Now a CA can be just a bit more

The English ICA has relaxed its rules to allow member firms to add extra words on to the title ‘Chartered Accountants’. But they must choose from a restricted list.

Member firms can now call themselves ‘Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers’, ‘Chartered Accountants and Tax Consultants’ or ‘Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants’.

The decision was taken after a lengthy debate at an institute council meeting last week.

Council members also decided that firms would be allowed to use more than one of the add-ons if they desired.

However, they still have to stick to the list of permitted add-ons. They are not, for example, able to call themselves ‘Tax Advisers’ or ‘Business Consultants’.

Some council members reacted with derision to the pedantic nature of the rules about names.

Clive Parritt, chairman of Baker Tilly, pleaded: ‘Why do we have to be so precise? We should allow total freedom to our members to use any add-on that does not damage the profession’s reputation.’

The change followed discussions with the Privy Council and other professional bodies with similar names.

Only the Institute of Business Advisers objected, but institute president Dame Sheila Masters said: ‘They are not a very large organisation so we thought we could lay their objection to one side.’