Letters such as ACA, FCCA, MAAT and CTA tell a client which professional body someone belongs to and roughly what they had to pass to get there, but not whether they are licensed to take on clients. Anyone can legally call themselves an accountant, so the useful checks are which body awarded the letters, whether the person holds that body’s practising certificate or licence, and whether the work needs a separate authorisation such as audit registration.

Is “accountant” a protected title?

No. ICAEW’s own consumer guidance says that, legally, anyone can call themselves an accountant without any qualifications, training or experience. What is protected is the use of a particular body’s designation. ICAEW, for example, receives complaints every week about people using “chartered accountant” or the letters ACA or FCA when they are not entitled to, and obtains legally binding undertakings or High Court injunctions to stop them. The wider picture is set out in regulated vs unregulated accountants.

What does ACA or FCA mean?

ACA and FCA are the letters used by members of ICAEW, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, who are entitled to call themselves chartered accountants. To qualify, an ACA student completes 14 exams across three levels (Certificate, Professional and Advanced), at least 30 units of Specialised Learning and at least 450 days of professional work experience, which does not have to include audit. ICAEW says the ACA typically takes three to five years.

FCA is the fellowship grade. An ACA member can apply for it after ten years of membership, provided they have complied with ICAEW’s bye laws and have no adverse disciplinary findings or outstanding complaints. FCA therefore signals length of membership and a clean record rather than a further exam. The rules on firms using the “chartered accountants” description are explained in using chartered accountant and firm descriptions.

What does ACCA or FCCA mean?

Members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants may describe themselves as Chartered Certified Accountants and use the letters ACCA, or FCCA if they are fellows. ACCA admits a member once they have completed the exams, the Ethics and Professional Skills module and the practical experience requirement of 36 months in a relevant accountancy or finance role, including nine performance objectives signed off by a supervisor.

Fellowship follows automatically after five consecutive years of membership with CPD compliance. A break in membership restarts the five year count. As with FCA, the “F” reflects experience and continuity, not an extra qualification.

What do MAAT, AATQB and FMAAT mean?

These are the grades of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT):

  • AATQB is bookkeeping membership, open to people who have completed AAT’s Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping or Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, or the earlier equivalents.
  • MAAT is full membership. It is open to people who have completed AAT’s Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting or an earlier Level 4 equivalent, and to people with qualifications or membership from certain other bodies such as ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW or ICAS.
  • FMAAT is fellow membership, available after five continuous years as a MAAT.

AAT membership on its own does not authorise someone to take on clients. A self employed AAT member offering bookkeeping or accountancy services must hold an AAT licence and becomes an AAT Licensed Bookkeeper or AAT Licensed Accountant, approved for specific services only. See AAT licensed accountants.

What does CTA mean?

CTA stands for Chartered Tax Adviser, the qualification of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. The direct route involves seven exams: an Awareness exam, three computer based exams in law, accounting and professional ethics, two Advanced Technical exams and an Application and Professional Skills case study. The qualification is awarded only after the candidate also has three years of relevant professional experience and has been admitted to CIOT membership.

A CTA is a tax specialist, and the letters say nothing about accounts preparation or audit. The CIOT and the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) rules say members must not use the CTA, CTA (Fellow), ATT or Taxation Technician designations unless authorised. The two tax qualifications are compared in CTA or ATT: which tax qualification.

Where do chartered management accountants fit?

“Chartered management accountant” is the title of members of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Companies House guidance says the expression “Chartered Management Accountant” cannot be used in a company or LLP name, and a sole trader or partnership wanting to use it in a business name needs written authorisation from CIMA. CIMA is a professional body anti money laundering supervisor under Schedule 1 to the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, but GOV.UK lists it among the bodies that do not register company auditors.

What do the letters not tell a client?

  • Whether the person may practise. ICAEW requires a practising certificate for public practice in the UK; ACCA requires one to set up a practice or become a principal; AAT requires a licence. A qualified member working without one is outside the body’s practice regime.
  • Whether they can audit. Under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006 only members of a recognised supervisory body who are eligible under its rules can be statutory auditors. GOV.UK lists ACCA, ICAEW, ICAS and Chartered Accountants Ireland as the registering bodies.
  • Whether they can act for charities above the threshold. Where a charity in England and Wales has gross income over £500,000, section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 requires an independent examiner to be a member of a listed body, which includes ICAEW, ICAS, ACCA, AAT, CIMA and the Institute of Financial Accountants, or a Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners.
  • Whether they are registered with HMRC. From 18 May 2026 HMRC’s mandatory tax adviser registration applies to anyone paid to deal with HMRC for clients, regardless of qualification; see tax adviser registration with HMRC.

How might a client read three letterheads?

Illustration only. A small company director is comparing three advisers. The first signs as “J Smith FCCA, Chartered Certified Accountants”, which tells the director that Smith has been an ACCA member for at least five years; the next question is whether the firm holds ACCA practising certificates and, if an audit is needed, audit registration. The second is “A Patel MAAT, AAT Licensed Accountant”: the licence is the more important part, and the director should check that limited company accounts are among the services Patel is licensed for. The third is “R Jones CTA”, a tax specialist who is right for a share reorganisation but may not prepare the statutory accounts.

What mistakes do clients and practitioners make?

  • Treating fellowship letters as a higher qualification rather than a mark of years of membership.
  • Assuming that membership equals a licence to practise. MAAT, ACA and ACCA members can all be unlicensed.
  • Assuming any qualified accountant can audit, sign as an independent examiner above the threshold, or carry out probate.
  • Using letters after membership has lapsed, which the bodies treat as misdescription.

For a practice comparison of the main bodies, see AAT, ACCA or ICAEW: which body for your practice.

Solar Protect runs fee protection schemes for accountancy and bookkeeping practices. See how our accountant schemes work or read fee protection schemes for accountants.

Related Accountapedia entries

Sources

Reviewed by Christine Anderson, Broker, Solar Protect. Last reviewed 19 October 2026. Part of Accountapedia, the Solar Protect guide to UK tax and accounting. This page is general information, not personalised advice.