As our class of 2019 prepare for their Applied Tax exams in a couple of weeks, they will be planning and preparing for stage two of the programme: Integrated Tax which will take them to the full Chartered Tax Consultant (CTC) qualification. We will shortly start taking applications for CTC 2020 which starts in January 2020 and would welcome your interest in this programme. Chartered Tax Consultant is a yearlong programme, but you may not be too late to enrol if you are eligible for an exemption. There are a couple of options available. Firstly and most recently, there is an exemption available for anyone who holds the Advanced Taxation elective from FAE. Contact Amy to find out more about this - the next intake will be June 2019 so there is still time to register your interest. Secondly, if you hold a tax qualification and are already a Chartered Accountant, you may be eligible to join us this June for Integrated Tax. If you are interested in joining CTC for 2019, now is the time to check your eligibility and get in touch with us about applying. See our FAQs and checklist here to see what you are eligible for. Q. I am a Chartered Accountant but I qualified with another body; am I eligible to apply for Chartered Tax Consultant? A. Yes; you are welcome to apply for Chartered Tax Consultant if you are a chartered accountant having qualified with Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland, with CIMA, ACCA, ICAS or ICAEW.  Q. I am not an accountant. Am I eligible? A. No; CTC is a qualification aimed at accountants, and this is one of the entry requirements. If you are not a chartered accountant but work in or are interested in tax, you may find our Diploma in Taxation of interest. Q. I am an accountant but I am not chartered; am I eligible? A. No; it is written in to the accreditation of the programme that it is only open to chartered accountants so unfortunately other non-chartered accountants will not be eligible. You would be welcome on our Diploma in Taxation, and many accountants and other business and finance professionals have taken this programme. Q. I took the tax elective within my FAEs; am I eligible for an exemption? A. Yes! You are eligible to apply for the exemption and should get in touch now if you wish to do so. Q. I took another elective within my FAEs; am I eligible for an exemption? A. No. You are of course welcome to apply for CTC 2020 from the beginning though. This is where most people start. Q. I have not completed my FAEs yet; am I eligible for Chartered Tax Consultant? A. Yes; once you have successfully completed CAP2, you are welcome to apply for Chartered Tax Consultant. Keep in mind that you will need to have passed FAEs though in order to use the Chartered Tax Consultant designation. Q. I have completed your Diploma in Taxation; am I eligible for an exemption? A. Yes; if you have successfully completed our Diploma in Taxation, you will be eligible to apply for an exemption from Applied Tax but you will need to sit and pass the Applied Tax exams in order to avail of this option. You will be sent the books and legislation for Applied Tax and given Moodle access in order to prepare for your exams but will not need to attend classroom sessions nor complete Applied Tax assignments. Feel free to contact us if you have questions about this option. Q. I am a chartered accountant and since then I received another tax qualification; am I eligible for an exemption? A. Yes; if you meet the minimum entry criteria (are a chartered accountant) and hold a recognised tax qualification from, for example, Irish Taxation Institute, you may be eligible for exemption from Applied Tax and to proceed directly into Integrated Tax. Please contact us for more information about this. Q. I completed Applied Tax some time ago but could not carry on to Integrated Tax at the time. Can I do so now? A. Yes; the programme does not need to be taken in one year. If you have successfully completed Applied Tax, you are welcome to resume the programme and complete Integrated Tax. Get in touch so that we can help you with completing your studies. If your question is not answered here (and even if it is!) please feel free to get in touch with any other questions about this or any of our programmes. 

Earlier today, over 150 members attended a lunchtime briefing from Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe TD. Referring to the final negotiations expected to take place over the weekend between Prime Minister May and EU negotiators in advance of Sunday’s summit, the Minister said: “The (draft withdrawal) agreement satisfies our national priorities set out at the outset of the Brexit negotiations, namely to protect the Good Friday Agreement, maintain the common travel area and related benefits, reaffirm our place at the heart of the EU, and protect trade, jobs and the economy. “Of course, we cannot become complacent, as work is underway to ratify the final text by both the UK and the EU.  Irrespective of the future relationship between the UK and the EU, we will face a very different world once the UK does depart.  The UK will inevitably become a ‘third country’.  The status quo will change.” The Minister discussed a broad range of other issues including the improving economic outlook for Ireland, the Finance Bill which has this week passed through the Dail and now moves to the Seanad, international tax policy, and anti-tax avoidance measures, for which he asked for the input and support of the accountancy profession.  The Minister also noted the importance of the accountancy profession in providing certainty in decision making through the provision of reliable financial information and trusted advice. He said: “Accounting is the language of business. It is the communication of economic realities and the base upon which all sustainable and innovative economies are built.  The accounting, auditing and other services you provide allow Governments, investors, shareholders, employees and citizens to see the economic reality.” Today’s audience included delegates at the Institute’s inaugural CPD Blitz Day focused specifically on members in the Public Sector.  An impressive line-up of speakers included Robert Watt, Secretary General Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Aileen Hughes, CIPFA chairperson and Internal controls analyst, ESB. Topics covered included ICT, data analytics, GDPR and Brexit and its  impact on the public sector. Photos of today’s event are available to view HERE.

-        36% of all UK and Irish accountants are female;  41% of Chartered Accountants Ireland members are female, up 9% in ten years    - Recently released figures from the UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) show that the percentage of female members in the accountancy profession in the UK and Ireland stands at 36%.  Chartered Accountants Ireland exceeds this number with female members representing 41% of the overall membership, up from 32% in 2008. Furthermore 49% of its 6,600 student population are female.   The FRC’s annual ‘Key Facts and Trends’ analyses the accountancy profession using data from the end of December 2017 and reports strong growth in the number of all qualified accountants across the UK and Ireland. Membership figures at the main accountancy bodies have reached a five-year high and there are now 360,000 qualified accountants in the UK and Ireland, and almost 164,000 students. Ireland’s largest accountancy body, Chartered Accountants Ireland has the fastest growth amongst the major accountancy bodies in the UK or Ireland.  Chartered Accountants Ireland’s members based in Ireland and in the UK grew by 5.3% in 2017 and by almost 19% since 2013. Though overall student numbers have eased back across the UK by 0.4%, Chartered Accountants Ireland’s student numbers have increased by over 5% in 2017. 1,153 students qualified to become full members of Chartered Accountants Ireland during 2017.   Chartered Accountants Ireland Chief Executive Barry Dempsey said: “While the FRC report highlights the welcome increase in female membership in the profession and more female graduates are choosing a career in Chartered Accountancy, we would all acknowledge that we have more to do to further grow this number. One third of our governing Council is female and 49% of our students are female – we see this as a great indicator for the future. “Chartered Accountants Ireland has developed its own events to support female members, for example, a bespoke ‘returners’ workshop was held last year and was very well received, more are planned for later this year. The Institute also provides one-to-one coaching and support pre- and post-career break or for maternity leave, as well as CV and interview preparation.  “Chartered Accountants Ireland will continue to encourage, develop and bring through female talent that can make our profession more diverse and consequently more successful. “Our recent student growth points to the attractive career opportunities available to newly qualified members, and demand for these highly qualified finance professionals in the employment market is now acute.  The Institute has announced a range of enhancements to our education programme, including agreements for the provision of specialisms with the Institute of Banking and with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. These enhancements will be available to students from October 2018 and will give employers access to highly qualified specialists in banking, financial services, consulting and public sector financial management. “The sheer scale of the accountancy profession across these islands is also noteworthy.  With over 360,000 qualified accountants it represents one of the most important components of the professionals services sector. It’s a priority for our members that Brexit must not affect their right to work and practice across the island of Ireland and in the UK.  Chartered Accountants Ireland is working with governments, regulators and others to minimise the impact of Brexit on the current recognition of our qualification. We want to ensure that the Irish Chartered accountant qualification continues to be recognised in the UK post-Brexit and similarly that the UK qualification is recognised in the EU once the UK leaves the bloc.” ENDS Reference:  Bryan Rankin, Marketing Manager, Chartered Accountants Ireland    T: 01 637 7268 Note to editors: Chartered Accountants Ireland is the largest, longest established and fastest growing professional accountancy body in Ireland with over 26,500 members in 93 countries around the globe.