Changes
to the skills requirements for skills assessment of accountants are due to come
into effect from 1 July.
All of
the Accounting Professional Bodies namely, Chartered Accountants Australia and
New Zealand, CPA Australia, and Institute of Public Accountants, are involved
in the changes to how applications will be assessed. It is generally accepted
that the changes will make it more difficult to qualify for assessment as an
accounting professional.
All of
the occupations currently assessed by the accounting professional bodies will
be affected by the changes. These occupations are:
- Finance manager,
- Accountant (Gen),
- Management accountant,
- Taxation accountant,
- Corporate treasurer,
- External auditors
In essence,
the change in assessing involves the current 12 core accounting areas being
reduced to 9. Most applicants will need to show that they meet 7 of these, although
some occupations will require applicants to show that they meet 8. There is no
change to the English language requirement.
