Every time I go to a BBQ and people ask me what I'm doing, the moment I say "I'm an accountant" they immediately get that ghastly look on their face saying "Get me out of here quick" or they immediately start asking me about their taxes.
Both responses are not what I want when I'm at a BBQ, but it is indicative of both the stereotype and misconception surrounding accountants.The myth (and I say myth because if you've ever met me you know exactly what I mean) is that all accountants are boring, no sense of humor, no personality and very nerdy ... OK, I'm very nerdy Me will give you that, but I can promise you that the rest of the stereotype is way off.The other misconception is that an accountant is an Bookkeeper, and they all do the same thing ... presumably tax, but oh you're wrong.You see that accountants are like doctors - they are everywhere, but just as there are many different types of doctors - such as general practitioner, pediatrician, psychiatrist, oncologist, ophthalmologist, etc.
- in the accounting profession there are also different types of accountants - such as corporate accountants, management accountants , tax accountants, financial accountants, cost accountants, forensic accountants, and so on.The title Accountant is a broad term for anyone with a qualification in Accounting and to confuse you, companies sometimes give titles to employees such as 'accountant' even if they are not qualified but work in the accounting department.Each type of accountant works in completely different environments, with very different skills, solving different problems and besides all using debit and credit cards, there is often little in common between them - just as an oncologist wouldn't know much about them.
an ophthalmology management accountant has minimal knowledge about taxes.So what exactly is a tax Agent?
A tax agent is a specialist accountant who has studied tax and law to register with the Tax Practitioners Board.
If registered, they are licensed to provide tax services to the public, but this license is not a lifetime license - it must be renewed every three years.To maintain a license, they must have appropriate insurance, no criminal convictions, have their own tax affairs up to date, and keep their tax and legal knowledge up to date through continuing professional training - that's why we always seem to be attending conferences and seminars to be - because we are!While accountants and tax advisers are not the same, they can be the same person - take me, for example - and like doctors, accountants can clearly have more than one qualification or specialty - think pediatric oncology, for example.So how does an accountant fit into the equation?