Before you search to find a forensic accountant near me or forensic accounting services near me. it is wise to understand what a forensic accountant can and cannot do. A forensic accountant is a professional who specialises in the examination of records and financial transactions for the purpose of identifying fraud. or any other illegal activity. A forensic accountant is almost certainly a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Enrolled Agent.
Forensic accountancy involves a variety of skills and fields such as accounting, taxation, law enforcement, fraud investigation and other areas related to crime. It is not the same as auditing which is a type of non-criminal examination procedure used by public companies to obtain an opinion on their financial statements for the benefit of their shareholders.
The forensic accountant provides an independent evaluation in business, takeover, divorce and personal fraud matters.These professionals are usually hired by companies, businesses, or government agencies to investigate allegations of fraud, corruption, or other illegal activities.
The following are some reasons why you may need to hire a forensic accountant:
You suspect that your company has been defrauded by another company
If you suspect that your company has been defrauded, there are a few steps that you should take to figure out the best course of action. You should first contact the company and ask for detailed information about the transaction. Next, you should look at any records that your company has in regards to the transaction. If this is not enough, it may be necessary to contact law enforcement and provide them with the details that you have evidence of.
You suspect that your company has been mismanaged by its current management team
The current management team has failed to provide any sign of improvement from the company's current state. The company has been around for over 40 years and has always been under the guidance of this team. The current management team is made up of people that have no experience in leading teams or business development. With the decreasing market share, it is clear that this team does not have what it takes to steer the company, so apart from fraud we can always consider poor or mis management.
You want to know if your business is worth investing in or not
With the recent release of the BC Tech Fund, it is a great time to invest in our local businesses and help them grow. The BC Tech Fund is designed to provide investment, mentorship and resources to B.C. technology companies with high growth potential while also connecting them with provincial partners and investors. A forensic accountant near me could help with any pre investment valuations.
You wish to investigate financial and procedural errors
Often a forensic accountant near me can investigate genuine or reckless mistakes. For example where information or data are located on 2 different systems and an investigation is needed to balance the 2 systems through financial reconciliation.
You suspect assets are being hidden or illegally disposed of
In cases of matrimonial divorce or settlement there is a tendency, particularly by the originator of the assets to dispose of, hide or use price inflation or deflation to changes values of trusts, estates or balance sheets. A forensic accounting specialist will follow the money and the paper work to discover true values and locations of such assets.
So in short conclusion here, we can state that for every transaction there is a reaction in terms of value, placement or disposal and an investigative accountant can follow the paperwork and money trail to discover these reactions. In a digital word this brings opportunities and difficulties in perpetrating frauds and also uncovering them. So now is the time to bring an expert.