Using numbers and financial statements, accountants describe the health of a company, organization or individual, by using their skills in math, accounting, law and finance. They analyze profits and losses, providing information that investors and business owners need in order to evaluate how a company is doing over a period of time. This information forms the basis of a company's report and legal filing reports. The following are some of the duties that an accountant may have to perform:

Determines payroll requirements; maintains payroll data; prepares and processes monthly payrolls. Interact with internal and external auditors in completing audits. Explain billing invoices and accounting policies to staff, vendors and clients. Prepare and review budget, revenue, expense, payroll entries, invoices, and other accounting documents. Analyze and review budgets and expenditures for local, state, federal, and private funding, contracts, and grants. Prepare profit and loss statements and monthly closing and cost accounting reports. Analyze revenue and expenditure trends and recommend appropriate budget levels, and ensure expenditure control. Compile and analyze financial information to prepare entries to accounts, such as general ledger accounts, and document business transactions. Supervise the input and handling of financial data and reports for the company's automated financial systems. Resolve accounting discrepancies. Establish, maintain, and coordinate the implementation of accounting and accounting control procedures. Recommend, develop and maintain financial data bases, computer software systems and manual filing systems.