I'm new to this forum and I have a question I hope BKN members will be able to assist with.
I've been working in accounts and book-keeping for over 30 years, mainly tax and accounts for SMEs. I have been made redundant from the accountancy firm I've spent the last 10 years at, and I'm in the process of setting up my own book-keeping and accounts business.
I dont have any professional qualifications, just the experience which I guess makes me QBE. However I'd like to join a professional body to trade under and I'm currently looking at joining the ICPA - Institute of Certified Practising Accountants. It includes PII and you also get access to a technical helpline. You also get to call yourself a Certified Practising Accountant.
I appreciate this is a book-keepers forum, but I'm just wondering if there any ICPA members on here that could pass their opinion on the body?
don't worry about it being a bookkeepers forum, we're a good mix on here with plenty of accountants and bookkeepers from all major bodies including ACCA, CIMA, IFA, AAT, ICB, IAB and even a few ICAEW. (Sorry about those who belong to bodies that I dodn't mention).
The commonality is that we're a pretty freindly and mostly likeminded bunch that just tries to help each other out.
Rather than try to answer you question can I guide you to this thread from those very clever people over on Aweb.
Personally I've hit the ACCA regulation 8 issue and have gone IFA which is a move that I'm happy with.
Once you've had a read of the other sites thread post again and we'll have a longer chat about the pro's and cons of various groups (although hands up, you probably know a lot more about ICPA than I do at the moment!).
kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Shaun, thanks for the link re the IFA. Had a chat to them and it appears as though I can apply for AFA membership via accreditation of prior learning and work based experience, with no exams required. I didn't realise any of the IFAC bodies offered membership without having to take exams!
I'll need to get my application signed off by previous employers which shouldn't be a problem. If I can get AFA (IFA) membership over ICPA that would be my preference, especially given IFA's membership of IFAC etc.
Bob, thanks for the suggestion re AAT and ATT. May I ask why you recommend AAT over the IFA etc?
Jumping in as Bobs offline at the moment but I personally think that IFA is higher up the tree than AAT. Nothing against the AAT qualification at all and just my personal opinion as to what fits where in the minefield of qualifications.
IFA really made an impressive move last year in gaining that IFAC seal of approval and although I'm not yet seeing them at the same level as the CCAB bodies they're climbing nicely and I'm quite happy to now be a very minor part of them.
ATT of course is complimentary to both and it's certainly something that I'm thinking of for my CPD requirement.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
@James - for me AAT gives people flexibility because I think (and I could be wrong) employers in and out of the profession recognise it for that IFA and hold it in higher esteem than a bookkeeping exam.
Couldn't agree more on employers holding the AAT qualification in high esteem Bob but I think that the reasoning behind it is what seperates it from the other qualifications.
AAT was always the qualification of choice for taking people on in practice or industry either as an end in itself for technicians or as the first rung on the ladder into accountancy.
Its a sound foundation but the fact that qualified AAT people call themselves accountants causes no end of indignation amongst accountants with other bodies. I know that you chat on Aweb as well so you'll know what I mean by that.
On the other hand the IFA qualification is intended as an end in itself rather than a stepping stone (although fully appeciate that the IFA qualification doesn't always get a smooth ride over on Aweb either!).
Please don't misconstru this as having a go at AAT which I actually think is an excellent qualification. But it really fits into the gap between bookkeeping and accountancy rather than having its flag firmly in either camp.
Its great for producing all round professionals but I would stop short of saying that an AAT qualified person is actually an accountant.
Then again, as we all know, the terms not protected so at the moment AAT people can pretty much call themselves what they like.
However, as James reasoning is that he wants to have an accountancy qualification I would say that IFA (or AIA or ICPA) meets his criteria more than AAT although quite happy to listen to other peoples take on that.
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
