Start networking and exchanging professional insights

Register now or log in to join your professional community.

Follow

What is the difference between auditor and Forensic accountant?

user-image
Question added by Dr Aiyedun Adewale
Date Posted: 2015/09/07
Echefulachi Stephen Ndimele
by Echefulachi Stephen Ndimele , HSE Manager , BH-NS Engineering Consultants Llc

An Auditor looks for acts of omission; forensic looks for acts of commission. Auditor looks for overstated assets and understated liabilities; forensic looks for understated assets and overstated liabilities. If we use an inventory as an example, creative accounting will cause an inventory value higher than it should ordinarily be but theft will cause an inventory value lower than it should be. I think Forensic Auditing pays more because it  increases profit directly. 

Grace Leonard
by Grace Leonard , Senior Assistant to Chief Operating Officer , King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center

An auditor is checking to see if the accounts and files conform to a specific set of specifications whereas a forensic accountant is investigating to see if they can find something wrong.  

Punit Kumar Mathur
by Punit Kumar Mathur , Chief Financial Officer , FARE LABS PRIVATE LIMITED

Auditor look after routine accounts and copliance wwith Accounting Standards Forensic accountant look for fraud committed

Abhinandan  Singh
by Abhinandan Singh , HR & ADMINISTRATION OFFICER , GAMMON CMC JOINT VENTURE

An audit is a set of tests and procedures carried out according to generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that the auditors plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.

Forensic accounting is typically used in the course of an investigation. The goal of which would be to detect fraud and provide evidence which can be used in a court of law. The proceedings are not always criminal but often times civil and also require a valuation of assets (as in a divorce case). 

Mahmoud Hamid
by Mahmoud Hamid , Finance Manager , Experts

In general, auditors ensure that company is maintaining accurate and honest accounting records and fairly presented financial statements. Threre are external (independent) auditors and internal (employed) auditors.

A forensic accountant usually perform activities like to analyze, investigate and report financial/business related issues.

More Questions Like This

Do you need help in adding the right keywords to your CV? Let our CV writing experts help you.