What Are Chartered Accountants?

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 675
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Practically everyone has heard of chartered accountants, but virtually no one apart from accountants and some businessmen and women really know what the difference is between an accountant and a chartered accountant. Some people even think that there is no difference, but there is a difference and it is quite an important difference if you are in business and need someone to do your accounts for you.

Simply put, chartered accountants are qualified to do the work that they do, so as a result the work they do is guaranteed to be of the correct standard. In the UK it is still possible to call yourself an accountant without actually being qualified. However, it is against the law for an unqualified accountant to misrepresent themselves and call themselves a chartered accountant. So if you want an accountant you can rely upon it is very important to look only for chartered accountants.

Finding Chartered Accountants

Chartered accountants advertise in newspapers, magazines, list themselves in the Yellow Pages and usually have a website, so they are not difficult to find. However, you need to bear in mind that just ...
... like many other professions chartered accountants specialise. That means that if you want an accountant to do your business accounts you probably do not really want to use one that deals mainly in personal taxes.

Often the best way to find an accountant is to use the internet. A simple name and number listing in the Yellow Pages does not tell you what kind of accountancy work that particular account does, just who they are and how to contact them.

You can also narrow your search by using the search term 'chartered accountant +overseas taxes'. That way you get a list of accountants who can help you with your overseas taxes. Add the name of the area you live in and you can find those that offer the service you are looking for close to where you work or live. It still takes time, but is far quicker than ringing a list of accountants only to find out they do not offer the service you need.

Wilkins Kennedy is a well established firm of chartered accountants who offered a wide array of accountancy services for businesses and private individuals.