A comptroller is a senior executive who oversees the accounting and financial reporting of a business or government department. The comptroller is responsible for preparing financial reports and overseeing all accounting, including payroll, accounts receivable, loan transactions, etc.
The term "comptroller" began as a misuse of the word "controller" but the term has become so widespread that comptroller and controller are now used interchangeably in the United States.
[Last updated in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]