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Becoming an Accountant and upgrading membership.

Kaybee07
  • 14 posts
  • # 73736

Hi all,

I'm just thinking about the future and was wondering if anyone knew how I would go from being a self employed bookkeeper to an Accountant (either working for myself or going back into an office).  Do I have to become an AAT first?

Also I haven't upgraded since passing my computerised bookkeeping course, do I need to as I thought the CB Cert part was being phased out.

Thanks

Kirsty

  • Studying the ICB career path with Ideal Schools.  Half way through the Payroll Management Diploma course.

    KBS Bookkeeping Services.

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Lady M
  • Fellow PM.Dip
  • Practice Licence
  • 258 posts
  • # 73750

Hi Kirsty,

To become an accountant you would have to apply to one of the professional bodies and do their exams and other requirements i.e. work experience, I am currently doing ACCA exams (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) but there are a few others out their such as CIMA and ICAEW.

I personally don't know about AAT but I got the impression from doing research (a long time ago) that you would not be a fully qualified accountant if you did that course (I stand to be corrected of course).

It is advisable that you upgrade, a year of membership will get added on every time you upgrade so definitely worth it. As I understand, your membership would be downgraded to affiliate in September until you upgrade.

Hope that helps.

Meena
KerryB
  • 269 posts
  • # 73751

Hi Kirsty,

I also believe that AAT does not class you as a fully qualified accountant; the AAT would give you the title accounting techinician only (on completion of level 4).

Hi Liz,

Do you have other accounting qualifications or have you been able to enter as an ACCA student based on the ICB qualifications? I too have the aim of starting the ACCA, but I do not know how the ICB qualification stands with regards to entry, I was going to complete AAT level 4 as my stepping stone to ACCA.

Kind regards,

Kerry

  • www.berrybookkeeping.co.uk

    My responses are based on my opinions, not necessarily facts.

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Lady M
  • Fellow PM.Dip
  • Practice Licence
  • 258 posts
  • # 73752


Hi Liz,

Do you have other accounting qualifications or have you been able to enter as an ACCA student based on the ICB qualifications? I too have the aim of starting the ACCA, but I do not know how the ICB qualification stands with regards to entry, I was going to complete AAT level 4 as my stepping stone to ACCA.

Kind regards,

Kerry”
Not sure if this question was directed at me, but as I believe, you can register for the ACCA exams at any stage, there are different entry routes but most can satisfy even one of these.

As for exemptions, you can check online whether or not your ICB qualifications exempt you from any of the exams. 

I personally have a degree in Accounting and Finance so was able to gain full exemptions from the first 9 exams.

But if you're in any doubt, ACCA's website is www.accaglobal.com - they have a lot of information on there. 



Edited at 22 Aug 2011 08:30 AM GMT
KerryB
  • 269 posts
  • # 73753

Hi Lady M,

Yes it was directed at you - why I called you Liz I do not know (I can only assume I have the Monday morning syndrome!)! Apologies..

Exemptions are what I am after, hence why I was going to complete AAT level 4. I did check about the ICB quals but they didn't come back as recognised.

Thanks for your reply. I am going to see a tutor at college later, so will see what they can suggest for me.

Regards

Kerry

  • www.berrybookkeeping.co.uk

    My responses are based on my opinions, not necessarily facts.

  • Quote
Kaybee07
  • 14 posts
  • # 73754

Thanks for the replies Meena and Kerry, I will contact ACCA to see what they say.  It would be further down the line but I like to know where I'm going once I've finished one lot of studies Laughing

I will also upgrade my membership.

Kind regards

Kirsty

  • Studying the ICB career path with Ideal Schools.  Half way through the Payroll Management Diploma course.

    KBS Bookkeeping Services.

  • Quote
Christopher
  • 107 posts
  • # 74617

Hi all, I am FMAAT and would class myself as an accountant, as this would be a descriptive term to describe my profession and business services. If you visit the AAT website homepage you will see an advert for 'Find a licensed AAT Accountant' and you would find my details in there along with many other AAT Members in Practice. http://www.aat.org.uk/


Accountant is not (as of yet) a protected word such as 'Doctor' for example, a person with experience of 30 years in accountancy would refer to themselves as an accountant qualified by experience (QBE) but hold no official professional qualifications.


As long as you follow the guidelines of your associations and do not advertise or mislead people.


My point is basically do not discount the AAT qualification and head towards ACCA or CIMA and think that, that is the only way to progress.  The AAT has thousands of members and students and is a great qualification (as is the ICB) to have and would be a recommended progression.


Hope this is useful.

Just to add I am currently studying the ATT - Association of Taxation Technicians (2 out of 4) to hopefully go on to CIOT, thus avoiding ACCA altogether.
 
Christopher.
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