An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy, which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resource(s).
Founded in 1887, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the national professional organization of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States, with more than 418,000 members in 143 countries in business and industry, public practice, government, education, student affiliates and international associates. It sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It also develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination. The AICPA maintains offices in New York City; Washington, DC; Durham, NC; and Ewing, NJ. The AICPA celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2012.
The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) was founded in June 1973 in London and was replaced by the International Accounting Standards Board on 1 April 2001. It was responsible for developing the International Accounting Standards and promoting the use and application of these standards.
Chartered accountants were the first accountants to form a professional accounting body, initially established in Scotland in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants (1854), the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries (1854) and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants (1867) were each granted a royal charter almost from their inception. The title is an internationally recognised professional designation; the certified public accountant designation is generally equivalent to it.
The Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) is an umbrella group of chartered professional bodies of British qualified chartered accountants.
Chartered Certified Accountant is a protected designation awarded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The Association is UK based and was historically an organisation of British qualified accountants, however it is now a global body for professional accountants with 208,000 qualified members allowed to use the designation and 503,000 students globally. Support offices/centres exist over 100 countries.
British qualified accountants are full voting members of United Kingdom professional bodies that evaluate individual experience and test competencies for accountants.
IFACnet, the KnowledgeNet for Professional Accountants, is the global, multilingual search engine developed by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and its members to provide professional accountants worldwide with one-stop access to good practice guidance, articles, management tools and other resources. This enterprise search engine was launched on October 2, 2006 by INDEZ. Originally marketed to professional accountants in business, IFACnet was expanded in March 2007 to provide resources and information relevant to small and medium accounting practices. It now includes resources and information for accountants in all sectors of the profession.
The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) is a professional body representing and providing certification for financial accountants in the United Kingdom. The IFA is a full member of the International Federation of Accountants.
The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) at Nilkhet, Dhaka, Bangladesh is the only institution in the country dedicated to Cost and Management Accounting education and research. It is managed as an autonomous professional body under the Ministry of Commerce.
Pakistan Institute of Public Finance Accountants (PIPFA) is an autonomous body recognized mainly in the government sector and established under license from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan by the authority given under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984.
Institute of Corporate Secretaries of Pakistan (ICSP) was established on 22 November, 1973 as a company limited by guarantee, under the then Companies Act 1913, later substituted by the Companies Ordinance 1984. Since incorporation, the ICSP is functioning as the only recognized professional body of corporate secretaries which is imparting professional education and prudence in the areas of secretarial practice. Besides, equipping the students with knowledge for meeting challenges of modern corporate and financial world, the ICSP is also providing commands in the subjects of corporate & business laws, corporate governance, accounting, administration, management, human resource, business ethics and information technology. As a matter of fact the Corporate Secretaries should have caliber to chart a course of action or take decisions in accordance with regulations, legislations, precedents, traditions, best practices and to oversee that the operations of the organization are moving effectively/efficiently towards its objectives and goals.
The Botswana Accountancy College, or BAC, is a business school located in the city of Gaborone, Botswana. Initially funded and established through a joint venture between The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Debswana, the college caters for the accountancy and IT tertiary needs for the country. BAC has two main campuses; the main campus being located in Gaborone, and the secondary one in Francistown. The college has collaborations with The University of Derby and The University of Sunderland in England.
First Intuition is a United Kingdom based provider of accountancy training. It was founded in 2007 and is a partnership run by the five founders. First Intuition works on the principle of smaller class sizes, capping all classes at 30, a unique feature not seen at any other accountancy training provider.
Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) is a professional management accounting designation issued beginning in January 2012. The Chartered Global Management Accountant's mission is to promote the science of management accounting on global stages.
The Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka, is a professional body offering qualification in management accountancy in Sri Lanka.
