I sneaked away from my boss to post this.

I'm 26, doing accounting for a manufacturing company near Nakhon Ratchasima. Been here about 1.5 years, but I've been really serious about it because I want experience before maybe studying more or moving to a bigger place.

It started last night. Around after 10 pm my boss (the owner, probably in his fifties) messaged urgently saying an auditor will come tomorrow morning and to hurry up the financials. He asked me to shift some expenses to reserve capital or push expenses to next year so this year's profit looks better. He said it like “do the company a favor, you can take the opportunity later” in a sweet tone. I was totally stunned.

I went quiet for a minute because... I was confused. Accounting has rules, it’s not just flicking categories. But a direct order from the owner plus the phrase “they won’t find it” said casually — that pressure was intense. There’s no HR boss to check because the place is small, under twenty employees, and I’m the one making the financial statements alone. My pen was dried up on the desk and stuff like that made my heart race. The 45 minutes I spent thinking before replying felt so long.

At first I thought it was just moving small advertising entries or changing tiny timing items, but when I checked some items were repair costs for machines that happened this year. My boss wanted them capitalized into assets and depreciated next year. That's clearly against accounting principles — it's manipulating financials to make numbers look better. I’m not a clueless newbie, I know this. But if I flat-out refuse I’m afraid of being scolded, being seen as not helping the company, or worse, getting fired. Around here, disagreeing with the owner usually affects your long-term relationship.

I was so stressed last night I couldn’t sleep. Tossed and turned until 1 am and called my mom in the morning. She told me to follow the rules but as a mom she worried, “what if they really fire you?” I thought of rent, my bike loan, money I send home... really scared. I’m scared of losing the job but also scared of breaking accounting law. I want to endure but this feels too much.

This morning I talked to my boss again. I suggested alternatives like adding explanatory notes to the financials or making a separate provision for expenses not yet incurred. He said, “that’s a hassle,” and then said if the auditor asks we’ll deal with it later — basically do it now and fix it later. I pushed a little but not strongly because I was afraid of tension. He saw I wasn't enthusiastic and said, “you know what I mean,” in that tone, and finally told me to send the file back before noon.

I’m pissed but also scared. Totally confused.

Some teammates in the warehouse say “just do it, they’ll figure it out later” like to comfort me, but I feel like I’m sinking deeper and have no one serious to consult at work. My boss is detail-obsessed like a mechanic; he looks at accounts like production, says numbers look ugly, wants the company to look good for customers. “Image” matters more than transparency for him, so I’m more confused.

I’m worried this could become a big problem — if auditors find it the company could be heavily fined. I’m also worried about my professional ethics in the future if I follow him. Sometimes I think maybe I’m not cut out for this job, but then I feel guilty about the time and effort I’ve put in. I want a clear answer.

What do you all think I should do? Any practical options that won’t ruin me but still keep accounting ethics intact? If I should quit, how do I plan that when expenses are tight? Has anyone been through this — share how you survived? Has anyone written a risk report or brought in an external consultant to audit?

Or am I just too narrow-minded T_T

P.S. First time making a thread so sorry if I messed up anything. I really need advice 5555