Accountant Interview Questions

Accountant Interview Questions

In an accountant interview, employers ask questions to determine your ability to follow financial best practices, maximize profit, and prepare financial reports. Expect the interviewer to ask questions about skills vital to the role of an accountant, including software proficiency, data analysis, communication, and business acumen. The interviewer may also ask you to describe your experience in specific areas, including payroll, auditing, billing, and trend analysis.

Top Accountant Interview Questions & How to Answer

Question 1

Question #1: Which accounting software packages are you comfortable using?

How to answer
How to answer: This question allows the interviewer to understand your familiarity with accounting software and determine how much on-the-job training you will need. Discuss software packages you have used, including your years of experience and how you used each package. Include any formal training you have received in accounting software.
Question 2

Question #2: What are the common financial statements used in accounting?

How to answer
How to answer: Interviewers use questions such as this to test your technical expertise. In this case, define and discuss the three key statements used by all accountants, including balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements. Define and discuss each statement's characteristics and how accountants use them on the job.
Question 3

Question #3: How would you explain a complicated accounting process or report to someone outside of the accounting team?

How to answer
How to answer: This question will demonstrate your ability to communicate complicated financial information to co-workers in other departments, such as information technology and human resources. Describe the interpersonal and written communication strategies you have used with non-accounting co-workers and clients.

29,189 accountant interview questions shared by candidates

Imagine you make a very complicated calculation in excel for a client who is going to make a decision. After you reviewed it a couple of times you notice you are going to save the client $10 million in taxes. You give it to your senior and your partner, who review your work. They agree on your calculation and tell the client about the tax savings and the meeting to finalize the transaction is tomorrow. It's 9 o'clock at night and you are finalizing the paperwork, and you suddenly realize you made a careless mistake on excel and instead of putting a minus, you put a plus, so the client is not going to save $10 million, but is going to owe $10 million. What do you do? How do you handle the situation?
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Tax Accountant

Interviewed at EY

3.7
May 20, 2013

Imagine you make a very complicated calculation in excel for a client who is going to make a decision. After you reviewed it a couple of times you notice you are going to save the client $10 million in taxes. You give it to your senior and your partner, who review your work. They agree on your calculation and tell the client about the tax savings and the meeting to finalize the transaction is tomorrow. It's 9 o'clock at night and you are finalizing the paperwork, and you suddenly realize you made a careless mistake on excel and instead of putting a minus, you put a plus, so the client is not going to save $10 million, but is going to owe $10 million. What do you do? How do you handle the situation?

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