Accounting or accountancy is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. The modern field was established by the Benedikt Kotruljevic in 1458, merchant, economist, scientist, diplomat and humanist from Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli in 1494. Accounting, which has been called the "language of business", measures the results of an organization's economic activities and conveys this information to a variety of users, including investors, creditors, management, and regulators. Practitioners of accounting are known as accountants. The terms "accounting" and "financial reporting" are often used as synonyms.
Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), also known as Ernst & Young, is a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom. EY is one of the largest professional services firms in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), EY is considered one of the Big Four accounting firms. EY has recently shifted its historical business focus towards consulting. In particular, EY advanced its market presence in digital and strategic consulting and entered into direct competition with what has been a traditional field of "Big Three" companies, namely Bain, McKinsey and BCG. By a series of acquisitions and shift of market focus, EY expanded its market share in areas including operations services consulting, strategy services consulting, HR services consulting, financial services consulting and technology services consulting.
KPMG is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Financial statements are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a multinational professional services network with headquarters in London, United Kingdom. PwC ranks as the second largest professional services firm in the world and is one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, EY and KPMG.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the national professional organization of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States, with more than 418,000 members in 143 countries in business and industry, public practice, government, education, student affiliates and international associates. Founded in 1887, the organization sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It also develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination. The AICPA maintains offices in New York City; Washington, DC; Durham, NC; and Ewing, NJ. The AICPA celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2012.
A financial audit is conducted to provide an opinion whether "financial statements" are stated in accordance with specified criteria. Normally, the criteria are international accounting standards, although auditors may conduct audits of financial statements prepared using the cash basis or some other basis of accounting appropriate for the organisation. In providing an opinion whether financial statements are fairly stated in accordance with accounting standards, the auditor gathers evidence to determine whether the statements contain material errors or other misstatements.
An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance. They may be considered as grey literature. Most jurisdictions require companies to prepare and disclose annual reports, and many require the annual report to be filed at the company's registry. Companies listed on a stock exchange are also required to report at more frequent intervals.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. DFAS was established in 1991 under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer to strengthen and reduce costs of financial management and operations within DOD. DFAS is responsible for all payments to servicemembers, employees, vendors, and contractors. It provides business intelligence and finance and accounting information to DOD decisionmakers. DFAS is also responsible for preparing annual financial statements and the consolidation, standardization, and modernization of finance and accounting requirements, functions, processes, operations, and systems for DOD.
A going concern is a business that functions without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future, which is usually regarded as at least the next 12 months. "Going concern" implies for the business the basic declaration of intention to keep operating its activities at least for the next year, which is a basic assumption for preparing financial statements that comprehend the conceptual framework of the IFRS. Hence, a declaration of going concern means that the business has neither the intention nor the need to liquidate or to materially curtail the scale of its operations.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to accounting:
The British Accounting Review is an academic journal of the British Accounting and Finance Association that was established in 1969. Serving its purpose to educate and connect users, the British Accounting Review helps uphold the mission of the British Accounting and Finance Association.
Robert Hugh Gray FCCA, FCA, MBE, is Professor of Social and Environmental Accounting at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Until recently he was also the Director of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR).
The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Finance of the Singapore Government. ACRA is the national regulator of business entities, public accountants and corporate service providers in Singapore. ACRA also plays the role of a facilitator for the development of business entities and the public accountancy profession.
The Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting is a triannual peer-reviewed academic journal published by John Wiley & Sons. It covers the international aspects of financial management, banking, financial services, auditing, and taxation. The editors-in-chief are Sidney Gray and Richard Levich.
The Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP) is a professional body offering qualification and training in management accountancy and providing ongoing support for the members.
Thomas Jeanjean is a French accounting academic. President of the French Accounting Association. Thomas Jeanjean is currently the dean for executive education at ESSEC Business School.
Robert Half International, or commonly referred as, Robert Half, is a global human resource consulting firm based in Menlo Park, California founded in 1948. It is a member of the S&P 500, and is credited as being the world's first and largest accounting and finance staffing firm, with over 345 locations worldwide.
Christine Cooper is a British accounting academic. She holds a Chair in Accounting at the University of Edinburgh Business School and is co-editor-in-chief of Critical Perspectives on Accounting. Her research examines the economic, political and social impact of accounting.
