Bookkeepper up to TB or year end accountant jobs only, nothing in between?

Londina

I have been looking into the job market of accountancy practices and it seems that there are plenty of accounts assistant/bookkeepers roles dealing with accounts up to trial balance or accountant positions dealing with final accounts only.

Also for jobs up to trial balance AAT qualification is required, but for final accounts jobs mainly ACA/ACCA and very rare AAT.... :-(

What about if someone that manage a portfolio of clients wants to do bookkeeping AND also do the final accounts? Does it exist? What is called that position?

A-Vic

Londina wrote: »

I have been looking into the job market of accountancy practices and it seems that there are plenty of accounts assistant/bookkeepers roles dealing with accounts up to trial balance or accountant positions dealing with final accounts only.

Also for jobs up to trial balance AAT qualification is required, but for final accounts jobs mainly ACA/ACCA and very rare AAT.... :-(

What about if someone that manage a portfolio of clients wants to do bookkeeping AND also do the final accounts? Does it exist? What is called that position?

I think its called an MIP and own business

Londina

A-Vic wrote: »

I think its called an MIP and own business

hahahha no seriously, why it's that? cannot a person that does all the bookkeeping for a client also do the year end, a complete process? Why an employer wants to split this process into 2 people?

Richard

Londina wrote: »

Also for jobs up to trial balance AAT qualification is required, but for final accounts jobs mainly ACA/ACCA and very rare AAT.... :-(

What about if someone that manage a portfolio of clients wants to do bookkeeping AND also do the final accounts? Does it exist? What is called that position?

Where I work the Accounts Assistants, (of which I am one), are all AAT qualified and we prepare accounts upto draft stage for review by the manager. We also prepare the corporation tax computuation. If the manager finds no errors or queries with our work, then no amendments are made, and the final accounts are issued.

I think every practice is different, but if you can show that you are capable of producing a full set of accounts, it will be cost effective for the firm to let you as presumably, an assistant will have a lower chargeout rate!

Londina

Richard wrote: »

I think every practice is different, but if you can show that you are capable of producing a full set of accounts, it will be cost effective for the firm to let you as presumably, an assistant will have a lower chargeout rate!

But some practices don't give you the opportunity, everybody is busy, your job title is accounts assistant and you are hired to update the accounts up to TB, then it will be pass into a chartered accountant or someone into a senior position.

Nowdays really doesn't require that much to produce a full set of accounts, the bulk of the work is done anyway by the bookkeeper, just need to key the numbers into an accounting software like Iris, Digita, etc...and a financial statement is done, including tax returns.

I don't undestand why employers want to make such distinction!

burg

Could it be from the basis of the partner not having to review basic bookkeeping? If the bookkeeping is reviewed by a senior and then they prepare a set of accounts then the partner only need review a small proportion of the bookkeeping and the accounts rather than everything. It could help to reduce errors?

Doesn't mean the lower staff can't do it just each to their own ways I suppose.

When I was employed we did everything up to draft then any post meeting adjustments then CT comps. Tax department dealt with other taxes. We did not have any client contact though which is different to other places.

RAS

I would say that accountancy practices operate in many different ways. However, I think that at most practices even the more junior staff would be trained to prepare full draft sets of accounts for a senior/manager/partner to review, rather than just bookkeeping to trial balance.

coojee

Where I used to work the AAT quals and students did the sole traders and the partnerships and the ACCA/ACA students and quals did the limited companies. Both sides did everything up to final accounts including the tax. The tax department only dealt with personal tax. All practices are different though, depends on the size of the practice and the number of staff.

AK002

Londina wrote: »

But some practices don't give you the opportunity, everybody is busy, your job title is accounts assistant and you are hired to update the accounts up to TB, then it will be pass into a chartered accountant or someone into a senior position.

Nowdays really doesn't require that much to produce a full set of accounts, the bulk of the work is done anyway by the bookkeeper, just need to key the numbers into an accounting software like Iris, Digita, etc...and a financial statement is done, including tax returns.

I don't undestand why employers want to make such distinction!

I used to do bookkeeping for various clients, i also did YE accounts & CT/PT comps etc. guess it just depends which practice you go to!

A-Vic

Londina wrote: »

hahahha no seriously, why it's that? cannot a person that does all the bookkeeping for a client also do the year end, a complete process? Why an employer wants to split this process into 2 people?

I know in small practise with an average 3 employees and one s/e part qualified they job role is vast as an accountant assistant.

Could end up doing accounts and bookkeeping to TB to Vat Payroll Accounts Prep and account draft, one thing my boss says you get scepticle in this business so why leave yourself open to lossing them.

Plus look at it from a clients point of view - you hire an accountant why would you just deal with an accounts assistant?