Forensic Accounting Career Description

Forensic Accounting Job Profile And Description

A forensic accountant is an accountant with some special skills and expertise which allows him to investigate white collar frauds and crimes and find illegal activities conducted by companies or individuals in the corporate world. An accountant has to study a company’s accounts and make sure they are accurate and there is no fraud in terms of taxes etc and a forensic accountant deals with the various legal and investigative aspect of accounting and searches for any activity which points towards financial embezzlement. These professionals are in great demand and work for both private and government agencies and help to find out any instance of money laundering and fraud.

Forensic Accounting Duties And Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of a forensic accountant will involve:

• Study the financial documents of a company closely and identify any case of incorrect or illegal activities
• Look for any manipulation of records and if the company has broken any corporate law related to credit card fraud, money laundering, employee or securities fraud
• Analyse the financial statements and also testify in court to explain the financial fraud conducted by the company

Forensic Accounting Skills And Specifications

The skills and specifications that are required of a forensic accountant include:

• He must be honesty, have an eye for details and have great integrity of character
• He must have both good verbal and written skills

Forensic Accounting Education And Qualification

The education and qualification requirements for a forensic accountant are as follows:

• A bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting although some companies prefer a master’s degree
• Needs to pass the CPA exam and be certified by the professional body
• He needs to have good computer skills and knowledge of the required software

Forensic Accounting Salary

The median salary of a forensic accountant is $59,000 which may go up depending on the organisation.