to present - presentation;to manage - management;to inform - information;reliable - reliability;an audit - auditing, auditors.Because accounting affects people in many different fields, public accounting and private accounting include specialized services.
Auditing is the accounting profession’s most significant service to the public. An audit is the independent examination that assure the
reliability of the accounting reports that
management prepares and submits to investors, creditors, and others outside the business. In carrying out an audit, CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) from outside a business examine the business’s financial statements. If the CPAs believe that these documents are a fair
presentation of the business’s operations, the CPAs give a professional opinion stating that the firm’s financial statements are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, which is the standard. Why is the audit so important? Creditors considering loans want assurance that the facts and figures the business submits are reliable.Stockholders, who have invested in the business, need to know that the financial picture
management shows them is complete. Government agencies need accurate
information from business.Internal
auditing is performed by a business’s own accountants. Many large organizations maintain a staff of internal
auditors. These accountants evaluate the firm’s own accounting and
management systems. Their aim is to improve operating efficiency and to ensure that employees and departments follow
management's procedures and plans.