What is the Professional Bookkeeper™: Certification?

The Professional Bookkeeper™: certification represents a person whose proficient at the day-to-day administrative procedure of the financial accounting process on any small to mid-size business. This demonstrates both the accountant's financial experience and dedication to this vocation while providing excellent customer service to their employer or potential client. The certificate is issued by The Universal Accounting School in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in New York (ICAN).

The Professional Bookkeeper™: certification will require that the bookkeeper meet a set number of requirements for the certificate. In order to be eligible, the applicant must have at least three years of bookkeeping experience. The bookkeeper must also hold a bachelor degree or an equivalent degree from an accredited college. They also need to pass an examination that tests both their ability to record financial information in an organized manner and their ability to interpret financial statements and financial information related to the financial reporting requirements of state agencies like the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS).

The bookkeeping experience must have been performed at the same firm in which the applicant will be doing the bookkeeping work for them. The bookkeeper must be skilled at all areas of financial accounting. They should be able to use spreadsheets, use computer software, and be comfortable managing the computer files. The bookkeeper also needs to be able to provide clients and their clients with accurate accounts receivable accounts payable accounts.

The bookkeeper also needs to be able to prepare tax returns and pay taxes on behalf of clients. They should also be able to obtain copies of financial statements, tax returns, income statements and paychecks for clients. The bookkeeper should be able to provide the client with accurate copies of financial statements and to present the clients' financial information in a manner that provides an accurate representation of the financial status of the client when you begin.  

The bookkeeper also needs to be adept in preparing payroll statements and provide references to the clients that are interested in hiring the bookkeeper. In addition, the bookkeeper should be able to present their clients' financial information to the client's employer on a daily basis in order to help them with the company's budgeting and business planning activities. The bookkeeper also needs to understand the client's business plans and be able to communicate the client's business plans to other staff members, clients, employees, and other company officials.

The bookkeeper must also be able to prepare financial statements, reconcile and update bank accounts, and prepare payroll, and keep a record of all financial transactions that occur in the company. All of these duties should be completed in a timely manner to avoid penalty actions by the state and accreditation agencies like the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) or The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountant.