What is a Chartered or Certified Accountant?

Anyone in the UK can call themselves an accountant. Ensure the highest quality service by choosing a chartered accountant or certified accountant.

The title ‘accountant’ is not regulated in the United Kingdom, meaning that anyone can advertise themselves as an accountant (or as a book-keeper) — regardless of their professional qualifications, educational attainment, or relevant experience. To ensure the highest levels of service quality, Right-Accountant.com lists only accountants who are chartered or certified and who are members of one or more professional organisations with a binding professional code of ethics and a complaints procedure.

Accountancy firms listed in this directory will normally employ accountants who include one or more of the following acronyms after their names, indicating their professional qualifications:

ACA or FCA
Associate or Fellow Chartered Accountant: Qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).
ACCA or FCCA
Associate or Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant: Qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
ACPA or FCPA
Associate or Fellow Certified Public Accountant: Qualified member of the Certified Public Accountants Association (CPAA).
CA
Chartered Accountant: Qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).
CGMA
Chartered Global Management Accountant: Qualified members of the UK-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or the US-based American Institute of CPAs.
CTA
Chartered Tax Adviser: Qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).

Accountants may also be members of one or more other professional organisations and may also hold additional qualifications.

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