8 Types of Accounting Documents

You Should Know

Indeed Editorial Team
Updated October 1, 2022

Video: A Day in the Life of an Accountant

In this video, we follow Ektaa, a tax accountant working for

a family-owned accounting firm, as she shares the skills and
education needed to be a successful accountant.

Working in accounting can offer stable employment and competitive

pay. There are many different types of accountants and areas of
accounting, which means accountants typically use several kinds of
documents to perform their job duties. If you enjoy working with
numbers and have a background knowledge of business or finance,
a career in accounting might be ideal for you. In this article, we
explore eight types of accounting documents and consider how
accountants use them.

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What is an accountant?
An accountant is a finance professional who helps clients organize
their financial records. Accountants can work with their clients to
prepare financial reports, analyze financial records, file taxes and
create budgets. Many accountants work at accounting firms, but
they can also work for a specific company or organization as an in-
house employee. There are many different types of accounting,
which means there are typically several opportunities to find work
as an accountant in a number of industries. Regardless of where
they work, accountants typically have an extensive background in
finance and training in accounting principles, technology and laws.

Here are a few areas that accountants can specialize in:

 Financial accounting
 Tax accounting
 Management accounting
 Public accounting
 Government accounting
 Forensic accounting
 Internal auditing

Related: Learn About Being an Accountant

What does an accountant do?

An accountant's main responsibility is to assist their clients with
managing their finances. Because there are many different
specialties and areas in accounting, an accountant's specific job
duties might vary depending on the clients they work for or the
industry their clients operate in. However, most accountants have
the ability to prepare financial documents and offer advice about
financial decisions to their clients, whether they're individuals or
organizations. This can involve analyzing financial data to include in
reports, creating balance sheets and other documents and offering
advice on how a client can improve their financial standing.

Here are a few more common job duties that accountants fulfill:

 Maintaining accuracy in written financial documents

 Meeting with clients to discuss financial goals and
actions
 Preparing tax returns and filing taxes
 Observing an institution's financial operations to
develop financial strategy
 Performing forecasting and risk analysis

Related: 11 Accounting Resume Skills To Impress Employers (Plus

Sample Skills Section)
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8 types of accounting documents

Here are eight types of documents that accountants use in their
jobs:

Invoice

An invoice is a record of credit transactions from a sale or

purchase. Some accountants might also call an invoice a bill once
it's received by the purchaser in a transaction. Invoices are created
whenever a client sells or purchases something on credit as a way
of keeping track of how much money a client actually has.
Accountants typically prepare multiple copies when they create an
invoice to ensure that the client and the purchaser or seller both
receive one.