What is an Accounting Tutor?

An accounting tutor is an individual who teaches accounting concepts to those who need assistance. Most commonly, accounting tutors work in an academic environment, assisting college students or master's students who are struggling to learn accounting concepts required to earn a degree. A tutor can also work with adults or other individuals who need to learn accounting for business purposes or various other reasons.

Like most tutors, an accounting tutor commonly provides private lessons on the subject. While a tutor may provide group lessons to two or more individuals, tutors normally work on a one-on-one basis. This allows struggling students to obtain more individual guidance and assistance in areas in which they are struggling.

An accounting tutor can help with both basic and advanced accounting concepts, depending on the level of the student he is teaching. For example, he may teach simple concepts such as how to understand the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable. He may also teach more advanced topics, such as auditing or how to write a balance sheet or a profit and loss statement.

Students who are struggling with their grades commonly hire tutors to help them further develop their understanding of the subject. Because accounting can be a complex subject usually not given extensive attention until the college level, it is common for students to require assistance in the subject.

An accounting tutor is often an expert on the topic. He or she may be another student who has excelled in the accounting course. He may also be a teaching assistant or a student at a higher level. For example, a graduate student may become an accounting tutor and help college students.

Tutors can work for profit or as a volunteer. Private accounting tutors often charge an hourly rate for their service. They obtain clients by posting advertisements or otherwise marketing to college students or other students who might be in need of their service.

Volunteer accounting tutors may offer to assist other students through a program at their school. For example, a volunteer tutor might visit the math department's office of assistance and volunteer to help other students. This could give the tutor good experience working with other students, which may be beneficial if he is interested in becoming an accounting teacher. Tutoring a student also helps the tutor ensure his own knowledge of a subject is complete, since he can reinforce his knowledge through teaching others.