ATT or AAT Tax units

X5wrangler

I have qualified in AAT but would like to take the tax units. Now, the question is - do I do the two tax units with AAT or do I just go and do the ATT qualification? From what I can see on the ATT website there are 4 exams (I think, couldn't quite understand it :confused1:), two of those being Personal and Business Tax. Any thoughts?
Many thanks :001_smile:

jilbo

I passed the 2 tax options in AAT and am just about to start the first module of ATT, and yes you have to do 4 modules, personal tax , business tax and ethics plus an option.

Am starting on business tax and from my quick scan I would say you don't need to have done the AAT tax options first.

Julia

For what it's worth I did ATT years ago and then CIoT (also years ago:001_wub:). I would recommend ATT if you want a tax qualification in its own right.

Julia.

Dean

I thought you were studying CIMA? Might be thinking of the wrong person though!

If you are, I wouldn't recommend studying both! If you wanted some knowledge of tax then the AAT units would be sufficient. I'd turn my attention toward CIMA before embarking on tax!

Regards

Dean

X5wrangler

Thanks for your help, it seems the best thing to do is start with ATT.
Dean - you are right, I did start studying CIMA but the company I work with piled more and more work on me and the CIMA was going to suffer as I was only allowed to do it in my own time :thumbdown:. This was something I had less and less of so because I couldn't give CIMA the respect it deserved - I stopped doing it!!!
I have some time to study hence the thinking of doing Tax. Does that make sense? I probably doesn't. :001_unsure:

Dean

Yeah it makes sense, although you will need to devote alot of time to ATT. Don't make the mistake of thinking "it's just another Association, it'll be easy".

Regards

Dean

X5wrangler

I always give a potential qualification the respect it deserves and I never go into it thinking it is easy!!!! I'm not that clever for a start.....:001_smile:

Dean

Go for it then, any more questions just ask! :001_smile:

Regards

Dean

payrollpro

AAT Tax Units or ATT

Hi everyone,

I had the same dilemma a little while ago and I chose ATT simply because I am already an AAT fellow and doing the tax units would not have indicated publicly that I am also tax trained.

I can tell you it is not easy though my age was probably part of the problem! It took me two goes to get personal tax but I passed the other three, business tax, ethics (which is a bit of a dogs dinner if you ask me) and I took compliance as my option as it is closer to my main type of business.

Saying that I have to say the AAT's tax units cover a lot of the same ground and in similar detail so it is a hard decision to make.

Payrollpro

X5wrangler

For some reason I can only log on to this blooming site at work!!!!
Anyway, payrollpro, thanks for your feedback. Can I ask how long the qualification took you? I am over 40 myself :crying::laugh: but I'm not prepared to stop yet!!!
Dean - thanks, I will!!:001_smile:

farmergiles

But only a young "over forty"

Dean

payrollpro wrote: »

Saying that I have to say the AAT's tax units cover a lot of the same ground and in similar detail so it is a hard decision to make.

You must have done different papers to me then. Personally, the ATT makes the AAT look - well, let's just say a little silly.

Regards

Dean

jilbo

I'm just starting ATT myself (and I'm another over 40!) and it does look as though it covers much more detail than AAT.

Let me know if you start ATT X5wrangler, will be good to compare learning experiences.
Am just doing Businesss Tax to start, hope to sit the exam in May and possibly sit the other three units in November.

farmergiles

There appears to be a lot of us "young" over 40's(&50's) around on this forum...what a wealth of experience

Dean

Jilbo, are you the same ‘Jilbo’ over on AccountancyStudents? I left you a message regarding the Training Conferences.

Regards

Dean

jilbo

Yes Dean I am the same Jilbo. Many thanks for your message, haven't made a decision whether or not to go yet.

Dean

If you find yourself getting stressed, these courses will put your mind to rest, the people are all like minded and it does give you an added confidence boost. Think of it, cost wise, as further investment into the qualification.

Regards

Dean

jilbo

I'll definately give it more thought, probably over the weekend when I've thawed out!

X5wrangler

Hi jilbo,
I certainly will give you a shout, I'm starting to make my mind up towards ATT. Are you saying with your exams you could complete the course in a year or am I way off?

Dean

Here is what Tolley's say about the predicted time limits. Personally, I was a 24 'monther' - being an MiP does have it's dis-advantages!

I'd recommend Tolley's for tuition material, but right on your doorstep is Kaplan Financal in Temple Meeds. I went on one of their revision courses and they were very good.

Regards

Dean

deanshepherd

Great link!

I love the way Tolleys try to justify their fee increases because students now have longer exam sittings!!

X5wrangler

Thanks Dean, that was very useful. I wouldn't be able to take exams until November now as I won't have met the 7 months criteria. Umm, I will proably be a 24 monther as well......

jilbo

Think I'm being a bit ambitious. Would love to have done it in a year but 18 to 24 months is a far better time scale and I can use the study time towards my CPD so there is an advantage.

Suppose because I started the 2 AAT tax options early March and sat the exams in June I though I could do ATT in such a short time, but now I've received the study literature from Tolley's, all 5 ringbinder's worth, I agree with you guys, needs longer throwing at it.

payrollpro

AAT or ATT

To answer the various questions I meant that in the list of subjects there are a lot of similarities but I have to agree, now that I have had a look at the depth, the ATT studies are far superior.

I studied from September 2007 and sat the first exams in May 2008 with the Personal Tax resit in November but the total amount of study was probably no more than 4 weeks for initial study, another two weeks revision phase and then my own cramming for the exams.

For the resit I did four days revision phase and then question practice till I lost the will to live.

I have now received an invitation to swap to CIoT - No chance!!

Im over 50 now and Im still not over the hill but I did have a problem when even the BPP tutor looked younger than my daughter!!!!

Payrollpro

payrollpro

AAT or ATT

One last thing, why do you have to log in 10 times before it says your logged in?

Monsoon

I'm a MAAT and just started my ATT, passed Business Tax and Accounting Principles in November's sitting.

ATT is far harder than the tax covered in AAT. I'm glad I have the grounding in AAT first. I'm not looking forward to the next 3 exams, I know they are going to be tough!

Good luck

Dean

faerie9 wrote: »

passed Business Tax and Accounting Principles in November's sitting.

Congratulations! :thumbup1:

You should have taken paper 3 at the same time!

Regards

Dean

Monsoon

Dean wrote: »

Congratulations! :thumbup1:

You should have taken paper 3 at the same time!

Regards

Dean

Thank you!!

Which one's that one? As I'm 'teaching myself' I only wanted to do one at a time!
Luckily I've roped my business partner into taking the ATT as well so I have a study buddy now!

Dean

faerie9 wrote: »

Thank you!!

Which one's that one? As I'm 'teaching myself' I only wanted to do one at a time!
Luckily I've roped my business partner into taking the ATT as well so I have a study buddy now!

It's business tax higher skills. It would have cut down on your study time. That is, i'm assuming your option paper would be paper 3.

Regards

Dean

Monsoon

Dean wrote: »

It's business tax higher skills. It would have cut down on your study time. That is, i'm assuming your option paper would be paper 3.

Regards

Dean

It probably ought to be that option! Though there are others I'd be interested in too...
TBH, don't think I'd pass that one without a lot of work, I suffer from stress and don't want to over-face myself, happy to take this qualification slow and steady :thumbup1: