A Good Accountant

A good accountant must be ethical, accurate, and dedicated. These qualities are hard to maintain in the handling of other people’s money, where temptation to fraud and negligence is strong. However, the consequences of poor accounting decisions can be grave, for both the accountant and those he or she serves. For example, if an accountant acts unethically and falsifies accounting records, a failing business might be misrepresented as a successful business, and investors would continue to invest in it. They would then lose their investment when the business finally failed, and the persons responsible for the fraud could be faced with monstrous fines and long prison sentences. The accountant’s reputation would suffer, as well; he would find fewer clients who would trust him with their money. Inaccuracy in accounting also has negative consequences. If an accountant makes a mistake as simple as putting an extra zero on the end of a dollar amount, then the business’s accounts will not balance and their checking account might become overdrawn, which could result in bounced checks and high bank fees. Accounting also requires dedication and hard work. If the accountant is careless, and misplaces important papers or procrastinates on a task, then the business might endure late payment fees or be unable to collect payment from a customer. I have reaped the consequences of procrastination in my personal finances. When I neglect to record and plan my financial activity, I find discrepancies in my records, and have piles of papers to analyze and file. Even worse, I don’t know if I’ve misplaced or forgotten something important, or if someone has stolen from me while I wasn’t paying attention. To search out the documentation of financial transactions, to proofread and correct every single stroke of the pen, and to get everything done on schedule, requires much time and effort. A good accountant, though, will devote himself to the task in order to serve the best interests of his clients.