After AAT

andrewtdk

Although i am only studying Intermediate i am looking into what to do after AAT.

I want to further develop my knowledge after AAT but the company i currently work for is not chartered or certified and i wondered if its ever possible to still study ACCA?

I know this is not an ACCA forum but im a member here and i thought it would be would be worth a post incase anyone here is also looking into this.

Also has anyone here studied ATT and if so is it worth studying as im also considering this.

I would be grateful if anyone has answers to my questions.

Thanks,

Andrew

jorja1986

I have never studied ATT but I know several people in practice who have and they said that it is a valuable course to go on.

You can still study for an accountant qualification even if your employer isnt certified or chartered. It is a personal qualification that will open up many doors. Just like a GCSE you dont have to be French to do the French GCSE. (over simplified analagy I appreciate).

There are lots of accounting qualifications that you can look into. Just read the AAT magazine

laurenw

Hi Andrew,

I currently work as an accounts assistant, i am also going to progress onto ACCA once i am qualified (hopefuly in Sept 08).

As far as i am aware anyone can study ACCA, you dont have to work in a chartered/certified role. You are exempt from papers F1,F2 & F3 with Technician level.
Im sure you only need to register with ACCA & have done 3 years accounting experience to qualify.

One thing i would say is, have you thought about what options you want to take next year? I am doing Business Tax & have been told this is a valued part of ACCA.

I have never heard of ATT but maybe this is because i dont work in practice.

I hope this helps you.

Bluewednesday

I don't work for a chartered or certified accountant but can still qualify with ACCA.

However if you want to do more tax work I think the ATT is a really valuable qualification, I think there are things in ATT that aren't covered in ACCA even in the advanced tax paper.

I am not devaluing ACCA - I am doing it myself, but you need to think where you will get support and where it will be useful.

shaxxa

ATT would definitley be the next step on from AAT in my humble opinion if ACCA is not an option.
ATT is a respected qualification and is extremely comprehensive in the tax field if this is the route you would want to take.
I chose ATT because being a MIP I cannot take the ACCA/ACA/CIMA route and already it has proved to be a beneficial bonus in extending my knowledge.
But be warned, it is quite a step up from AAT and you must be committed to studying as the course is quite intensive and has a vast syllabus.
I'm due to take exams next week and am feeling a lot more pressured than when I took my AAT

Sharon

coocoocadgoo

shaxxa wrote: »

ATT would definitley be the next step on from AAT in my humble opinion if ACCA is not an option.
ATT is a respected qualification and is extremely comprehensive in the tax field if this is the route you would want to take.
I chose ATT because being a MIP I cannot take the ACCA/ACA/CIMA route and already it has proved to be a beneficial bonus in extending my knowledge.
But be warned, it is quite a step up from AAT and you must be committed to studying as the course is quite intensive and has a vast syllabus.
I'm due to take exams next week and am feeling a lot more pressured than when I took my AAT

Sharon

Hi Sharon,
Quick question about your post... You say you're a MIP so yo can't do ACCA - is that a member in practice of the AAT? Does that stop you studying for the other qualifications then?
I've tried reading the ACCA website but it just has a load of gumph and not a lot of information!
Thanks,
Erin

shaxxa

Yes I am a AAT member in practice and as self employed cannot do the other qualifications.
I'm not sure why to be honest, maybe Annette can answer that one, I think it's because you have to be working to gain the work experience required with an approved employer?

andrewtdk

Thanks for all the replys. I didnt know too much about ATT but from the replys it sounds like its worth looking into. Bluewednesday did you say you were currently doing ACCA? If so do you know if you can do it by day release? Ive been trying to find information but dont really like the acca website.

I know im still a year away but i am trying to look into it now so i have time to decide if to move companys or not.

Bluewednesday

andrewtdk wrote: »

Bluewednesday did you say you were currently doing ACCA? If so do you know if you can do it by day release? Ive been trying to find information but dont really like the acca website.

Yes you can. I do it with BPP which means you attend the taught course for 3-4 days (depending on the subject) and have the option of a revision course (which I've done for a couple of papers). You do have to put a lot of work into it outside of the course but I've managed so far like this.

I think the problem with self employment is that to become a member you have to have a work experience record signed off by a qualified accountant. You can actually do more as a member in practice with the AAT as you cannot do anything other than VAT returns, payroll and bookkeeping without a practicing certificate from ACCA which means you have to work for an approved employer for 3 years with at least 2 being post qualification. ACCA is very restrictive in that way.

If you are self employed you would have to get another accountant to review your work for 3 years to sign you off and then still couldn't do anything else without a practicing certificate so it's not really an option unless you already work in an approved practice. You can still study the qualification as ACCA won't stop that but there's not a lot of point as you can't do anything with it!

andrewtdk

Thanks for the reply blue wednesday but im a bit confused. You said theres no point in ACCA if you cant become a member in practise or have your work signed off as the qualification cant be used for anything?

if so didnt you say you are studing ACCA but dont work at a chartered or certified accountant or did you just say that to help explain that you are still able to do the qualification even though it would be much use.

I presume im missing something or have read something wrong. Thanks again bluewednesday and everyone else for your comments.

Bluewednesday

at the end of it I will be a qualified accountant as I can get my work experience signed off. I won't get a practising certificate but as I don't want to work on my own, my qualification is still valuable. My boss has the PI insurance so I don't actually put my name to anything.

Other posters here are qualified and don't have practising certificates, but if you want to work for yourself - you can't use your ACCA letters.

Please don't think ACCA isn't valuable - it is but it's very restrictive for working for yourself that's why I said it isn't much use. It all depends what you want to do.

Does that explain things better?

andrewtdk

Thanks i think i have an understanding now. I would still be able to get the qualification but i wouldnt be able to say im a chartered certified accountant nor would the company i work for be able to call themselves so. Does this also mean i would not be able to sign something from say a mortgage company to certify clients income etc?

Thanks for answering my many questions lol, think i will look further into any other differences on the acca website to help me decide what to do next.

Bluewednesday

Definitely can't sign mortgage references as ACCA.

The official rule is that you can't do anything that a third party would place reliance on.

I think you would be able to sign correspendence with your letters but that's about it - I think Peugeot might know better what you can and can't do.

There is plenty you can do with the qualification but without a practising certificate, self employment isn't really one of them.