accountant who has worked for 2 years as an internal auditor may achieve a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation (4-part exam required) from the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).
  
  
• IIA also offers Certification in Control Self-Assessment (CASSIA), Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP) and Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA).

This list is by no means comprehensive. Accountants fulfill many more skill sets and can attain other certifications than can be listed here. For complete information on each certification and a more complete picture of available designations, please see the IMA, ACAT, IIA, and AICPA websites as listed below.


What Can an Accountant Do for My Business?

The right Accountant can be very helpful to your business. An Accountant can help make important decisions for your company. By analyzing and interpreting financial information the Accountant can provide guidance on product direction, process implementation and fiscal decisions. An Accountant can help your business with the following:

1. Taxes
   1. Guide you in areas of tax and regulatory compliance
   2. Deal with the IRS if necessary
   3. Keep an eye on the tax ramifications of every company decision
   
   
   
2. Finance
   1. Develop your business plan, cash flow statements
   2. Work hard to help obtain needed financing on your behalf
   3. Establish record keeping and recording systems
   4. Manage cash and risk
   5. Design benefit plans
   6. Manage assets (inventory)

An experienced Accountant possessing objectivity and integrity can provide your company with valuable insight and guidance for its profitable operation.

By MS Kauffman