Unit: 2

The Field of Accounting (1)

Accounting is a basic and vital element in every modern business. It records the past growth or
decline of the business. Careful analysis of these results and trends may suggest the ways in which the
business may grow in the future. Expansion or reorganization should not be planned without the proper
analysis of the accounting information; and new products and the campaigns to advertise and sell them
should not be launched without help of the accounting expertise.
The field of accounting is divided into three board divisions: public, private, and governmental. A
certified public accountant, or CPA, as the term usually abbreviated, must pass series of examinations,
after which he or she receives a certificate. In the United States, the certification examinations are
prepared and administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The various states
or other major governmental jurisdictions set additional qualification for residence, experience, and so on.
The British equivalent of CPA is called chartered accountant.
Public accounting consists largely of auditing and tax services. An audit is a review of financial
records of an organization. It is usually performed at fixed interval of time – perhaps quarterly, semi-
annually, or annually. And as the tax laws have grown increasingly complex, not only corporation but
also individuals have had to utilize the services of accountants in preparing their tax forms and calculating
their tax liability. Business enterprises, government agencies, and non-profit organization all employ
public accountants either regularly or on part-time basis.
Many accountants work in government offices or non-profit organizations. These two areas are
often joined together under the term governmental and institutional accounting. The two are similar
because of legal restriction in the way to which they receive and spend funds. Therefore, a legal
background is sometimes necessary for this type of accounting practice.

All branches of government employ accountants. In the United States, this includes federal, state,
and local governments. In addition, government-owned corporations in the United States and in many
other countries have accountants on their staffs. All of these accountants, like those in private industry,
work on salary basis. They tend to become specialist in limited fields like transportation or public
utilities.
Non-profit organizations are of course in business for some purpose other than making money.
They include cultural organizations like symphony orchestras or opera societies, charitable organizations,
religious groups, or corporate-owned research organizations. Although they are limited in the manner in
which they can raise and spend they funds, they usually benefits from special provisions in the tax laws.
Private accountants, also called executive or administrative accountants, handle the financial
records of a business. Like those who work for the government or non-profit organizations, they are
salaried rather paid a fee. Those who work for manufacturing concerns are sometimes called industrial
accountants. Some large corporations employ hundreds of employees in their accounting offices.
The chief accounting officer of a company is controller, or comptroller, as he or she sometimes
called. Controllers are responsible for maintaining the records of the company’s operations. On the basis
of the data that have been recorded, they measure the company’s performance; they interpret the results of
the operations; and they plan and recommend future action. This position is very close to the top of
management. Indeed, a controller is often just a step away from being executive officer of a corporation.

I. Answer the following questions.

1. How important accounting is to a business? Why?
2. Explain in brief what you know about :
a. Public accountant
b. Private accountant
c. Government accountant
3. Describe the services that can be given by a CPA
4. What is a controller and what does he or she do?
5. What is the advantage of being a CPA?
6. Do we have the same title as CPA? What is that?
7. What is the different between public accountant and private accountant beside their service?
8. What does an auditor do?

II. Word Study

NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE ADVERB

addition to add additional additionally
comparison to compare comparable comparably
comparative
consideration to consider considerate considerately
considerateness considerable considerably
distinctness - distinct distinctly
distinction - distinctive
employer to employ employable
employee -
employment
product to produce productive productively
production
producer
productivity
produce

III. Fill in the blanks with suitable words

1. to add
a. We must …… the numbers quickly
b. This is an …… charges for the exporters
c. The sign + stands for …..
2. to consider
a. In my ….., he is a …… person. He always ……everything so his decision is always …..
b. The model is ….. good
3. distinct
a. We can see a clear …… between the educated and the uneducated people.
b. There is a …… improvement in their work after the training.
c. The employees wear a …… uniform
4. to employ
Our …. decided to ..... some new ......through the ....... agency
5. to produce
a. We plan to ...... a new .... to increase our .....
b. The ..... manager has checked the .... and found out that the workers are very ....They
work .....which make the company becomes the main ......in the country.