Hold this thought. The image of the lone accountant wearing a starched white shirt, visor and low-rimmed glasses, hunched over an adding machine and ledger while crunching numbers in a dim, drab office. Now, let it go. Today's accounting industry shatters that stereotype, breaking the traditional stigma of tax preparation and bookkeeping. Indeed, the profession is dynamic, venturing into areas such as investments, business consulting and financial planning.
Customers continually ask advice on business plans, trusts and investments.
One new area for accounting is WebTrust, a CPA seal of approval posted on the Web sites of companies participating in the special program, says Thomas. The WebTrust report is not a full financial disclosure of the client, but rather an examination of the controls and safeguards within the company's systems. Since most transactions over the Internet involve credit cards, he says consumers want to be reassured that such information remains confidential. WebTrust is a means to inform the public that a company's site is secure and the company itself is legitimate. According to Thomas, the CPA performs a systems analysis on a business Web site and reviews the report every 90 days.