An accounting assistant is a person who provides transactional and administrative services relating to the execution of accounting functions and the maintenance of accounting paperwork, including accounts payable, payroll, bank reconciliation, full cycle of accounts receivable, bank deposits, cash receipts, and collections. Accounting assistant jobs may also involve processing and recording routine accounting transactions; selecting correct accounts; posting, verifying, and balancing debit and credit entries; and maintaining records through filing, retrieval, retention, storage, compilation, coding, updating, and purging. As an accounting assistant, one may also review expense reports for accuracy; audit invoices against purchase orders, researching discrepancies, and confirming approvals; prepare vouchers, invoices, and checks; and maintain audit files, providing support to various audit projects. Accounting assistants may use manual and automated accounting systems. Accounting assistants often have at least a high school diploma or GED or qualifications in accounting. Excellent data entry skills and knowledge of software such as SAP (accounting system), QuickBooks, and Microsoft Office programs are generally required for accounting assistant jobs.
