Who is an Accountant?

An accountant can be defined as the person in charge of accounting and he or she is required to follow a given set of rules and regulations like Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The basic accounting functions are managed by a bookkeeper and advance accounting functions are to be handled by qualified accountants having requisite knowledge and skills like Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in the United States or Chartered Accountant (CA)/ Certified General Accountant (CGA) /Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in Canada. These accounting designations require extensive study for 3-4 years and rigorous examinations along with a minimum number of years of practical accounting experience.