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Accounting and Related Clerks - What They Do

Accounting and related clerks calculate, prepare and process bills, invoices, accounts payable and receivable, budgets and other financial records according to established procedures. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors.

Job duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Calculate, prepare and issue documents related to accounts such as bills, invoices, inventory reports, account statements and other financial statements using computerized and manual systems
  • Code, total, batch, enter, verify and reconcile transactions such as accounts payable and receivable, payroll, purchase orders, cheques, invoices, cheque requisitions, and bank statements in a ledger or computer system
  • Compile budget data and documents based on estimated revenues and expenses and previous budgets
  • Prepare period or cost statements or reports
  • Calculate costs of materials, overhead and other expenses based on estimates, quotations, and price lists
  • Respond to customer inquiries, maintain good customer relations and solve problems
  • Perform related clerical duties, such as word processing, maintaining filing and record systems, faxing and photocopying.

Job titles

  • accounting clerk
  • accounts payable clerk
  • accounts receivable clerk
  • audit clerk
  • billing clerk
  • invoice clerk
  • budget clerk
  • costing clerk
  • deposit clerk
  • finance clerk
  • freight-rate clerk
  • income tax return preparer
  • ledger clerk
  • tax clerk
Employment Requirements

This is what you typically need for the job.

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of college or other courses certified by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, Canadian Securities Institute or Canadian Bookkeepers Association may be required.
  • Some accounting clerks must be bondable.

Essential Skills

Reading

  • Read short notes from co-workers, e.g. read notes from co-workers to learn how to process routine payables.
  • Read short text entries on forms, e.g. read short comments on invoices to learn about discounts for early payments.
  • May read brochures, information releases and newsletters, e.g. read brochures to learn about computer software.
  • Read memos and bulletins, e.g. read internal memos to learn about changes to accounting practices and bulletins issued by governments to learn which goods and services are exempt from harmonized sales taxes (HST).
  • Read email and letters from customers, suppliers and co-workers, e.g. read email from suppliers requesting payment information on overdue accounts.
  • Read a variety of policy and procedure manuals, e.g. read procedure manuals for step-by-step instructions to learn how cheques with insufficient funds are handled.
  • Read computer instruction manuals, e.g. read accounting software manuals and help files to learn how to generate financial reports.

Document use

  • Locate data, such as names, dates, codes and dollar values, on file tabs, computer screens and daily control logs.
  • Enter data into a variety of forms, e.g. enter amounts into account ledgers and names, addresses, times and account numbers into cheque request and credit application forms.
  • Locate data in a variety of lists and tables, e.g. locate names, dates, times and amounts on lists of overdue accounts.
  • Locate data in complex ledgers and financial statements, e.g. scan complex ledgers to locate errors and omissions.
  • May complete complex forms, such as tax adjustment application forms and harmonized sales tax (HST) exemption forms.

Writing

  • Write reminders and short notes to co-workers, e.g. write notes to co-workers to inform them about non-balancing accounts.
  • Write comments in the remarks sections of forms, e.g. write notes on invoices outlining the actions to be taken on outstanding accounts. 
  • May write email and short letters, e.g. write email messages to supervisors to explain the results of applications for tax adjustment.
  • May write detailed letters and memos, e.g. they may write internal memos to provide co-workers with detailed instructions on how to complete travel claim forms. 
  • May write procedures, e.g. write procedures for co-workers that outline interdepartmental billing procedures.

Numeracy

Money Math

  • Calculate the amount owing on accounts and amount owing to customers. 
  • Calculate fees and penalties, e.g. calculate amounts for late charges using amounts owing and interest rates.
  • May calculate and verify invoice and receipt amounts. They calculate amounts for goods and services, determine discounts and surcharges, and add federal and provincial sales taxes.

Scheduling, Budgeting and Accounting Math

  • Record amounts payable and receivable against various accounts in general ledgers. 
  • Compare transactions listed on bank statements to journal entries to identify errors and reconcile accounts.
  • May monitor budgets, e.g. compare purchases of office supplies to office supply budgets and adjust spending as required.
  • May calculate time intervals and identify dates for a variety of schedules and timetables, e.g. schedule payments of vendors to avoid late penalties.
  • May reconcile and review monthly financial statements including balance sheets, income and expense statements and cash flow statements. 

Measurement and Calculation Math

  • May count and sum totals, e.g. tally office supplies for inventory counts. 

Data Analysis Math

  • Compare expenses to budgets, e.g. compare office supply purchases to budgets to determine whether expenditures are within limits. 
  • Calculate summary averages, such as the average monthly costs of office supplies, for use in cost projections.

Numerical Estimation

  • Estimate times to complete job tasks using past experience as a guide, e.g. estimate the number of hours needed to post entries in general ledgers. 
  • Estimate cash balances and expenditures that will accrue in financial periods.

Oral communication

  • Leave and listen to messages, e.g. leave voicemail messages for customers to request information, such as mailing addresses. 
  • Talk with suppliers, e.g. speak with suppliers to enquire about products and verify invoice amounts. 
  • Exchange information with co-workers, e.g. speak with supervisors to obtain approvals and to discuss customer accounts.
  • Talk to customers to follow up on overdue accounts, arrange payments, answer customer enquiries and discuss disagreements about accounts.
  • Participate in staff meetings to discuss problems and new policies, and to exchange opinions on current procedures.
  • May speak with collection agencies, e.g. speak with collection agencies about the particulars of overdue accounts.
  • Discuss the interpretation of tax laws and generally accepted accounting principles with government agents and accountants, e.g. speak with government agents to determine why goods and services tax (GST) refunds were lower than anticipated and with accountants to verify how to treat expense items.

Thinking

Problem Solving

  • Encounter delays due to equipment faults, e.g. discover that they cannot access accounting software because of faulty intranet systems. They contact supervisors and technology support staff to inform them of the glitches. They perform other work until the necessary applications are usable. 
  • Discover that financial records are inaccurate, incomplete and missing, e.g. discover that they are missing invoices to match expenditures shown on bank statements. They speak with suppliers and co-workers to identify purchases made and seek assistance in obtaining copies of missing invoices.

Decision Making

  • Decide the order of tasks and their priorities, e.g. decide the order in which to pay invoices and complete tasks, such as reconciliations.
  • May select suppliers, e.g. decide which suppliers to use for the purchase of supplies, such as forms, binders and writing instruments.
  • May select payment schedules for clients with overdue accounts. They consider factors, such as amounts owed and their firms¿ histories with the clients.
  • May choose or recommend methods and procedures for handling delinquent accounts. They may write off bad debts, use collection agencies or pursue debtors in small claims courts. They need to consider several factors to make appropriate choices.

Critical Thinking

  • Assess the accuracy and reasonableness of financial reports generated using accounting software. They compare data to previous reports and use their experience to identify potential errors.
  • Evaluate the reasonableness of expense claims and invoices. They compare fees and costs to industry standards and price lists to isolate potentially erroneous and fraudulent charges. 
  • May evaluate the suitability of bookkeeping methods. They consider a number of factors including taxation laws and rates, generally accepted accounting principles and the scope of business operations.

Job Task Planning and Organizing

Accounting and related clerks organize their tasks to deal with the days priorities. They respond to urgent special requests, while keeping in mind the need to complete routine tasks on schedule. Routine tasks include paying invoices by specified dates and producing month-end reports.

Significant Use of Memory

  • Memorize general ledger and project codes that are used to gain access to account information.
  • Remember detailed procedures relating to term discounts and volume rebates.
  • Remember deadlines for remittances and inter-office financial reports.
  • Remember a variety of requests from customers, brokers, suppliers and other departments in order to respond to their questions.

Finding Information

  • Locate information about customers by reviewing financial statements, files and reports and by speaking with co-workers.
  • Check accounts for accuracy and resolve discrepancies in financial records by consulting invoices and other documents in the files, using computer systems and archives and by seeking required information from co-workers and staff in other departments.

Digital technology

Word Processing

  • May use basic features of word processing programs to write letters and memos.

Database

  • May use databases to enter and retrieve sales and costs. 
  • May use databases to create mailing lists.

Spreadsheets

  • Use spreadsheets to track expenditures, such as costs for office supplies and the amortization of office equipment.

Bookkeeping, Billing and Accounting Software

  • Use bookkeeping, billing and accounting software to record financial transactions. 
  • May use bookkeeping, billing and accounting software to prepare pay cheques, invoices and generate monthly financial statements, such as balance sheets and income and expense statements.

Communications Software

  • Use intranets and email applications to exchange information and documents with co-workers, customers, suppliers, manufacturers and the Canada Revenue Agency.

Internet

  • May use browsers to access the Canada Revenue Agency website to submit financial information and get a variety of forms, schedules and guides.
  • May use browsers and search engines to locate product information from suppliers, such as the cost of supplies.
  • May use the Internet to access training courses and seminars offered by suppliers, employers and trainers.

Other Digital Technologies

  • Use calculators and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices to complete numeracy-related tasks, such as summing figures and calculating interest charges.

Other Essential Skills:

Working with Others

Accounting and related clerks mainly work independently. They work with others when assisting accountants and when working with partners to complete routine tasks. They may be members of administrative and office support teams, working together to ensure that services are provided efficiently.

Continuous Learning

Accounting and related clerks have an ongoing need to learn. They must keep current with changes to accounting software, Canada Revenue Agency guidelines and generally accepted accounting principles.

The following information was also collected for this Essential Skills Profile:

Digital Skill Requirements

The use of bookkeeping, billing and accounting software is now prevalent across all industry sectors. Accounting and related clerks require advanced computer skills to operate this software. They also need a broad range of other computer skills to access information from the Internet and communicate with customers, suppliers and co-workers.