Choosing an accountant
What is ACCA and what does it mean for my accountant?
By Pick My Accountant Editorial · Updated 9 July 2026
What the qualification involves
The ACCA route covers financial accounting, management accounting, tax, law, audit, and strategic papers, taken alongside at least three years of documented, supervised experience. Crucially for you as a client, passing the exams alone doesn't allow someone to sell accountancy services — public practice requires a separate practising certificate, which brings supervision, continuing professional development, and mandatory professional indemnity insurance.
Chartered vs chartered certified — does it matter?
ICAEW/ICAS members are 'chartered accountants'; ACCA members are 'chartered certified accountants'. For small-business compliance and tax work the two are practically interchangeable — both are chartered-level, regulated, insured, and able to perform reserved work like audit through appropriately licensed firms. Choosing between an ICAEW and an ACCA firm should come down to fit, sector experience, and fees, not the wording of the designation.
How to verify an ACCA claim
Use ACCA's free find-an-accountant directory to confirm a firm, or ask the accountant for their membership number and check it with ACCA directly. On Pick My Accountant, ACCA badges link to the official ACCA search so you can verify before you engage. Treat any reluctance to be verified as a red flag — genuine members expect the question.
Where you'll meet ACCA firms
ACCA is especially common among the online-first and small-practice firms that dominate UK small-business accounting, partly because its flexible study route attracts practitioners who built their careers while working. In our directory, ACCA appears on both high-street practices and national online firms — the badge tells you about qualification and regulation, not about the firm's size or style.
People also ask
What's the difference between ACCA and FCCA?
ACCA after a name means a qualified member; FCCA means Fellow, granted after five years of continuous membership with required professional development. Both are fully qualified — Fellowship indicates longevity.
Can an ACCA accountant do my limited company accounts and audit?
Company accounts and corporation tax — yes, routinely. Statutory audit specifically requires the firm to hold registered auditor status, which some ACCA (and ICAEW) firms have; almost no small owner-managed company needs an audit anyway.
Is someone who failed to finish ACCA still an accountant?
They may work in accounting roles, but they cannot use the ACCA letters or claim membership, and ACCA rules restrict unqualified part-way students from offering public services. Always verify the letters on the register.
This article is general information for UK businesses, not tax, legal, or financial advice, and thresholds change — confirm current rules on GOV.UK or with a qualified accountant before acting. Fee figures are indicative benchmarks from ourmethodology.