CPA
Licensed financial examiner
CPA is the abbreviation for certified public accountant—a professional who has passed a standardized exam and met state licensing requirements to practice accounting.
CPAs handle tax preparation, auditing, and financial advising.
The credential signals expertise and legal authorization to sign off on financial statements: Our CPA found some deductions we'd missed.
Recording financial transactions systematically
- ledgerFinancial record book
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- journal entriesRecorded personal observations
- balance sheetAssets-liabilities-equity report
financial reporting · accrual · depreciation · payroll · general ledger · cash flow · trial balance · QuickBooks
Formal accounts examination
- financial statementsFormal records of transactions
- verificationProving something accurate
- internal controlsOrganizational oversight procedures
- GAAPFinancial reporting conventions
attestation · materiality · sampling · audit trail · compliance · risk assessment · fraud detection · due diligence
Federal tax collector
- deductionsConclusions from reasoning
- filingStoring documents systematically
- tax returnsIncome disclosure forms
- withholdingKeeping from another
brackets · refund · liability · 1040 · W-2 · itemize · standard deduction · capital gains
Official permission to practice
- Big FourDominant group of four
- state boardRegional administrative authority
- continuing educationOngoing professional coursework after graduation
- designationFormal name or title
Moral soundness and consistency
- confidentialityQuality of protecting secrets
- objectivityFreedom from personal bias
- independenceFreedom from external control
- due careLegally required attentiveness
code of conduct · fiduciary duty · conflict of interest · client privilege · impartiality · trustworthiness · competence
bookkeeping
Recording financial transactions systematically
- ledgerFinancial record book
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- journal entriesRecorded personal observations
balance sheet · financial reporting · accrual · depreciation · payroll · general ledger · cash flow · trial balance · QuickBooks · year-end
audit
Formal accounts examination
- financial statementsFormal records of transactions
- verificationProving something accurate
- internal controlsOrganizational oversight procedures
GAAP · attestation · materiality · sampling · audit trail · compliance · risk assessment · fraud detection · due diligence · assurance
IRS
Federal tax collector
- deductionsConclusions from reasoning
- filingStoring documents systematically
- tax returnsIncome disclosure forms
withholding · brackets · refund · liability · 1040 · W-2 · itemize · standard deduction · capital gains · estate tax
licensure
Official permission to practice
- Big FourDominant group of four
- state boardRegional administrative authority
- continuing educationOngoing professional coursework after graduation
integrity
Moral soundness and consistency
- confidentialityQuality of protecting secrets
- objectivityFreedom from personal bias
- independenceFreedom from external control
due care · code of conduct · fiduciary duty · conflict of interest · client privilege · impartiality · trustworthiness · competence
- Federal TaxesIRS, tax return, tax refund, Form 1040, 1040
- Accountantsauditor, chartered accountants, bookkeeper, bookkeepers, forensic accountants
- tax professionalstax preparer, tax attorney, tax advisor, tax consultant, tax lawyer
- examsexam, test, quiz, final exam, midterm
- licensed professionalsdoctor, dentist, lawyer, attorney, pharmacist
- professional designationdoctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer, architect
CPAuncertified
Lacking official approval
bookkeeper · amateur · layperson · tax preparer · hobbyist
CPAspendthrift
Reckless with money
speculator · profligate · gambler · day trader · big spender
CPAtax cheat
One who evades payment
tax evader · money launderer · fraudster · embezzler · con artist
certified, certify, certification, certifiable, certifiably, certificate, public, publicly, publicize