An accountant is an individual that specializes in analyzing and organizing the finances of companies and individuals. In the United States many people hire an accountant to manage their taxes, both in terms of tax planning and completing the actual tax return.
Certified Public Accountant
An accountant may be, but is not legally required to be, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
CPA's are qualified at the state level. Generally a CPA is required to have at least 150 hours of college credits (with at least 24 in accounting subjects), pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, and meet certain experience requirements before obtaining the certificate.
Licensing requires annual fees, specified number of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours (including, in most states, a periodic requirement for CPE related to ethics and state laws/regulations), and that the CPA not be subject to disciplinary action, such as having committed a felony. (A CPA can lose his/her license for a felony not related to financial matters: a notable example of one who did was John David Battaglia, who was convicted of murdering his two daughters while on the phone with their mother. Although it took over a decade for him to finally be executed, it took roughly a year for the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy to revoke his Texas CPA license.)