What’s the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?

Questions, Questions-Why

Contrary to popular belief, accountants and bookkeepers perform distinctly different tasks for the businesses they serve. Bookkeepers are responsible for on-going maintenance of their clients’ general ledgers. A bookkeeper’s common responsibilities consist of:

Compiling data on a daily basis
Categorizing expenses in the general ledger
Reviewing the general ledger for accuracy
Reconciling bank statements against the general ledger

Accountants use the general ledger data maintained by the bookkeeper to provide financial analysis and recommendations, such as:

Generating financial statements
Developing business financial strategies
Preparing financial dashboards and financial budgets
Providing financial cashflow forecasts (short term and long term)
Monitoring key performance indicatorsCompiling year-end tax packages
Assisting with tax planning strategies