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Accountants have an important position in the government. They are responsible for checking that assets are managed properly, costs calculated correctly, targets met and poorly performing areas found. The public sector is increasingly scrutinized and made more transparent because employees are dealing with taxpayers' money and governments worldwide are pressured to cut costs.

Accounting jobs in government are required for internal auditors and cost accountants, financial accountants and the chief finance officers with main responsibility for handling the finances and risks of the organization. Public sector accountants will often have qualifications which are specific to the public sector. In the UK, for instance, this is the CIPFA, run by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Worldwide, there is the Certificate in International Public Sector Financial Reporting (Cert IPSFR), run by the ICAEW.

You'll also find listed here positions in local public sector treasury management departments. These departments manage a local government organization's investments, cash flows, and any risk that arises as a result of these activities.

Jobs in the public sector don't always require working within actual government. Many private companies are required to support the public sector. Many large accounting firms have busy public sector practices which employ auditors to perform independent public sector audits. The Big Four accounting firms also hire financial teams for IT projects or to carry out reviews of public sector service delivery. There are also places for private companies in sectors such as investment and lending to nonprofit organizations. They may also provide public sector financing solutions.

Financial jobs in the public sector are largely considered to be less stressful than those in the private sector, although not everyone agrees. Decisions made in governmental positions often have both social and financial repercussions; balancing these competing requirements can be an additional challenge that adds an extra dimension to the work.