Government accountants and auditors work in the public sector to maintain and examine the records of government agencies and also to audit private businesses and individuals who pay taxes. Government accountants also audit entities subject to other government regulations, such as businesses providing contract services to the government or organizations receiving government grant money.

The goals of federal, state or municipal government agencies when applying the principals of accounting are different from the private sector's main business objective of earning profit. Budgets are among the most important considerations in government accounting since government agencies and other recipients of government money are fiscally accountable to tax payers and must demonstrate compliance with the intended uses of budgeted resources. Examine the characteristics of governmental and nonprofit accounting emphasizing the various fund types and account groups. .Review and evaluation of presently recommended accounting and financial reporting procedures .Exploration of practical governmental and nonprofit accounting practices and methods Expand on the basic concepts of governmental and nonprofit accounting ,Financial reporting

,Analysis of governmental financial performance
,Auditing for government and nonprofit organizations
,Budgeting and costing of services
,Federal government accounting and reporting
,Common accounting issues surrounding nonprofits
,Regulatory and taxation for nonprofits
,Accounting issues surrounding colleges, universities and health care organizations Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASB) | Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB)

Two independent, private sector boards set the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for government accounting:

The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) sets federal accounting standards. In October 1990, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Comptroller General of the United States created the FASAB to develop accounting standards and principles for the United States Government. These standards were designed to allow the Federal Government and its agencies to provide users of financial reports with understandable, relevant, and reliable information about each agency's financial position, activities, and the results of their operations.

In October 1999, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recognized FASAB as the boar...

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