Corporate Accounting & Controlling

Corporate Accounting & Controlling

The Department of Corporate Accounting & Controlling is your contact point for all matters relating to accounting, annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements, accounting systems, cost accounting, controlling, corporate planning and related matters.

Teaching

Our department offers a total of three specialisations in German and one specialisation in English (in cooperation with the Finance Department) in the following programmes:

"Unternehmensrechnung und Revision" (Corporate Accounting & Auditing) in the German Bachelor programme "Wirtschaftsberatung"

In addition to a sound basic training in accounting, you will receive a broad education in business management and the knowledge you need on legal matters – which will be indispensable for any future job. This includes tax law, accounting regulations, controlling and corporate planning.

"Unternehmensrechnung und Wirtschaftsprüfung" (Corporate Accounting & Auditing) in the German Master programme "Wirtschaftsberatung & Unternehmensführung"

This specialisation focuses on content that is extremely important in auditing. It includes special issues relating to the accounting and auditing of associations and private foundations. In view of increasing globalisation, it includes international accounting in accordance with IFRS. Special attention is also paid to the International Standards on Auditing (ISA), due to their adoption into Austrian auditing standards. Regarding the specialisation of tax consultancy, topics such as the taxation of partnerships, reorganisations and procedural law, financial criminal law and international tax law are covered.

"Unternehmensplanung und Controlling" (Business Planning & Controlling) in the German Master programme "Wirtschaftsberatung & Unternehmensführung"

In addition to the central topics of corporate planning and controlling, the programme covers important current topics such as value-based management, risk management, and crisis and restructuring management. Selected legal questions relevant to a controller’s job are also part of
the training.

"International Accounting & Finance" in the English Bachelor programme "Business Consultancy International"

This double major is implemented in cooperation with the Finance Department. In addition to abroad education in business management, you will receive a sound basic training in Accounting & Finance. Courses like "Analysis of Financial Statements" and "Special Issues in Accounting and Taxation" will deepen your knowledge of Accounting. Additionally you will have Finance courses about capital markets and investments, derivative securities, as well as about multinational finance and risk management.

Amongst other programmes that are taught in English, our department provides courses on accounting, the preparation and analysis of annual financial statements and tax law. We also provide courses on basic business management topics in programmes offered by the Faculties of Engineering, Health, Sports and Security.

Our lecturers practice what they teach in their lectures. They are chartered accountants, management consultants and executives with solid academic backgrounds and broad teaching experience.

Research

Our department’s research activities can be divided into the following categories:

Research on current topics

Digitalisation in Tax Consulting and Auditing Firms
(Egger, Nitzlader, Zierlinger)

Digitalisation, i.e. the growing importance of information and communication technologies, is increasingly changing the day-to-day work of tax consultancy- and auditing companies. Internal processes and workflows in these firms are becoming more efficient as a result of digitalisation. In particular, the automation of certain activities and the faster accomplishment of complex tasks ultimately lead to an increase in value added.

In the spring of 2020, the Department of Corporate Accounting and Controlling, under the direction of Prof. (FH) Dr. Walter Egger, initiated an online survey on current and planned digitalization measures at tax consulting and auditing firms in Vienna and Lower Austria. The statistical analysis was performed by two master students in the course of their masters’ theses. The results of this survey, which was conducted in cooperation with the Austrian Chamber of Tax Advisors and Certified Public Accountants, relate primarily to digitalization measures regarding document management, document transmission and communication between accounting firms and their clients. Against the backdrop of increasing digitalization, another objective of the survey was to gain insights about the future competence profile of tax advisors and public accountants: According to the respondents’ assessment, proficiency in the use of accounting software and Excel, as well as knowledge in the area of data protection will be particularly important professional competencies in the future, on top of a well-founded proficiency in basic accounting knowledge. With regard to the social skills, analytical skills and consulting skills were considered particularly important for tax consultants and public accountants in the future.

In addition to the quantitative online survey, another master student conducted qualitative expert interviews with representatives of the so-called "Big Four" accounting firms Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC. The experts’ observations about current and future digitalization measures within their companies and their assessment about the future competencies required of accountants and public accountants were incorporated into the study.

Download the study here (available in German only!)

Tax Consulting & Auditing
(Studnitzka/Krendelsberger/Zierlinger, Steuerberatung und Wirtschaftsprüfung in: Sichler/Häfke-Schönthaler (ed.), Beratung in der Wirtschaft. Grundlagen und

Anwendungsfelder, Linde international 2018, p. 131–158)
The article "Steuerberatung und Wirtschaftsprüfung" (Tax Consulting and Auditing) in the editorial work "Beratung in der Wirtschaft" (Consulting in Business) provides an insight into the world of accountancy services. It describes the role of auditors and tax consultants, presents the market structure and analyses current trends.

The department also conducts research on various topics together with students, who primarily research current innovations and issues in the context of their master's theses.