Rights and obligations
The following information is taken from regulation 8 of the ACCA Rulebook. It is important that you read this information as it outlines what activities you are permitted and not permitted to do as an ACCA student.
(1) A pplication of the Charter, bye-laws and regulations Upon and following admission as a registered student, the Charter, the bye-laws and the regulations made pursuant to the bye-laws for the time being in force shall insofar as applicable to them apply to and bind every person so admitted for so long as he is a registered student and, insofar as the Charter, bye-laws and such regulations so provide, thereafter.
(2) Permitted activities of ACCA students
(a) A CCA students of the Association may not claim to be members of the Association, nor may they be, or hold themselves out to be, in public practice, or a partner, director or controller of a firm or a member of a limited liability partnership which carries on public practice. ACCA students are, however, permitted to provide basic bookkeeping services for reward, either directly to the public or for an accountant, provided that they do not refer to their studentship or potential membership of the Association. Such service may be provided by the ACCA student acting in a self-employed capacity, or as an employee. Basic book-keeping services are defined as:
(i) T he recording of basic accounting data up to and including the preparation of accounting records to trial balance stage
(aa) bank accounts
(bb) cash
(cc) sales ledger and purchase ledger(ii) Payroll
(aa) wages
(bb) PAYE, National Insurance deductions(iii) VAT or its equivalent.
(b) A ny accountancy services, other than basic book-keeping services, can only be provided for reward by an ACCA student working for, and under the supervision of, a person who, in the opinion of Council, is suitably qualified and/or suitably experienced. The ACCA student may undertake such work either as an employee or as a self-employed person.
(c) T he provision of basic book-keeping services directly to the public cannot constitute approved accountancy experience, for the purpose of regulation 3(a)(ii). However, basic book-keeping and other accountancy work undertaken under supervision may constitute approved accountancy experience.
(d) A n ACCA student or affiliate who wishes to provide basic book-keeping services may obtain or seek such work by direct approaches to existing or prospective clients by mail or any other means unless prohibited by law in the country in which the student operates and subject to the requirements in paragraphs (e) and (f) below.
(e) A n ACCA student may inform the public of his book-keeping services by means of advertising, or other forms of promotion, subject to the general requirement that the medium should not, in the opinion of Council, reflect adversely on the ACCA student, the Association or the accountancy profession, nor should the advertisement or promotion material, in the opinion of Council:
(i) as to content or presentation, bring the Association into disrepute or bring discredit to the ACCA student, firm or the accountancy profession;
(ii) discredit the services offered by others whether by claiming superiority for the ACCA student’s services or otherwise;
(iii) contain comparisons with the services offered by others;registered students rights and obligations
(iv) be misleading, either directly or by implication;
(v) fall short of the requirements of the Advertising Standards Authority as to legality, decency, honesty and truthfulness.(f) A dvertisements and other promotional material may refer to the basis on which fees are calculated, or to hourly or other charging rates, provided that the information given is not misleading.
(g) Where ACCA students provide services pursuant to the above rules, they are subject to the same rules of professional conduct which apply to members who provide such services.
(h) R egulations 8(2)(a)–(g) do not apply to ACCA students:
(i) who are members of one or more of the UK or Irish Institutes of Chartered Accountants, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants or The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting and who hold practising certificates or the equivalent status from such bodies; or
(ii) who are authorised for appointment as company auditor under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1989; or
(iii) who are resident outside the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and Dependencies, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland, and hold a professional accountancy qualification which confers the right to practise in their country of residence.
A CCA students falling within these categories are permitted to engage in public practice (although, in respect of category (iii), in their country of residence only) provided that they describe themselves only as members of the professional bodies to which they belong (if any) and not as students of the Association.
(3) MSER students
The provisions of regulation 8(2) apply to MSER students in respect of their permitted activities.