The accounting assistant is one of the employees with Duties and responsibilities of an accounting clerk in a firm that within a company occupies the accounting department fulfilling tasks related to accounting such as accounting transactions.
However, depending on each firm, your duties are specific to the magnitude of that firm you work for, so …
What are the Duties and responsibilities of an accounting assistant in a firm
Like the Duties and responsibilities of an accounting clerk in a firm they vary according to the magnitude of each company, it is necessary to differentiate them.
The Duties and Responsibilities of an Accounting Clerk in a Small Business Firm
- When you are in the accounting department of a small business, it is usually your duty to take care of the entire accounting process for customer accounts.
- In this way, he must also deal with the payment request of each of the company’s clients.
- They take care of paying the bills.
- They are also in charge of generating the account balance,
- Bank reconciliations are part of the duties of the accounting clerk.
- The production and distribution of the reports is usually a duty of the accounting assistant depending on which the managers then carry out their review.
The Duties and responsibilities of an accounting assistant in a firm when it is a large company
When it is a large company, accounting assistants are specialized professionals whose tasks are assigned by the manager of the company to fulfill Duties and responsibilities of an accounting clerk in a firm related to the accounting process.
However, as it is a large company, it needs several accounting assistants to fulfill different functions, for example:
- An accounting assistant can be assigned to collect accounts, then his function will be to request payments from clients, communicate with clients with overdue accounts, and balance the accounts.
- Another auxiliary can be assigned accounts payable, enter creditor invoices, prepare and send checks, and communicate with creditors.
Responsibilities of the accounting clerk
As it is possible that the accounting assistants had a role when the reports and books that the public accountant or legal representative ended up signing to present to the control entities were prepared and elaborated, they assume responsibility due to their actions.
They can assume a civil or criminal responsibility in the case of acting incorrectly, since with a malicious and illegal action it harms third parties and therefore it is their responsibility to respond for that cause.
Depending on the laws of each country, in the exercise of his functions, when the accounting assistant commits a serious lack of professional ethics, he may not be allowed to register as a public accountant.
Although you do not have direct responsibility for the obligations that have to do with accounting, if you commit immoral, unethical or illegal acts that are related to accounting, you must assume certain responsibilities, since ethics is essential for every accounting assistant, it is fundamental Make good decisions and comply with the current legislation and regulations of the country where the company where you are working is located.
In fact, when the accounting is not carried out correctly, the certification corresponding to the fiscal auditor is distorted.
Therefore, when developing an accounting activity, you must adhere to the standards that are accepted and that govern the accounting activity, even if you are not a public accountant.
Well, if you are a public accountant, your responsibilities are greater due to your professional activity.
Obligations of an Accounting Employee in a Company
Companies hire employees to fill different roles within an accounting department, and an accounting clerk is generally one of the positions. Accounting clerks handle accounting transactions and accounting tasks. The specific duties of an accountant depend on the size of the company and the industry. The duties of accounting clerks can be merged with those of an accountant or entry-level accountant. If you want to start a career as an accounting clerk, you must familiarize yourself with common duties, necessary skills, and educational requirements.
Small companies
Accounting clerks in small companies are typically responsible for more tasks than accounting clerks in large companies. In a small business, an accounting clerk can handle the entire accounting process related to customer accounts. Many small businesses choose to hire experienced accountants rather than certified accountants. Common duties include applying for customer payments and account balancing, paying bills, bank reconciliations, and payroll. Some companies require accounting clerks to produce and distribute reports for managers to review.
Big enterprises
The functions of accounting clerks working in large companies tend to be more specialized. A manager can assign an accounting clerk to handle a part of the accounting process. Many large companies hire multiple accounting clerks to handle different tasks. For example, a manager might assign an accounting clerk to handle only accounts receivable tasks. Therefore, this accounting clerk applies customer payments, balances accounts, and contacts customers on overdue accounts. Another accounting clerk can handle accounts payable tasks, including entering vendor invoices into the system, preparing and submitting checks, and communicating with vendors.
Skills needed
One of the main skills that account clerks need is the ability to pay attention to detail. Accounting clerks must handle accounting transactions with as few errors as possible. Many accounting clerks handle a lot of paperwork, so they must be well organized. Accounting clerks are responsible for much of a company’s confidential financial information, and they must handle transactions with discretion and integrity. They must understand basic accounting principles, such as debits and credits.
Education Requirements
Most companies require accounting employees to have at least a high school diploma. However, some large companies prefer that they have a college degree or equivalent work experience. Very few companies require bachelor’s degrees unless the job is highly specialized. Accounting employees can benefit from accounting certifications acquired through community colleges and technical schools. Some companies require employees to have experience with certain accounting programs. Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access is also beneficial.