Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are financial recordkeepers. They update and maintain accounting records, including those which calculate expenditures, receipts, accounts payable and receivable, and profit and loss. These workers have a wide range of skills from full-charge bookkeepers who can maintain an entire company's books to accounting clerks who handle specific tasks. All of these clerks make numerous computations each day and increasingly must be comfortable using computers to calculate and record data.
In small businesses, bookkeepers and bookkeeping clerks often have responsibility for some or all of the accounts, known as the general ledger. They record all transactions and post debits (costs) and credits (income). They also produce financial statements and prepare reports and summaries for supervisors and managers. Bookkeepers also prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to the bank. They also may handle payroll, make purchases, prepare invoices, and keep track of overdue accounts.
In large-companies' accounting departments, accounting clerks have more specialized tasks. Their titles, such as accounts payable clerk or accounts receivable clerk, often reflect the type of accounting they do. In addition, their responsibilities vary by level of experience. Entry-level accounting clerks post details of transactions, total accounts, and compute interest charges. They also may monitor loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date. More advanced accounting clerks may total, balance, and reconcile billing vouchers; ensure the completeness and accuracy of data on accounts; and code documents according to company procedures.
Accounting clerks post transactions in journals and on computer files and update the files when needed. Senior clerks also review computer printouts against regularly maintained journals and make necessary corrections. They may review invoices and statements to ensure that all the information appearing on them is accurate and complete, and they may reconcile computer reports with operating reports.
Auditing clerks verify records of transactions posted by other workers. They check figures, postings, and documents to ensure that they are correct, mathematically accurate, and properly coded. They also correct or note errors for accountants or other workers to fix.
As organizations continue to computerize their financial records, many bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks use specialized accounting software, spreadsheets, and databases. Most clerks now enter information from receipts or bills into computers, and the information is then stored either electronically or as computer printouts, or both. The widespread use of computers also has enabled bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks to take on additional responsibilities, such as payroll, procurement, and billing. Many of these functions require these clerks to write letters and make phone calls to customers or clients.
Work environment. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work in an office environment. They may experience eye and muscle strain, backaches, headaches, and repetitive motion injuries from using computers on a daily basis. Clerks may have to sit for extended periods while reviewing detailed data.
Many bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks work regular business hours and a standard 40-hour week, although some may work occasional evenings and weekends. About 24 percent of these clerks worked part time in 2006.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks may work longer hours to meet deadlines at the end of the fiscal year, during tax time, or when monthly or yearly accounting audits are performed. Additionally, those who work in hotels, restaurants, and stores may put in overtime during peak holiday and vacation seasons.
| 1. | Check figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes. |
| 2. | Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information. |
| 3. | Comply with federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations. |
| 4. | Debit, credit, and total accounts on computer spreadsheets and databases, using specialized accounting software. |
| 5. | Classify, record, and summarize numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records, using journals and ledgers or computers. |
| 6. | Calculate, prepare, and issue bills, invoices, account statements, and other financial statements according to established procedures. |
| 7. | Compile statistical, financial, accounting or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses. |
| 8. | Code documents according to company procedures. |
| 9. | Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts. |
| 10. | Operate 10-key calculators, typewriters, and copy machines to perform calculations and produce documents. |
| 11. | Reconcile or note and report discrepancies found in records. |
| 12. | Perform financial calculations such as amounts due, interest charges, balances, discounts, equity, and principal. |
| 13. | Perform general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence. |
| 14. | Prepare bank deposits by compiling data from cashiers, verifying and balancing receipts, and sending cash, checks, or other forms of payment to banks. |
| 15. | Receive, record, and bank cash, checks, and vouchers. |
| 16. | Calculate and prepare checks for utilities, taxes, and other payments. |
| 17. | Compare computer printouts to manually maintained journals to determine if they match. |
| 18. | Reconcile records of bank transactions. |
| 19. | Prepare trial balances of books. |
| 20. | Monitor status of loans and accounts to ensure that payments are up to date. |
| 21. | Transfer details from separate journals to general ledgers or data processing sheets. |
| 22. | Compile budget data and documents, based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets. |
| 23. | Calculate costs of materials, overhead and other expenses, based on estimates, quotations and price lists. |
| 24. | Match order forms with invoices, and record the necessary information. |
| 25. | Complete and submit tax forms and returns, workers' compensation forms, pension contribution forms, and other government documents. |
| 26. | Maintain inventory records. |
| 27. | Perform personal bookkeeping services. |
| 28. | Compute deductions for income and social security taxes. |
| 29. | Prepare purchase orders and expense reports. |
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