The Comptroller and Auditor General of a particular economy is a well-known officer. Not everybody is aware that this office is made up of two discreet functions combined. Understanding the difference between the comptrolling and auditing activities also provides an insight into the functions of this important financial position.
Comptroller vs Auditor
The main difference between Comptroller And Auditor is that the former is placed as the chief accountant in any organization while the latter is a common position, related to auditing of accounts (akin to bookkeeping). Since the functions are discrete, both the offices hold their due importance in the finance industry.
A Comptroller takes care of the income and expenditure of large financial institutions, including governmental setups at times. He or she gets access to everyday transactions at a micro-scale and then analyzes them as per the compatibility of the institution concerned. In cases of defaults in loan payments, they manipulate.
An auditor is much more concerned with the tax structure and the numerous functions include filing of taxes as well. He or she is designated to ensure that the financial records are maintained regularly in an authentic manner. Accuracy rates should be high during calculations for the institution to flourish.
Comparison Table Between Comptroller And Auditor
| Parameters of Comparison | Comptroller | Auditor |
| Definition | Comptroller is defined as the most important financial officer who takes care of the balance between money earned and money spent. | The auditor is more of a bookkeeper and takes care of the conversion rates in most cases. |
| Main Function | The main function of a comptroller is to make sure the accounts do not exceed the limits. | The main function of an auditor is to make sure the filing of taxes is done on a timely basis. |
| Related Legal Provisions | The Comptroller’s office is incorporated under section 237 of the US Constitution. | The office of the auditor is not governed by any legal provisions. |
| Liabilities | He or she becomes liable when loan payment or EMI payment has defaulted. | He or she becomes liable when tax payment has defaulted. |
| General Pay Scale | The comptroller is paid for the value of the post, irrespective of work done, and the general pay scale is high. | The auditor is paid as per the functions assigned and the general pay scale is low. |
What is Comptroller?
Comptroller is the chief financial officer of any organization. He or she is concerned with the overall budgeting which may be done annually, monthly, or quarterly.
In governmental setups, the consolidated funds are managed by the comptrolling officer. The license terms are also taken into consideration by the person appointed at this authentic post. Other common attributes include that of a comptroller general and OCC (office of the comptroller of currency), etc.
Comptrolling is a managerial job and the salary is provided by the rules laid down under the organization concerned. Performance-based incentives do not find a place due to the graveness of the money matters handled. In the majority of cases, a report is presented in front of the senior officials so that they can manage their spending accordingly.
Comptroller should possess qualities of honesty and have a good aptitude in mathematics and commerce.
Though a lot of mechanical calculations are not required, a brief knowledge regarding the market structure might help a comptroller excel in this field. The eligibility criteria revolve around age and old jobs as experience is a crucial factor. Possessing a bachelor’s degree in financial domain subjects proves to be a plus point.
What is Auditor?
The auditor or auditor general keeps a track of all the accounts a person or institution possesses. As far as the field of Scientology is concerned, this wide term is defined concerning the trained member who handles the spiritual guidance procedures and their propagation. In common language, this term revolves around financial auditing only.
Auditor generals are in charge of accuracy maintenance as well. For instance, if the account-keeping is inaccurate, the amount of taxes to be paid cannot be ascertained. Once the auditor checks the old statements and passbook, everything can be sorted for the payment.
For the same reason, auditors are also known to be good managers. Though they execute tax filing procedures, the management of such a large chunk of financial data is a complicated chore in itself. The salary is thus paid proportionately.
An auditor should possess qualities of vigilance and punctuality. This is because any default in filing taxes might prove detrimental in the long run. The guidelines for this post can be found in the GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and SEC (security exchange commission).
Efficiency in the management of money even after filing predecided taxes is known to be the sole factor in determining success.
Main Differences Between Comptroller And Auditor
- Comptroller is that elite officer who sees expenditure patterns while the auditor is just a bookkeeper.
- The office of comptroller is concerned with budgeting while the auditor ensures the apt maintenance of financial records.
- For ascertaining the liability of a comptroller, loan payments are checked while the auditor’s liability revolves around tax payments.
- The scope of legality in comptrolling services is managed as per the 237th section of the Constitution while auditing is independent of such concerns.
- As far as the general pay scale is concerned, a comptroller is paid more lavishly than an auditor.
Conclusion
Record keeping is an essential facet of every economic setup. For thriving in the long run, huge companies and government setups need officials like the comptrollers and auditors. There is one striking similarity between these two posts – they handle a lot of confidential information related to the inner workings of their offices.
Thus, trustworthiness and loyalty are the major traits to look for in people to be hired under these positions. The duties are varied but the eligibility criteria are mostly similar, owing to the rigorous management of accounts and other financial activities that are efficiently taken care of daily. The priorities differ based on the yearly targets set in the respective fields.
References
- https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:594e65a0-34e5-48f5-898e-af28eac7a4ef
- https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/32970/1/The-apprenticeships-programme.pdf