{"id":1417,"date":"2022-09-21T17:55:49","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T17:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/?p=1417"},"modified":"2024-07-29T16:13:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T20:13:53","slug":"forensic-accounting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/careers\/forensic-accounting","title":{"rendered":"Forensic Accounting: Definition and Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re a true-crime podcast junkie or horror mystery lover, chances are you’ve heard of forensic science \u2014 using science to investigate and solve crimes. Forensic accounting isn’t too different (minus the blood). Forensic accounting is a type of accounting<\/a> that \u201cfollows the money\u201d and analyzes financial information to look for evidence of potential financial misconduct. Forensic accountants<\/a> investigate companies\u2019 and people\u2019s financial records and use accounting and legal skills to interpret and communicate their findings to others. If you’re interested in a career in finance<\/a> with some potential for dramatic, high-profile cases, forensic accounting might be right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Forensic Accounting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Forensic accounting is a type of accounting where you investigate financial information for potential evidence of crimes. Forensic accountants use accounting, auditing<\/a>, and investigative skills to understand whether a person or company has committed financial misconduct, such as embezzlement or fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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Learn the tools and skills you need to complete audit planning and testing, then update the client on initial results.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAudit planning, audit deliverable, analytical procedures, data visualizations, presentations\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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One unique aspect of forensic accounting \u2014 different from what a typical accountant does<\/a> \u2014 is that forensic accountants use legal skills to determine if financial activity is illegal and often present their findings in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForensic accounting encompasses the provision of litigation support and investigation accounting services,\u201d Alan Schachter, senior managing director, economic damages and business valuation at Guidepost Solutions, says. \u201cIt provides an accounting analysis that is suitable to the court which will form the basis for discussion, debate, and ultimately dispute resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does a Forensic Accountant Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Forensic accountants work on a range of activities to investigate financial crime, from analyzing documents to actually speaking in court. If you’re looking for a career path in finance that also requires work in the legal sector, forensic accounting might be the right career path for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some everyday responsibilities of a forensic accountant include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n