| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Finance and Accounts |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Accounts Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 3 years in accounting |
Accountant job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Accountant
Department: Finance and Accounts
Reports to: Accounts Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Accountant keeps a company's day to day books accurate. They record purchases, sales, expenses and bank entries, handle basic GST and TDS, reconcile accounts and help the team close the month. The role reports to the Accounts Manager and is the backbone of a small finance team. A good Accountant books entries correctly, keeps supporting documents in order and clears small differences quickly, so the trial balance holds up when the month is closed.
Key responsibilities
- Record purchase, sales, expense and journal entries in the accounting system every working day.
- Pass bank, cash and adjustment entries and keep the cash book updated daily.
- Book GST and TDS correctly on transactions and keep the tax ledgers clean.
- Reconcile bank, vendor and customer accounts and clear differences before month end.
- Prepare basic schedules and workings that the senior accountant needs for the close.
- Check bills for approval, tax details and supporting documents before booking them.
- Follow up with departments and vendors for pending bills, approvals and information.
- Prepare payment and receipt entries and track pending and advance items.
- Maintain files and vouchers in order so records are ready for audit.
- Help prepare data for GST, TDS and other statutory filings each month.
Requirements
- B.Com or equivalent commerce degree
- Working knowledge of accounting and GST
- Tally or ERP entry skills
- 1 to 3 years in accounting
KRAs and KPIs for a Accountant
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Booking accuracy | Entry corrections after review held below 2 percent of entries each month |
| Timeliness | Daily entries booked the same day the approved documents are received |
| Reconciliations | Assigned accounts reconciled every month with differences cleared before close |
| Tax accuracy | GST and TDS booked correctly with no rework at return time |
| Audit readiness | Every entry supported by an approved document and filed for audit |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Tally Prime, MS Excel, GST portal, Bank portals, ERP accounting screens.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Accountant, Accounts Officer, Accounts Manager
Interview questions for a Accountant
- Which entries do you pass for a purchase invoice with GST and TDS?
- How do you reconcile a vendor account that shows a difference?
- What do you check before booking an expense bill?
- How do you keep the cash book tied to the bank?
- How do you help the team during a busy month end close?
- How do you keep your vouchers ready for audit?
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What does an Accountant do?
An Accountant keeps a company's day to day books accurate. They record purchases, sales, expenses and bank entries, handle basic GST and TDS, reconcile accounts and help close the month. They keep bills approved and documents filed, reporting to the Accounts Manager. The role is the backbone of a small finance team.
What is the difference between an Accountant and a Senior Accountant?
An Accountant handles routine entries, reconciliations and basic tax booking. A Senior Accountant takes on complex entries, owns harder reconciliations, prepares audit schedules and reviews juniors' work. The senior role adds judgement and mentoring on top of the day to day accounting an accountant does.
What qualifications does an Accountant need?
Most Accountant roles ask for a B.Com or an equivalent commerce degree with working knowledge of accounting and GST. Hands on skill in Tally or an ERP helps a lot. One to three years of experience is usual, though freshers with good basics are also hired.