Stuff Accountants Like

on 29 Jan 2009 at 11:22 am1PT

I am deeply disappointed that FASB’s made the list, and IRC sections and regulations did not. Also, to go along with not sleeping and lack of work life balance, it’s not often these days that you see a big4 public accountant sans blackberry (or some other e-mail/phone device) which cuts into their sleeping/life.
on 30 Jan 2009 at 1:33 pm2Lacey

I have an accountant for a roommate and this list is so scary and accurate that it is unreal. They too, work at one of the Big 4.
on 30 Jan 2009 at 2:59 pm3Tim

Where is the reference to the ‘crackberry’…..?
on 31 Jan 2009 at 1:24 pm4Speed

I need to see 10 key on here. I can’t function without my 10-key. When someone asks me to add two numbers, my hand jutts out for my 10-key, regardless of where I am.

Also quite necessary – 11 column paper!!
on 02 Feb 2009 at 4:28 pm5fa

I agree w/ the crackberry ref… as an acctnt at a big 4… the first thing i do in the morning and the last thing i do at night is check by BB…

and the 10 key… come on now… this is a necessity… i don’t trust math in my head any longer…
on 02 Feb 2009 at 5:00 pm6Jay

How about memos – we do create memos day in and day out and can even explain the mortgage crisis with a memo!!
on 04 Feb 2009 at 7:15 pm7Andy

This is soo true. My gf and I are both accountants at public, and the list is by far the most accurate ever… our lives are “SAD” We sleep and eat at the firm… often run into people who use the IRS reg/sec code language. Sometimes, it can confused the shit of uss too…
on 04 Feb 2009 at 8:38 pm8Newbie

So this is what I have to look forward to after I graduate this semester………….I can’t wait!
on 06 Feb 2009 at 1:10 pm9Michael Scott

That’s what she said!
on 06 Feb 2009 at 6:30 pm10Ashley

Ha, this list is 95% accurate.
on 07 Feb 2009 at 9:50 am11Butters

How about cold calls from recruiters. I checked my voicemail today and had 5 messages from recruiters. I looked at my co-worker and commented on how much I hated recruiters and their stupid voicemails, but on the inside I was beaming at the off-chance that someone out there appreciates my accounting skills.
on 09 Feb 2009 at 7:08 am12Todd

You need a post on overtime. Not so much that accountants like the overtime, but they love talking about how many hours they worked in a given month, quarter, year.
on 10 Feb 2009 at 10:49 am13Roy

Need to add that everything goes on a spreadsheet, and that , all those overtime hours are because of deadlines of something that ends in an “end”. ie, month end, quarter end, year end . But accountting never ends and they love that!
on 11 Feb 2009 at 6:28 am14Ravens Cheerleader

This list is WeakSauce from not including the Sauce.
on 17 Feb 2009 at 7:22 pm15PWC W*ore

You need to add mileage as one of our favorite things… with gas prices so low, we are willing to travel as much as possible to claim mileage money!
on 18 Feb 2009 at 6:42 pm16jaime

Things accountants hate

1) a client who cant give an electronic trial balance. you are forced to foot 50 pages of paper and then input it in your tb or wp software. bill 2 hours over budget on fof out of spite

2) clients who completely ignore the pbc list and are surprised when you walk in monday

3) hotels without complementary breakfast

4) clients with anything less than a 20 cup coffee maker

5) balances at or slightly above scope

6) that one printer no one takes because it never has ink in it and cant seem to grab less than eight sheets of paper when it prints

7) anyone named becker

8) calculators smaller than 6 by 6

9) clients who ask “are you working bankers hours” when you walk in 830… after working till midnight and turning off the lights the night before

10) outdoor inventory
on 20 Feb 2009 at 10:20 am17Erin

How about Happy Hour?
on 24 Feb 2009 at 12:19 pm18Finally have a lunch break

How about religiously checking NASBA for your CPA exam score?
on 25 Feb 2009 at 12:12 pm19BK NY

I work at a Big 4 and I have made that TOP 20 list my life. Next week I am turning 40 and I must say having that list as the backbone of my life has helped me be successful in business as well as with the ladies. For those that do not know just ask Nyer and KB.
on 01 Mar 2009 at 2:50 pm20Old school or no school

I can’t believe “Dumb/Under-Qualified Clients” didn’t make the list. We regularly deal with people in their 40’s and 50’s who never bothered to learn or do anything outside of their “job description” and aren’t even really qualified to do what’s required to fulfull their “job description.”
on 06 Mar 2009 at 11:09 am21CFO's

I have always been confused when I go in to a client and realize that the CFO or Controller does not have a CPA or any other certification! That makes the job, um, Hell. How did they get the job? Shout out to all the Rare CFO’s and Controllers who are really good and make the audit flow the way it should!!
on 17 Mar 2009 at 12:29 pm22Brian

What about red pencils?
on 17 Mar 2009 at 12:34 pm23bwbcpa

#30 – Round numbers

You can’t stop at 29!!! And please, no one, ad a #31 with out adding a #32
on 19 Mar 2009 at 4:00 pm24Adrienne

No wonder accountants love office romances so much – “normal” people will not listen to a person spouting off FASB pronouncements constantly.
on 09 Apr 2009 at 1:04 pm25Interns

And their naive optimism
on 05 Jun 2009 at 12:29 pm26acot

Depreciatingly saying “I’m an accountant” when someone asks you what you do, even though you know saying you are an accountant will impress them.
on 01 Jul 2009 at 2:03 pm27Dun

Also,… this is mainly for auditors…
not admiting being an auditors around people
that tends to make people not wanting to talk to you anymore
on 26 Jul 2009 at 8:05 pm28J.Train

Whenever I speak to people they hardly know what an auditor is/does… I generally just tell people I’m an accountant, but even that’s tiresome because people instantly ask if I can do their tax…
on 17 Sep 2009 at 1:12 pm29Thomas

what about saying: “The big 4”
on 18 Nov 2009 at 9:30 pm30Denver Bookkeeping

I love the lame gifts!!
on 02 Feb 2010 at 4:08 pm31fem-orgasm.net

The writer has written a superior article. I got your point and there is nothing to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not disagree with: The truth is no one knows the truth. I will be back.
on 12 May 2010 at 6:29 pm32What the What the

What about…

“Ctrl+C”, “Ctrl+V”, “Alt+Tab” and other keyboard shortcuts…

Or what about a requirement to have at least 20 applications or instances of applications open at one time and using all them…or appearing to use all of them just to look busy.

Or what about being OCD about having dozens of folders in Outlook to organize emails. This can more effeciently accomplished using rules and other Outlook features. This also carries over into the folders we use in My Documents.

I am glad to have found a community of fellow accountants…this is good stuff.
on 19 May 2010 at 4:43 am33Rarega

Support the author, all right.
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on 28 Jul 2010 at 8:49 pm35Accountant Humour « Daniel J. Hillier

[…] http://www.stuffaccountantslike.com/?page_id=3 […]
on 09 Feb 2011 at 7:43 pm36Big 4 SupaSta

Why is Immaterial not NUMBER 1!?!?!??!?!?!
on 06 Jun 2011 at 1:16 pm37Glad I'm not at a Big 4

Very funny site. Makes me pity my peers that went to a Big 4. I really like my mid-size firm, though I get a taste of what the Big 4 must be like when tax season rolls around… and the end of audit season…
on 10 Jul 2012 at 3:14 pm38Bruce Henry

(for those not or no longer working in public…)

When management is in the process of tanking your company…

#51 – Being first to know, last to go!

Gotta love that!
on 28 Jul 2012 at 11:20 pm39Bronwyn

What about month end.
on 06 Feb 2013 at 9:32 am40Max

#51 – Spotify
on 21 Jul 2014 at 12:04 pm41CPAldog

#51 “Dual/Triple Monitors”
on 25 Sep 2015 at 2:59 pm42Audit

Billable hours…