Accountancy

Accountancy (British English) or accounting (American English) is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about information that helps managers and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions. Financial accounting is one branch of accounting and historically has involved processes by which financial information about a business is recorded, classified, summarized, interpreted, and communicated. Auditing, a related but separate discipline, is the process whereby an independent auditor examines an organization's financial statements in order to express an opinion -- that conveys reasonable but not absolute assurance -- as to the fairness and adherence to generally accepted accounting principles, in all material respects.

Accounting conventions

• convention of disclosure
• convention of materiality
• convention of consistency
• convention of conservatism

Use of computers in accountancy

• Accounting software
• Databases
• spreadsheet programs

Accounting standards

• United States generally accepted accounting principles
• United Kingdom generally accepted accounting principles
• International Accounting Standards

Agencies

• United States
• Federal Reserve (for banks)
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (for public companies)
• European Union
• European Central Bank

Accounting standard-setting bodies

• United States
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Financial Accounting Standards Board
• Governmental Accounting Standards Board
• Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• United Kingdom
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA)
• Association of International Accountants (AIA), a UK Registered Auditor is being consulted for Standard setting.
• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
• Republic of Ireland
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
• Canada
• Accounting Standards Board "AcSB"
• International
• International Accounting Standards Board

Auditing standards-setting bodies

• United States
• Public Company Accounting Oversight Board - public companies
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants - general
• Government Accountability Office - recipients of federal grants