Continuing AAT Membership
Louise89
Registered Posts: 285 Dedicated contributor 🦉
I'd just like to see what people's thoughts are on continuing paying an AAT subscription whilst studying ACCA/CIMA as our FC has queried why we are paying two sets of subscription fees.
So, my question is do you drop your AAT membership once you're at chartered level or do you keep it and what are the benefits of doing so?
So, my question is do you drop your AAT membership once you're at chartered level or do you keep it and what are the benefits of doing so?
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Hi Louise,
I'm not chartered but I do have ATT letters as well at MAAT. I am keeping both, as I worked pretty hard for both.. and don't see either as more or less relevant. Obviously the more recognised the qualification the more likely it is that you'll hang onto that set of letters, but I like them both!!
I suppose the benefits are dependant on whether you use what's available to you- with MAAT you have access to a lot of webinars and meetings etc.
Personal choice I guess.
B xxx0 -
Thanks for your reply Becca, personally, I would keep like to keep both of mine, so I'm glad you feel the same - plus, it is quite nice having the letters. I guess it can be hard to explain away the different membership fees both in and outside of the finance dept.0
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Hi,
I am almost CIMA qualified (exams passed, experience submitted, not yet approved) and have just received a letter from the AAT saying my subs are due........
I think I will drop AAT after I become chartered for 3 reasons.
1. CIMA teaches practically everything that AAT does, so why do I need to 2 org's letters to vouch for me or for me to show I have the technical capabilities?
2. Professionally I have moved on from the level of accoutancy AAT teaches and with chartered letters MAAT is no longer relevant to me as it is superseded by ACMA-CGMA.
3. As you have found out, companies are very reluctant to pay for 2 sets of subs!
Just my opinion of course! I am proud that I did AAT, it gave me a solid accounting foundation and I would recommend it, as a path to chartered acountancy.
Fo.
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I am a fellow member of both AAT and ACCA. I have retained my membership of AAT for several reasons the main ones being:
- I worked hard to get my AAT membership and am not prepared to lose it for the sake of saving the subs (my employer does not pay for any professional fees).
- I am a great supporter of AAT and would hate to see it decline because it can not retain its membership. Like all professional bodies, it relies on its subscription fees to carry out research work, to support its members, to subsidise its educational work and cover overheads. If all its members resigned in order to join other bodies it could not continue.
- We employ AAT students within my Finance team, by being an AAT member I can better understand their problems and offer better professional mentoring.
- As I am commiting a bit of my budget into funding AAT students, I want to be able to express an opinion on what AAT does, what is in the syllabus and on its values, as well as vote on the governing body membership. The only effective way I can do this is by being a member.
- Finally, I am committed to bringing closer collaberation between ACCA and AAT, particularly in the area of CPD and joint networking. I have just been elected to the Chair of the ACCA Cymru West Wales Members Panel, with dual membership and as Chair I am hoping to encourage a closer relationship in Wales between the two bodies.
AAT is different but complimentary to the CCAB bodies, I get different things from the two bodies and interact with them in different ways, I am proud to be a Fellow of each body and feed into them both (as well as sitting on various CIPFA groups, eventhough I am not a member) whenever possible.1 -
I think this is a really interesting thread as I've just renewed my AAT subscription for what might be the last time, and I feel quite sad about that. I'm almost finished studying ACCA. I had no doubt about keeping my AAT subscription whilst studying, as it means I can use the letters after my name, and be a full member of a professional organisation rather than just a student member. Do you know you can apply for a reduced rate AAT subscription when you are continuing studying accountancy? That helps keep the cost down a bit. Once I am ACCA qualified though I think I will have to drop my AAT membership. I don't particularly want to as I am very proud of achieving it, but I just can't justify paying two full rate subscriptions (which will be a lot more than I'm paying now) for essentially the same thing. If I didn't have to worry about the cost (i.e. my employer was willing to pay for one/both of them) then I would very happily keep both memberships. But in your case it leads to your employer quibbling! Why don't you see if you can reach a compromise where you pay one subscription and your employer pays the other? And remember that any you pay for yourself are tax deductible!0
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My company doesn't pay for my CIMA membership now that I'm qualified (I tried to file an expenses claim and my boss said I'm not a student anymore and that I have to pay... rather loudly in front of my colleagues), and I've always been the one paying for my AAT membership. I've been debating whether or not I should drop AAT but I worked hard for my membership and studying it really helped me get to where I am now. Also, AAT do hold some very good events so for me it's worthwhile as I attend events whenever I can.0
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I was given MAAT in April this year. At the same time I registered as a student member of the ACCA. My employer however has said that they pay both AAT is what I'm a full member of and the ACCA student subscription is a cost to enable me to further my studies. I would like to keep my MAAT even after I've finished ACCA as I worked really hard to get it - I wasn't in an accountancy role when I first started AAT so for me it shows just how far I've come in such a small space of time and I feel it's a real achievement.0
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My work will only pay one subscription fee, so I am letting them pay for my CIMA student one, whilst I cover the cost of a reduced rate AAT Member fee.
Paying over 4 months by direct debit helps spread the cost aswell 0 -
Thanks for all of your responses, its been really interesting reading other people's opinions and situations. Of course, we are all still here are the AAT forums are the best place to hang out and I find a lot more interactive than some of the Chartered forums and it really would be a shame to lose this due to lack of membership.
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