Professional competence verification query

KoopaCooper
KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
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.
Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
QBO & Xero certified advisor

AAT
Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

ACCA
Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020

Comments

  • reader
    reader Registered Posts: 1,037 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    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
    sharpy92 Registered Posts: 52
    All my manager did was write one sentence confirming my statements were an accurate reflection of my job role.
  • KoopaCooper
    KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
    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! :D
    Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
    QBO & Xero certified advisor

    AAT
    Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
    Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
    Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
    MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

    ACCA
    Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
    F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
    F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
    F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
    F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020
  • reader
    reader Registered Posts: 1,037 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    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
    KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
    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.
    Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
    QBO & Xero certified advisor

    AAT
    Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
    Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
    Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
    MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

    ACCA
    Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
    F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
    F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
    F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
    F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020
  • reader
    reader Registered Posts: 1,037 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️

    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
    KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
    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. :)
    Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
    QBO & Xero certified advisor

    AAT
    Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
    Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
    Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
    MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

    ACCA
    Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
    F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
    F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
    F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
    F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020
  • reader
    reader Registered Posts: 1,037 Beyond epic contributor 🧙‍♂️
    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
    KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
    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...?
    Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
    QBO & Xero certified advisor

    AAT
    Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
    Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
    Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
    MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

    ACCA
    Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
    F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
    F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
    F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
    F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020
  • CSan89
    CSan89 Registered Posts: 207
    They send a couple of nudge emails. Happened to mine as well.
    AAT Level 2&3 - 2016
    AAT Level 4 - 2017
    Personal Tax, Business Tax and External Auditing

    ACA/CTA -
    Certificate Level - Jan 2019
  • hal978
    hal978 Registered Posts: 197 Dedicated contributor 🦉

    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
    KoopaCooper Registered Posts: 224
    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. :)
    Accounts Executive, ғɪᴀʙ ᴍᴀᴀᴛ
    QBO & Xero certified advisor

    AAT
    Level 2 Certificate in Accounting - 17 Jun 2015
    Level 3 Diploma in Accounting - 22 Jan 2016
    Level 4 Diploma in Accounting - 19 Dec 2017
    MAAT - 27 Mar 2018

    ACCA
    Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business...
    F4 Corporate and Business Law - 4 Jun 2019
    F5 Performance Management - 15 July 2019
    F6 Taxation (United Kingdom) - 3 Dec 2019
    F8 Audit and Assurance - 2 Mar 2020
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