Accounting is the backbone of business. Ethical and professional accounting forms a clear financial image of a business, and allows managers to make informed decisions, keeps investors abreast of developments in the business, and keeps the business profitable. It is also one of the oldest professions; businesses have been practicing accounting for thousands of years. Cuneiform tablets from the fertile crescent, for example, show clear evidence of accounting practices.

A number of disciplines are involved in accounting. At the root of all accounting is book keeping. A book keeper keeps tracks of all of the funds that a business handles, including money paid to the business, money paid out, and assets that the business holds. The book keeper's goal is to keep the ledgers of the company balanced so that anyone can assess, at a glance, the financial state of the company. Records handled by a book keeper include payroll, company ledgers, bank statements, and paperwork pertaining to real estate and investments.

Auditing is also included in accounting. Auditing protects employees, investors, and owners of a company from accounting fraud, and is usually performed by an outside agency. During an audit, an accountant will examine the ledgers of a company along with numerous other records to see if the ledgers provide an accurate picture of the financial doings of the business. If other financial records such as bank statements do not support the picture presented by the ledgers, the auditor must find out why. Part of accounting is establishing internal controls to keep a company's business clean, so that a company can fearlessly face an audit.

The financial records of a company are used to make important decisions, such as whether or not to make a major investment. Proper accounting supports company officials while they make these decisions, showing them whether or not an investment will be practical, and if the company can afford it. Accountants prepare regular statements which are distributed to company officials so that they can follow the health of the business, and they also handle tax rolls and reports to government agencies.

The size of an accounting staff varies, depending on the company. Typically, the primary accountants are certified public accountants, who must pass a test administered by the state. They may in turn oversee clerks who have book keeping and accounting training, but are not fully certified. A single head accountant supervises the entire department, and ensures that work is being performed in a timely and accurate fashion. Typically, the head of accounting performs an important role in a company, and will frequently meet with the company's head or board to keep them informed.