Hi David,

The IAB/ICB comment seems a strange direction for people to be going in from AAT. Not saying that you are wrong there as I know that the ICB especially have been attempting to coax people away from the recognised qualifications by advertising in accountancy student publications. However, this is not something that I have seen any evidence of myself (to the best of my knowledge the migrations have in general actually been in the other direction).

AAT students pre MAAT can already practice but may make no reference to their professional body so in some ways this new recognition level is unnecessary (before acting on that ensure that you make your own investigations as rules of professional bodies change regularly).

Thinking about it I do imagine that some AAT students may hoist an ICB flag of convenience whilst they are training with the AAT but once they have moved to MAAT status and are able to make mention of AAT I would see no reason to maintain dual memberships.

Considering that, making AATQB a qualificaton in its own right for people who are still students makes a lot of sense as it eradicates any reason for any dalliance with other bodies.

As for the comment that the AAT are entering the sector occupied by IAB/ICB. That was always the AAT's sector and it was the others that entered it, not the other way around.

Its an interesting history in there where the so call bookkeeping bodies sought to invent a niche within that area but that niche does not really exist.

I say so called bookkeeping bodies as neither the ICB or IAB stop at trial balance meaning that they are simply aiming at the same market as the AAT but looking to offer cheaper / faster / easier alternatives to gain a share of the lucrative entry level market where career changers often on the back of redundancy are looking to find an income as quickly as possible.

Its a sound business strategy to gain market share but any strategy based on trying to take a chunk out of a much larger businesses revenue is ultimately going to result in the fly swatter approach that seems now to be being adopted by the AAT with this new interim qualification (that one can choose to keep as their ultimater qualification if they so wish).

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in a qualification landscape that was already already changed considerably by ACCA-X. Certainly the risk averse side of me is saying that if I were a training company at the moment I would be looking to add the option of an AAT qualification to my stable of products.

Hi Johnny,

exactly, you have joined the IAB as a flag of convenience whilst you get to MAAT MIP and then I assume you intend to abandon it.

Also, I agree with your restriction but would also add to that not just level IV AAT but rather level IV taking the two tax papers as one's options papers.

I don't know if you have looked at those yet but when you do you will be happy to know that the AAT use HMRC forms to teach tax.

The AAT do restrict you in what you can offer, even if you have done the two tax papers, as you have to provided verified work experience in any service you want to offer.

I think the bookkeeping membership is going to be great offering, not everyone wants to go through level 4, yet they get a kind of membership of the AAT, which is so well known in the industry.