4 ms·

I'm not sure you know many accountants if you think they don't like drilling deep.

by fwip 8y ago

elliekelly 8y ago
I am one. I've managed teams of them. And I've worked at a big 4 accounting firm. Accountants look for evidence that supports management's claims. They do not ask "why."
- haggy 8y ago
  I feel like your statement is incredibly broad. You don't think accountants ever ask "why"? In all your time as an account and manager of accountants, you've never had someone come to you asking about something that seemed weird to them?
  - elliekelly 8y ago
    Of course people have asked about things that seem weird. I'm not saying accountants never use the word "why." I'm saying that's not their role. The function of a public accountant is to gather enough evidence to be reasonably assured of management's assertions. That's it. They aren't investigating the company, they aren't looking for fraud (though sometimes they find it), and they aren't looking to poke holes in the story they've been told. They're looking to confirm it. If you think about the type of person who tends to become an accountant they're usually more of the box-checking/completionist type rather than the model-building/creative problem-solver type that become engineers. For the most part that's a good thing.
- mturmon 8y ago
  There is of course a huge difference between an "accountant" and a CPA. CPAs do have a code of ethics, but I'm not sure if it really has any teeth in practice. Care to comment?
  - elliekelly 8y ago
    > There is of course a huge difference between an "accountant" and a CPA. This is a very good point. And I should probably clarify that when I wrote my original comment I was indeed thinking more of a "bookkeeper" than a CPA. I am (fortunately) not too familiar with the AICPA's enforcement of their Code of Conduct. As far as the obligations of a CPA who suspects fraud it's more of a duty to report suspicions to someone in management who's probably not involved in the fraud and is in a position to investigate it. But it's very situation-dependent.
- fwip 8y ago
  That's fair, I apologize for my assumptions.

I'm not sure you know many accountants if you think they don't like drilling deep.

by fwip 8y ago

I'm not sure you know many accountants if you think they don't like drilling deep.

I am one. I've managed teams of them. And I've worked at a big 4 accounting firm. Accountants look for evidence that supports management's claims. They do not ask "why."

haggy 8y ago
I feel like your statement is incredibly broad. You don't think accountants ever ask "why"? In all your time as an account and manager of accountants, you've never had someone come to you asking about something that seemed weird to them?
- elliekelly 8y ago
  Of course people have asked about things that seem weird. I'm not saying accountants never use the word "why." I'm saying that's not their role. The function of a public accountant is to gather enough evidence to be reasonably assured of management's assertions. That's it. They aren't investigating the company, they aren't looking for fraud (though sometimes they find it), and they aren't looking to poke holes in the story they've been told. They're looking to confirm it. If you think about the type of person who tends to become an accountant they're usually more of the box-checking/completionist type rather than the model-building/creative problem-solver type that become engineers. For the most part that's a good thing.
mturmon 8y ago
There is of course a huge difference between an "accountant" and a CPA. CPAs do have a code of ethics, but I'm not sure if it really has any teeth in practice. Care to comment?
- elliekelly 8y ago
  > There is of course a huge difference between an "accountant" and a CPA. This is a very good point. And I should probably clarify that when I wrote my original comment I was indeed thinking more of a "bookkeeper" than a CPA. I am (fortunately) not too familiar with the AICPA's enforcement of their Code of Conduct. As far as the obligations of a CPA who suspects fraud it's more of a duty to report suspicions to someone in management who's probably not involved in the fraud and is in a position to investigate it. But it's very situation-dependent.
fwip 8y ago
That's fair, I apologize for my assumptions.