accountant?

[bookeeper]

I have completed the intermediate level and hopefully will start technician in September. Although our lecturers know the course content and teach it well, they cannot give us a direct answer to one simple question. Will we be able to call ourselves qualified accountants if we are successful at technician level? They have been unable or unwilling to give us specific details on what this qualification actually means. Can anyone out ther help? PLEASE!!!!<BR>

[Liz]

My understanding is that we are accounting technicians but not accountants. Liz

[NeilH]

The term accountant can be used by anyone, regrdless of qualification (see http://www.icaew.co.uk/index.cfm?AUB=TB2I_25373,MNXI_25373). However, terms chartered accountant and probably certified/chartered certified accountant are reserved for those with that particular qualification/s.

[Frankymo1e]

NeilH is correct. AAT Technician is a qualification in accountancy (NVQ 4 in Accountancy) so you will (semantically speaking) be a qualified accountant, specifically an accounting technician. In much the same way as qualified medics can range from surgical consultants down to qualified first-aiders, accountancy has lots of disctinctions! But you will not be able to have a private practice and sign off traders' accounts with just NVQs. Certified/chartered accountants have distinct qualifications.<BR><BR>You will however be entitled to have the designatory letters &quot;MAAT&quot; after your name, once you have achieved full membership status of AAT.

[tony]

You can become an AAT self-employed member which means you can offer services to your own clients. More details are here under self employed option on the menu to the left. <BR><BR>Tony

[smcgiff]

This has been the most contentious AAT debate since I was first an AAT student back in the mid 90's. At the moment the term accountant is all about perception. Do the general public see AAT's as Accountant's. If you described yourself simply as a member of AAT then possibly yes. If you mention you are a 'technician' then I'm guessing they wont. <BR><BR>I don't think the AAT themselves, see the role of accounting technicians as 'qualified accountants', and to be fair, if AAT members thought of themselves as qualified accountants then there wouldn't be such a demand to continue onto ACCA, CIMA and the like. AAT's are qualified Technicians, even accountants in broad terms, but saying they are 'qualified accountants' means they are trying to pass themselves off as something they are not.<BR><BR>It's true that an AAT can perform the accounts of companies under the exemption limit, but so, afaik, can someone that has never picked up an accounting book. First aiders maybe medics, but what if they went around calling themselves Doctors?<BR><BR>I see legislation in future defining the role of accountant, in the same way as the words barrister and solicitor are protected. This can only be a good thing. <BR><BR>

[lisarobertson]

Could someone from the AAT clarify this?

[smcgiff]

Hi Liz,<BR><BR>Not meaning to speak for the AAT, but think about the current relationship the AAT has with the remaining sponsoring bodies. If the AAT came out and advocated AAT's using the term 'Qualified Accountant', then the likes of the ICAEW etc. would walk in the morning. The AAT would overnight go from a complementary organisation to a perceived competitor. The other bodies would take the ACCA's lead and set up their own second tier accountancy qualification. The AAT has a very strong position in the market they've gone for and wont want to jeopardise it.<BR><BR>The AAT usually get around to clarifying their position about once a year at least, when this issue is prompted by new students/members.<BR>

[igarner]

I am self employed, doing a wide mix of work which includes book-keeping and management (and draft final) accounts for limited companies, annual accounts for partnerships and sole traders as well as personal and partnership taxation. I therefore feel justified in regarding myself as an accountant by occupation, but qualified accounting technician by profession.

[simonlewis]

I believe as an FMAAT you can be self employed and can sign off traders accounts and limited companies. You cannot however carry out audits.<BR><BR>One question i'd like to ask, if you are a student of the ACCA can you be self employed registered with the AAT.

[NeilH]

Hi<BR><BR>With MAAT or FMAAT you can only sign off accounts for limited companies if they are below the threshold of audit, however even unqualified people can do this.

[NeilH]

Hi Simon<BR><BR>There's nothing to stop you from being a student of the ACCA and registered with the AAT. However, under ACCA rules you cannot produce final accounts for anyone unless you hold the ACCA's practising certificate (which require post-ACCA qualifaction training) regardless of your other qualifications - eben if you have the ACCA Accounting qaulification. This seems a daft rule since AAT qualified acountants are more than capable, and regulated to produce such accounts.<BR><BR>N