Professional competence verification query

KoopaCooper

This weekend just gone, I submitted my professional competence for my MAAT application (the other 5 were already approved last week), and I was just wondering, what exactly is required does the verifier have to do?

I only ask because my verifier is, naturally, my line manager - except I know he's not great at writing emails and letters (he struggles with English spelling and grammar as it's not his first language) and usually ends up asking me to draft them for him.

reader

From when I did mine, which was a long time ago, I believe they simply get an email and have to simply confirm/approve what you have written, i.e. it is very quick, easy and I don't think they are expected to write anything.

sharpy92

All my manager did was write one sentence confirming my statements were an accurate reflection of my job role.

KoopaCooper

Fair enough. I think my line manager will be able to handle that much then.

Here's hoping I'll get MAAT soon in that case!

reader

Will you apply for a practising licence after you get your MAAT?

Will you also drop the IAB and AATQB subscriptions when you get MAAT?

KoopaCooper

To be honest, @reader, I tried registering for AATQB just to see what was involved in the registration...and then suddenly I got "congratulations, you are now AATQB registered!". Whoops. xD It doesn't cost any extra on my affiliate membership though, and I'm not sure how to cancel it, so...I would if I knew how though.

As for my IAB membership - bookkeeping is a whole different animal from accounting, I think I might keep that active for the time being at least; to show clients I am competent at bookkeeping AND accounts.

I might get a practicing license down the track. But I also want to go on and study my ACCA soon, so I think I'd more likely go do that first tbh.

reader

KoopaCooper said:

To be honest, @reader, I tried registering for AATQB just to see what was involved in the registration...and then suddenly I got "congratulations, you are now AATQB registered!". Whoops. xD It doesn't cost any extra on my affiliate membership though, and I'm not sure how to cancel it, so...I would if I knew how though.

As for my IAB membership - bookkeeping is a whole different animal from accounting, I think I might keep that active for the time being at least; to show clients I am competent at bookkeeping AND accounts.

I might get a practicing license down the track. But I also want to go on and study my ACCA soon, so I think I'd more likely go do that first tbh.

Oh yeah.

Forgot you are doing ACCA.

I don't think you can get a practising certificate and do ACCA too.

Regarding accounts and bookkeeping being different, is it that bookkeeping requires high volume transactional processing which some accountants wouldn't be able to do because they could be slow, or is there some other skill that you think bookkeepers have that accountants don't?

KoopaCooper

I could get a practising certificate from IAB, I think, and freelance doing clients' books, VAT, and drafting accounts - I believe. But yeah, I think you're right - can't do final accounts under AAT license and study ACCA at the same time.

It's not just the high volume transactional processing - a lot of clients think of the two jobs as being the same, or at least that bookkeeping is a small section within accounting. Having both memberships - one with a professional bookkeeping body, one with a professional accounting body - might serve to remind them that the two roles are actually separate but equally important.

...or maybe that's just my way of looking at it.

reader

Yup, I think you are right about being able to do bookkeeping whist being an ACCA student.

Regarding VAT, off the top of my head, I believe you can prepare the VAT account but the client would need to submit the actual VAT return and deal with any HMRC investigation.

KoopaCooper

I checked with IAB and they put absolutely no restrictions on what work you can and cannot undertake as an MIP, but ACCA of course may still impose limits as I'll also be a student with them.

So, I just looked at the current status of my MAAT application, and I notice that the updated date has moved on a week (I submitted my last competence on 2 March, it now says updated 9 March), but it still says Awaiting Approval. Now, does that mean that it just updated its status (no change) and my manager still hasn't actually seen it yet, or does that mean that he responded and it's currently under review, or that he responded and it's in the process of being rejected...?

CSan89

They send a couple of nudge emails. Happened to mine as well.

hal978

KoopaCooper said:

To be honest, @reader, I tried registering for AATQB just to see what was involved in the registration...and then suddenly I got "congratulations, you are now AATQB registered!". Whoops. xD It doesn't cost any extra on my affiliate membership though, and I'm not sure how to cancel it, so...I would if I knew how though.

As for my IAB membership - bookkeeping is a whole different animal from accounting, I think I might keep that active for the time being at least; to show clients I am competent at bookkeeping AND accounts.

I might get a practicing license down the track. But I also want to go on and study my ACCA soon, so I think I'd more likely go do that first tbh.

AAT should have at least gave you a warning that if you apply for AATQB, you can't offer self-employed accountancy services (i.e. accounts and tax, not bookkeeping) to the public without a licence.

KoopaCooper

hal978 said:

AAT should have at least gave you a warning that if you apply for AATQB, you can't offer self-employed accountancy services (i.e. accounts and tax, not bookkeeping) to the public without a licence.

True, but, the fact that there is an AAT Licensed Bookkeeper title as well would hopefully make that apparent, I guess they thought? AATQB is good to have after your name if you're working in a company or a practise, but doesn't suffice for self-employed - it's kind-of like to Licensed Bookkeeper what MAAT is to Licensed Accountant, in a way.