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When is an accountant not an accountant

26th Jun 2014
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This might seem like an odd question to ask and you may not be interested at all but let me ask you the same thing in a different way. "Did you know that you do not have to be qualified to be a accountant?" Your reaction will be lightly different and you will probably ask why; and be more interested.

Anyone can call themselves an accountant, whether they are qualified or not! No I am not joking. What does it mean "qualified accountant" and what does it mean for you? The difference is that qualified accountants have completed exams, are members of a professional body such as ICAEW or CIMA or ACCA (to mention the most prominent ones, there are others) and have to adhere to rules and undertake certain training to ensure they are up-to-date with laws and regulations. They are also insured so you are protected against any negligence on their part.

Accountants without qualifications - yes this is possible - have often worked in a finance department or an organisation and may have sat their exams but not finished or passed. They may well have relevant experience and trained in other areas of accountancy but they are not subject to the same rules and supervision which are designed to protect the client. So at this point I have to admit - sometimes even I like rules!

I'm not trying to bash non-qualified accountants as there are some who have the relevant experience to satisfy their client's needs but choosing the 'right' accountant is a big deal so take this as food for thought when you have to make that decision. And please forgive me to end with a little sales punt for AIMS: All AIMS accountants are qualified and are members of a professional institute, so in addition to AIMS systems and quality control of AIMS our clients also benefit from that.

If you like the way we think, you'll like the way we work.

We post regular updates on Twitter (@AIMSAccountants) and on LinkedIn (AIMS Accountants for Business

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By wilcoskip
27th Jun 2014 09:33

Why?

Seriously, what is the point of this blog post on this site?  Pointless, pointless advertising.

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Replying to mg200:
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By Henry_AIMS
01st Jul 2014 10:07

Thank you for your comment. We simply wanted to share the importance of this subject and it was not intended to be a sales pitch. We are sorry that you feel this way.

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By justsotax
27th Jun 2014 12:13

Obviously doesn't

take an interest in reading any part of this site either....QBE vs Qualifed has been a constant talking point for years - perhaps if they had done some research on this site the article would have been more relevant....but who am I...obviously not a marketing/sales specialist (qualified or otherwise)

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