The Importance of a Forensic Accountant

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The Importance Of A Forensic Accountant John Haynes Professor Carolyn Green Contemporary Business August 7, 2013 Forensic accountants use accounting skills to investigate financial crimes such as fraud for law enforcement agencies, lawyers, and businesses. The accountant must use investigative techniques to uncover discrepancies in accounts and reports. Lawyers and law enforcement may require the forensic accountant to testify in court about the findings of an investigation. Forensic accounting is the specialty practice area of accountancy that denotes engagements which result from real or anticipated disputes or litigation. Forensic means suitable for use in a court of law and it is to that standard and potential outcome that forensic accountants generally have to work. They are also referred to as forensic auditors or investigative auditors. Every accountant requires some type of skills in order to function in the market. Forensic accounting is on the hot list of client services now days. In order to be a productive accountant it does not have to be translated in to being an effective forensic accountant. Being an effective forensic accountant needs the professional to have a broad spectrum of skills and knowledge. The most important five skills that a forensic accountant needs are analytical characteristics, investigative skills, communication skills, accounting skills, and they must be detail oriented. (Ulfati, 2012) Forensic accountants must have analytical personality to perform will in the job. According to the American Institute of CPA’s, forensic accountants rated being analytical as the most important characteristic for an individual to have in the field. The characteristic helps the accountant analyze financial documents to find errors and evidence in a legal case. Analytical characteristics are critical to the forensic accountant’s

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