Financial translation is the translation of economic documents and reports that require an understanding of accounting, financial principles and industry-specific terminology. It encompasses annual reports, quarterly reports, sustainability reports according to CSRD, financial analyses and forecasts, as well as prospectuses and investor materials.
What is required of a financial translator?
A financial translator must understand accounting standards such as IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and how they are applied in practice, financial terminology in both source and target languages, as well as economic concepts and how financial reports are structured. The translator must also understand cultural differences in financial reporting between countries and be familiar with the regulations and requirements for listed companies in different markets. Many financial translators have academic backgrounds in economics or accounting, as well as several years of experience in financial translation.
Quality assurance in financial translation
Financial documents are reviewed by auditors and investors, which means that they must be of the highest quality. An experienced translation partner uses the four-eyes principle where first a financial translator translates the text, then another financial expert reviews the translation against the original, after which a copywriter refines key texts such as the CEO word and finally the client validates the translation via a tool such as the ICR (In-Country Review) platform. Professional translation partners work according to ISO standards with ISO-certified system support and use secure data handling with encrypted transfer and confidentiality agreements since translation often occurs before publication. They build client-specific term bases that ensure consistent terminology year after year. See examples of some of all the annual reports Fluid Translation has translated during the year.