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This question is about what a certified public accountant does, what an accountant does, and certified public accountant.
CPA vs. Accountant
A CPA is an accountant that can sign a client's tax returns and also be a representative of a company or individual in the event of an IRS audit, while a regular accountant can do neither of those two tasks.
In the world of accounting, a CPA is a tax specialist. CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant, and this means the CPA had to pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination or 'CPA exam' for short, making them a state-licensed CPA. Because of their wealth of knowledge regarding taxes, a CPA can give invaluable counsel on how to reduce the amount of taxes a company or client will owe each year.
An accountant is a financial professional who prepares and maintains important financial reports. Some of an accountant's duties include preparing tax returns and ensuring that taxes are paid properly and on time, evaluating financial operations to recommend best practices, identifying issues and strategizing solutions, and helping organizations run efficiently in financial terms.
While both a CPA and an accountant can provide the service of tax planning and tax preparation, the biggest distinction between the two roles has to do with the representation of a client. If a client is worried about a possible IRS audit, a CPA will be adept in ways of minimizing the chance of such an audit. And if the audit does occur, a CPA can represent the client. A normal accountant can not represent a client in this particular situation.
While all accountants are usually very knowledgeable in the realm of taxes, CPAs are the industry experts. And if a company or client is audited by the IRS, a CPA is certified to represent them.
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