In Australia, the designation Chartered Accountant (CA) is earned by satisfying the comprehensive admission requirements of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA). These admission requirements include having completed an approved tertiary degree in commerce, economics or business studies with an accounting major. Candidates then complete, under the supervision of a CA, the Institute's own part-time post-graduate course, the CA Program, which is one of the most rigorous in the world. Additionally, the candidate must have three years of supervised experience with a CA before membership is granted.
What this means is that Chartered Accountants are at the leading edge of modern business practice and can provide the community with a full range of professional business services.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia is the Australian Professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs), the recognised title of accountancy professionals throughout the English speaking world. It has 30,000 members who work in public practice, the business community, academia and government organisations. CAs are among the most highly qualified and respected group of business advisers in Australia.
CA’s are required to undertake at least 120 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) over a three year period. In the conduct of their duties, all CAs must comply with technical and ethical standards which are set by the Institute.
Those members wishing to work as principals in Public Practice must obtain a Certificate of Public Practice by completing the Institute's Public Practice Program. Members holding this certificate must ensure that adequate Quality Control Procedures are in place. The Quality Review Program provides periodic independent reviews to ensure high standards are maintained.
The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) is the peak professional body for financial planning in Australia.
The FPA has an office in each capital city and a network of 31 Chapters across the country which provides a focus for business networking and professional development activities for more than 12,000 members. FPA practitioner members manage the financial affairs of more than 5 million Australians whose investments are valued at $630 billion. Members of the FPA commit to a code of ethics, rules of professional conduct and continuing professional development. The code of ethics can be found on the FPA’s website at www.fpa.asn.au.
The Financial Planning Association exists to provide the leadership and professional framework that enable its members to deliver quality advice to their clients.
