Financial ServicesISCO 2411
Accountant
Accountants review and analyse financial statements, budgets, financial reports, and business plans in order to check for irregularities resulting from error or fraud, and provide their clients with financial advice in matters such as financial forecasting and risk analysis. They may audit financial data, resolve insolvency cases, prepare tax returns and provide other tax-related advice in reference to current legislation.
Check yourself in a minute: accountant
Rate 5 of the 26 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
prepare tax returns forms
calculate tax
perform balance sheet operations
interpret financial statements
prepare financial statements
About accountant
As an accountant in Poland, you will maintain the financial health of organizations by analyzing, recording, and interpreting financial transactions with precision and integrity. Your daily work involves preparing financial statements, conducting audits, managing budgets, and ensuring compliance with Polish tax legislation and accounting standards. You will identify discrepancies, detect potential fraud, and provide clients or employers with clear financial advice supporting strategic decision-making in areas like forecasting, risk analysis, and investment planning.
This profession is fundamental to business operations across all sectors—from small enterprises to multinational corporations. You will master accounting regulations, bookkeeping procedures, and the latest financial software to maintain accurate records and generate reports that stakeholders rely upon. Career prospects are excellent in Poland's dynamic economy, with opportunities to specialize in tax advisory, auditing, financial consulting, or management accounting. Your analytical skills and attention to detail open pathways to senior financial leadership positions.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a accountant.
1
Financial Statement Preparation and Analysis
- Prepare comprehensive financial statements including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements
- Interpret financial statements to assess organizational profitability, liquidity, and financial stability
- Perform balance sheet operations and reconciliations ensuring accuracy and completeness
- Analyze budget variances and financial performance trends
2
Bookkeeping and Transaction Management
- Record accounting entries and transactions following bookkeeping regulations and accounting standards
- Check accounting records for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with organizational policies
- Identify and correct accounting errors with clear documentation and explanations
- Process financial transactions across general ledger accounts and subsidiary records
3
Audit and Fraud Detection
- Conduct internal and external audits of financial statements and accounting records
- Detect irregularities, discrepancies, and potential fraud through detailed financial analysis
- Verify transactions and account balances against supporting documentation
- Report audit findings and recommend controls to prevent financial irregularities
4
Tax Compliance and Planning
- Prepare tax returns and tax-related filings complying with Polish tax legislation and deadlines
- Calculate tax obligations including income tax, VAT, and payroll deductions
- Advise clients on tax optimization strategies and compliance with statutory obligations
- Monitor changes in tax legislation and ensure organizational compliance with updated requirements
5
Financial Advice and Risk Management
- Provide financial forecasting and budgeting analysis to support strategic planning
- Advise on financial risks including liquidity, credit, and operational risks
- Analyze investment opportunities and recommend financial strategies aligned with organizational goals
- Calculate depreciation and manage asset valuations for accounting purposes
6
Accounting Documentation and Procedures
- Draft and maintain comprehensive accounting procedures and internal control policies
- Follow statutory obligations and regulatory requirements in financial reporting
- Prepare accounting documentation supporting all financial transactions and decisions
- Maintain organized records and coordinate financial department processes
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (26)
bookkeeping regulationsbookkeeping regulationsThe methods and regulations involved in the process of accurate bookkeeping.financial department processesfinancial department processesThe different processes, duties, jargon, role in an organisation, and other specificities of the financial department within an organisation. Understanding of financial statements, investments, disclo...financial statementsfinancial statementsThe set of financial records disclosing the financial position of a company at the end of a set period or of the accounting year. The financial statements consisting of five parts which are the statem...fraud detectionfraud detectionThe techniques used to identify fraudulous activities.depreciationdepreciationThe accounting method of dividing the value of an asset over its useful life for the allocation of cost per fiscal year and in parallel to decrease the value of the asset from the accounts of the comp...statisticsstatisticsThe study of statistical theory, methods and practices such as collection, organisation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. It deals with all aspects of data including the planning of ...accounting techniquesaccounting techniquesThe techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.accounting entriesaccounting entriesThe financial transactions recorded in accounting systems or books of a company together with the metadata linked to the entry such as the date, the amount, the accounts affected, and a description of...commercial lawcommercial lawThe legal regulations that govern a specific commercial activity.tax legislationtax legislationTax legislation applicable to a specific area of specialisation, such as import tax, government tax, etc.prepare tax returns formsprepare tax returns formsTotalise all the deductible tax collected during the quarter or fiscal year in order to fill tax return forms and claim it back to the governmental authorities for declaring taxation liability. Keep t...calculate taxcalculate taxCalculate the taxes which have to be paid by an individual or organisation, or paid back by a governmental institution, compliant with specific legislation.perform balance sheet operationsperform balance sheet operationsMake up a balance sheet displaying an overview of the organisation's current financial situation. Take into account income and expenses; fixed assets such as buildings and land; intangible assets such...interpret financial statementsinterpret financial statementsRead, understand, and interpret the key lines and indicators in financial statements. Extract the most important information from financial statements depending on the needs and integrate this informa...check accounting recordscheck accounting recordsRevise the accounting records of the quarter and year and ensure that the accounting information reflects with accuracy the financial transactions of the company.prepare financial statementsprepare financial statementsCollect, entry, and prepare the set of financial records disclosing the financial position of a company at the end of a certain period or accounting year. The financial statements consisting of five p...follow the statutory obligationsfollow the statutory obligationsUnderstand, abide by, and apply the statutory obligations of the company in the daily performance of the job.identify accounting errorsidentify accounting errorsTrace accounts, revise the accuracy of the records, and determine the faults in order to solve them.draft accounting proceduresdraft accounting proceduresLay down standard methods and guidelines to regulate bookkeeping and accounting operations, including determining the bookkeeping system used to record financial transactions.explain accounting recordsexplain accounting recordsProvide additional explanation and disclosure to staff, vendors, auditors, and to any other instance about the way accounts were recorded and treated in the financial records.ensure compliance with accounting conventionsensure compliance with accounting conventionsExercise accounting management and abidance by generally accepted accounting conventions such as recording transactions at the current price, quantifying goods, separating personal accounts of manager...manage accountsmanage accountsManage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper dec...attach accounting certificates to accounting transactionsattach accounting certificates to accounting transactionsCollate and link documents such as invoices, contracts, and payment certificates in order to back up the transactions made in the accounting of the company.prepare trial accounting balancesprepare trial accounting balancesEnsure that all transactions are recorded in the books of the company and totalise all the debits and the credits of the accounts to find out balance in the accounts.accounting department processesaccounting department processesThe different processes, duties, jargon, role in an organisation, and other specificities of the accounting department within an organisation such as bookkeeping, invoices, recording, and taxing.analyse financial performance of a companyanalyse financial performance of a companyAnalyse the performance of the company in financial matters in order to identify improvement actions that could increase profit, based on accounts, records, financial statements and external informati...
Optional (30) — show
film production processfilm production processThe various development stages of making a film, such as scriptwriting, financing, shooting, editing, and distribution.international financial reporting standardsinternational financial reporting standardsThe set of accounting standards and rules aimed at companies listed in the stock exchange which are required to publish and disclose their financial statements.financial forecastingfinancial forecastingThe tool used in performing fiscal financial management to identify revenue trends and estimated financial conditions.liquidity managementliquidity managementThe theory and practices around the management of liquidity in a company with the aim of facilitating meeting obligations with thirds parties without compromising the smooth functioning of the company...insolvency lawinsolvency lawThe legal rules regulating the incapacity to pay debts when they fall due.national generally accepted accounting principlesnational generally accepted accounting principlesThe accounting standard accepted in a region or country specifying the rules and procedures to disclose financial data.advise on risk managementadvise on risk managementProvide advice on risk management policies and prevention strategies and their implementation, being aware of different kinds of risks to a specific organisation.support development of annual budgetsupport development of annual budgetSupport the development of the annual budget by producing base data as defined by the operations budget process.check the production schedulecheck the production scheduleCheck the daily and long term schedules for rehearsal, training, performances, season, tour, etc., taking into account the project timeline and all the preparations required by the production.consult with motion picture producerconsult with motion picture producerConsult with a motion picture producer about requirements, deadlines, budget, and other specifications.perform risk analysisperform risk analysisIdentify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.consult with production directorconsult with production directorConsult with the director, producer and clients throughout the production and post-production process.liaise with auditorsliaise with auditorsParticipate in discussions with the auditors conducting inspections of the organisation's accounts and inform the managers about the results and conclusions.manage revenuemanage revenueManage revenues, including deposit reconciliation, cash handling, and delivery of deposits to the bank.prepare financial auditing reportsprepare financial auditing reportsCompile information on audit findings of financial statements and financial management in order to prepare reports, point out improvement possibilities, and confirm governability.evaluate budgetsevaluate budgetsRead budget plans, analyse the expenditures and incomes planned during certain period, and provide judgement on their abidance to the general plans of the company or organism.manage corporate bank accountsmanage corporate bank accountsHave an overview of the bank accounts of the company, their different purposes, and manage them accordingly while keeping an eye on their balance, interest rates, and charges.calculate production costscalculate production costsCalculate the costs for every production stage and department.advise on financial mattersadvise on financial mattersConsult, advise, and propose solutions with regards to financial management such as acquiring new assets, incurring in investments, and tax efficiency methods.perform dunning activitiesperform dunning activitiesSend letters or make phone calls to methodically remind individuals about actions they are requested to take by a set deadline. Use a firmer tone as the due date approaches or passes. If there is an a...conduct financial auditsconduct financial auditsEvaluate and monitor the financial health, the operations and financial movements expressed in the financial statements of the company. Revise the financial records to ensure stewardship and governabi...manage inventorymanage inventoryControl product inventory in balance of availability and storage costs.exert expenditure controlexert expenditure controlAnalyse expenditure accounts against the income and usages of different company units, companies, or organisms at large. Recommend usage of financial resources in efficient manners.disseminate information on tax legislationdisseminate information on tax legislationProvide advise on the possible implications for companies or individuals on decisions regarding tax declaration based on tax legislation. Advise on the favourable tax strategies that could be followed...perform cost accounting activitiesperform cost accounting activitiesExecute the cost related activities and operations within the accounting activities such as standard cost development, average pricing analysis, margin and cost ratio analysis, inventory control, and ...monitor after sales recordsmonitor after sales recordsKeep an eye on the after sales feedback and monitor customer satisfaction or complaints; record after sales calls for thorough data analysis.keep track of expenseskeep track of expensesMake sure that project expenses are duly recorded. Ensure careful bookkeeping, regularly review the budget, respect budget allocations, and take all necessary steps to keep the expenses transparent.handle financial transactionshandle financial transactionsAdminister currencies, financial exchange activities, deposits as well as company and voucher payments. Prepare and manage guest accounts and take payments by cash, credit card and debit card.manage payroll reportsmanage payroll reportsMaintain personnel records as well as payroll reports. Record evaluations, promotions or disciplinary actions.
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Frequently asked questions
What does an accountant do?
Accountants review and analyse financial statements, budgets, financial reports, and business plans in order to check for irregularities resulting from error or fraud, and provide their clients with financial advice in matters such as financial forecasting and risk analysis. They may audit financial data, resolve insolvency cases, prepare tax returns and provide other tax-related advice in reference to current legislation.
What skills does an accountant need?
An accountant needs 26 essential skills, including bookkeeping regulations, financial department processes, financial statements, fraud detection, depreciation.
Will AI replace accountant jobs?
The AI disruption score for accountant is 83/100 (very high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: financial statements, accounting entries, manage revenue. Most resilient: consult with production director, consult with motion picture producer, handle financial transactions.
AI Replacement Risk
83/ 100
Very High Risk
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Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
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