Chapter 8 - The accountancy profession Flashcards
What is a profession?
Considered as an occupational area e.g. accountancy
What is profession characterised by?
- Mastering specialised skills
- Governance by professional associations
- Compliance with an ethical code
- Process of certification before being allowed to practice
What are attributes that distinguishes professions from other occupations?
- Formal regulatory process
- Great degree of autonomy
- Professional values
- Self regulation
- Coregulation
What is the importance of accountancy profession?
Concerned with the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers.
Where do accountants work?
- Public practice
- Business (public or private sector)
What type of services do public practice accountants provide?
- Reserved areas: insolvency, investment, audit and probate
- Other accountancy areas: Accounting, taxation, corporate finance, ICT, management consultancy, forensic accounting, financial management
What types of sectors do accountants work in business?
- Commerce
- Industry
- Service
- Public sector
- Education
- Not for profit e.g. charity
What roles do accountants have in business sectors?
- Transaction recording
- Management accountant
- Financial reporting
- Treasury management
- Administration
- Pension
What are the three basic aspects of the professional accountant’s work?
- Maintain control and safeguarding assets: Seek to ensure that all assets are kept safe through timely and accurate recording
- Financial Management: Management of all processes associated with the raising and use of financial resources in a business
- Financial reporting: Transactions and activities of the business, as represented in its accounting records, must be reported to external stakeholders
How can accountants support organisations for climate change and sustainability?
- Gather information required for mandatory reporting
- Compliance with regulation
- Paid Environmental taxes
- Enable business access green grants that are made available
[Green] Accountants also have the knowledge to assist with
- Accessing and managing any addition risks to business associated with climate change
- Creating strategies based on changes in the external environment
- Assess the impact the business will have on the external environment
- Access finance by making sure the business is sustainable and have sustainable strategies
- Gather and process data related to the business and help with social impact to assist with governance
-KPI
What are the five major accountancy bodies that form CCAB?
- ICAEW
- ICAS
- Chartered Accountants Ireland
- ACCA
- CIPFA
- Provides discussion forum and representative of profession
What is the IFAC?
International Federation of Accountants is an accounting body
- Promote high ideals of standards, ethics and accountancy issues worldwide
What areas can a chartered accountant work that a self claimed accountant cannot
- Audit
- Investment business
- insolvency
- probate
What are the chartered institutes in the UK and Ireland?
- England and wales - ICAEW
- Institute of chartered accountants of scotland (ICAS)
- Institute of chartered accountants in Ireland