What is an accountant?

Accountants play an important role across all sectors of the economy. From large corporations to small high-street shops, accountants are involved in the day-to-day running of businesses.

If you’re wondering ‘what is an accountant?’ we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll explore the roles of an accountant, the different types of accountants, and what accountants do in their day-to-day work.

Interested in an accountancy career? See our courses.

What are accountants?

An accountant is a professional who performs accounting functions. They work in a variety of different places, from accounting firms to in-house accounting departments, or even their own professional practice.

An accountant's role will depend largely on the specialist area they qualify into. 

What are the main types of accountant?

There are several key roles of an accountant, with different primary responsibilities, including management accountants, financial accountants, and tax accountants.

Management accountant

Management accountants are responsible for collecting and presenting financial information to inform a company’s strategic decision making. They work alongside the finance team as well as the management team to prepare, develop, and analyse financial information to encourage efficiency and profitability. Management accountants complete similar tasks to those of chartered accountants, but act in support of the management team.

Become a management accountant through AICPA & CIMA.

Financial accountant

The role of a financial accountant is to analyse and profess information about financial records. The key areas they focus on are financial reporting, taxation, business recovery, insolvency, and corporate finance. Financial accountants are responsible for auditing accounts and financial statements, and giving advice that may be acted upon to save money or increase profitability.

Become a financial accountant with ACCA and ICAEW.

Tax accountant

Tax accountants are responsible for providing advisory services to clients using their knowledge of tax legislation. Their role requires them to keep up with changing tax laws and explain complex legislation to clients. They are expected to provide advice on how they can pay their taxes efficiently, and benefit from any relevant tax exemptions and advantages. Tax accountants may work in personal (individual clients) or corporate (business) capacities.

Learn more about becoming a qualified tax accountant with CTA and ATT.

Career prospects

A career as an accountant offers excellent career prospects across a range of different sectors, and there’s huge scope for change and personal development.

Accountants also benefit from high demand. The knowledge and skills of accountants are invaluable to businesses to help them maintain profitability and adhere to government policy. This offers lucrative job prospects for accountants across many industries.

Becoming an accountant allows you to decide which area of industry interests you the most, and then take the relevant qualification exams to specialise in your chosen area.

How to qualify as an accountant

An accountancy career is open for anyone, from university graduates, school leavers, to career changers. Many apprentices qualify through an accountancy apprenticeship, but some self-fund their exams.

To become an accountant, you will need to complete a professional qualification. Some of the globally recognised accountancy qualifications are:

Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)

ACCA Chartered Certified Accountant (CCA)

CIMA Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)

ICAEW Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA)

ICAS Chartered Accountant (CA)

CIOT Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA)

To learn more about how to become an accountant, read the guide.

Alternatively, you can view our accountancy professional qualifications, or speak to a specialist adviser on:

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