How to become an accountant

Before you pursue public accounting, you should have a clear idea of what it is you want to do. An accountant handles bookkeeping and tax, while a CPA does the functions of an accountant plus other tasks. Many CPA's expand into a number of endeavours; they are considered one of the toughest career choices as far as education is concerned.

What Is A CPA?

A CPA is a Certified Public Accountant. This qualification proves that you have an understanding of accounting practices and fundamentals. CPA's also understand the laws, rules and regulations of accounting. The general assumption is that a CPA accountant's job is to file tax returns because of the number of them that do so during tax season. However, this is a matter done in private practice only.
What Is required to become a CPA? To become a qualified accountant, you are required to pass an exam formed by the Boards of Accountancy, which is typically regulated and varies based on state. You can begin by taking a CPA course at a community college in your area, or online if your schedule is busy. Once you have your CPA, other careers in accounting are available, like an auditor or many financial positions such as brokerage and investment firms. As a CPA, you are required to continue education every two years, usually for 80 hours to stay updated on rules and regulations. What Is an accountant? An accountant is an educated individual who manages the transactions and accounts of a business as well as managing tax records. At minimum, an accountant is good with numbers, has excellent attention to detail and knows how to balance the sheets of a general ledger. To become an accountant, one should begin taking accountant courses in high school if at all possible. This covers basic accounting fundamentals such as arithmetic, spending reports and how to manage a general ledger. After high school, college course can be taken online or in on campus.

What are the different types of accountants?

In the British Commonwealth (U.K., Canada, New Zealand, Australia), there are different types of qualifications for an accountant to achieve. ACCA in the UK is one of the most recognised, standing for Association of Chartered Certified Accountant. Another popular one is the ACA qualification, or CA, which is a Chartered Certified Accountant, or Chartered Accounting. There is an added responsibility in becoming a CCA or CA accountant. If you are interested in how to become a chartered accountant, start by studying to be an ACCA, as you can become a part qualified accountant just by beginning the program. There are also online courses and classes on campus that specialise in obtaining your accountant goals.