As in many other areas of human activity during the twentieth century, a number of specialized fields in accounting have evolved as a result of technological advances and accelerated economic growth. The most important accounting fields are described briefly as follows.
Financial accounting is concerned with the recording of transactions for a business enterprise or other economic unit and the periodic preparation of various reports from such records. The reports, which may be for general purposes or for a special purpose, provide useful information for managers, owners, creditors, governmental agencies, and the general public. Of particular importance to financial accountants are the rules of accounting, and generally accepted accounting principles. Corporate enterprises must employ such principles in preparing their annual re ports on profitability and financial status for their stockholders and the investing public.
Auditing is a field of activity involving an independent review of the accounting records. In conducting an audit, public accountants examine the records supporting the financial reports of an enterprise and give an opinion regarding their fairness and reliability. An important element of "fairness and reliability" is adherence to generally accepted accounting principles. In addition to retaining public accountants for a period audit, many corporations have their own permanent staff of internal auditors. Their principle responsibility is to determine if the various operating divisions are following management’s policies and procedures. Cost accounting emphasizes the de termination and the control of costs. It is concerned primarily with the costs of manufacturing processes and of manufactured products. In addition, one of the most important duties of the cost accountants is to gather and explain cost data, both actual and prospective.
Management uses these data in controlling current operations and in planning for the future.
Management accounting uses both historical and estimated data in assisting management in daily operations and in planning future operations. It deals with specific problems that confront enterprise managers at various organizational levels. The management accountant is frequently concerned with identifying alternative courses of action and then helping to select the best one. In recent years, public accountants have realized that their training and experience uniquely quality them to advise management personnel on policies and administration.
Tax accounting is another important area. Accountants specialized in this field, must be familiar with the tax statutes affecting their employer or clients and also must keep up to date on administrative regulations and court decisions on tax cases.
What has brought about the evolution of accounting