There are two types of accountants. Make sure you hire the one that best suits your needs.

Commercial accountants

Working within corporations, commercial accountants work in the fields of management accounting or financial accounting.

Management accountants analyse and report financial information to their firm’s executive to assist in budgeting, cost and asset management, performance evaluation and decision making.

Financial accountants are responsible for reporting the financial affairs of the corporation to interested parties, including shareholders, creditors, regulatory agencies and taxation authorities.

Public Accountants

Public accountants provide accountancy services to the general public. Their clients include businesses, governments, non-profit organisations and individuals.

They might specialise in tax, compensation, auditing, accounting software design, business valuation, insolvency or forensic accounting.

Accountants can also provide a full range of tax services, including GST and BAS submissions.

In the same way that a GP provides a broad range of medical care but can refer a patient to a specialist, a suburban accountant can get advice from a corporate accountancy group or the Australian Taxation Office for specialised advice.

Need help finding the right accountant for you? Check out our handy guide.

It’s always a good idea to ask for recommendations from friends or family, or contact a professional organisation such as the CPA or the ICAA.

You can also search for an accountant here.