Affiliate membership

What is Affiliate membership?

For an accounting practice to use the description 'Chartered Accountants', all of the principals of the practice are required to be Chartered Accountants or Affiliate members.

To be eligible to apply for Affiliate membership you must meet the following requirements:

  • You have graduated from an Australian University (or have an equivalent overseas qualification) and have a minimum of 5 years full-time experience in either accountancy or another area of expertise
  • The number of Affiliate members who are principals of the practice must not exceed the number of Chartered Accountants who are principals of the practice
  • The total share of Affiliate members and their associated persons and entities in the capital, financial results and voting rights of the practice entity must not exceed one half
  • You agree to be bound by the Institute's Code of Ethics, in accordance with the Supplemental Royal Charter and By-laws, and to comply with the Institute’s requirements such as Training & Development, Quality Review and Professional Indemnity Insurance
  • You complete the Public Practice Program (PPP) as part of your application for Affiliate membership. This program is undertaken by both members and affiliates becoming partners in Chartered Accounting firms. For information regarding exemptions please refer to FAQs Affiliate membership.

An Affiliate member is not required to hold an Institute Certificate of Public Practice. This obligation only applies to Chartered Accountants.

If your practice wishes to identify the names of principals on its letterhead or website, and those principals include Affiliate members, the Affiliate members must be identified with the post-nominal 'Affiliate ICAA' after their names.

An Affiliate member ceases to be a member of the Institute when they cease to be a principal of the designated practice entity.

NB: If a chartered accountant enters into practice with persons who are not members of the Institute, the practice is not entitled to use the description 'Chartered Accountants'. However, in certain situations, non-members who are principals of a practice that includes chartered accountants as principals can apply to become affiliate members of the Institute.

How to apply

  1. Register for the Institute's professional training Public Practice Program
  2. Complete and submit the Affiliate Application Form and attach certified copy tertiary qualifications (degree certificates and transcripts)
  3. Return your completed form to the Customer Transactions Team.

Article last updated 26 August 2011