CIOT

CIOT (The Chartered Institute of Taxation)

The Chartered Institute of Taxation is the foremost professional and educational body in the UK dealing solely with taxation as a career. The Institute’s primary purpose is to promote education in, and the study of, taxation. It sets examinations, organises educational and technical conferences and maintains standards of professional practice.

What Qualifications are Available?

ATT and CTA. Exams for both are held each year in May and November.

Graduates in any discipline can qualify as a tax adviser by taking the examinations of The Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) followed by those of the Institute. The Association’s ATT qualification and the Institute’s Chartered Tax Adviser qualifications are held in the highest regard; those successful in the exams can use the designatory letters CTA, the practising title of Chartered Tax Adviser and expect a salary increase that reflects this.

The examinations for the Chartered Institute of Taxation are widely recognised as some of the most demanding professional exams. The qualification therefore commands considerable prestige. Members of the Institute earn the right to the title Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA), the premier and most specialised tax qualification available in the UK.

There are two classes of CIOT membership:

• Fellow - using the designatory letters CTA (Fellow) or FTII and;
• Associate - using the designatory letters CTA or ATII.

Admission to Associate membership is achieved by passing the Institute's examination and acquiring the necessary three years' professional experience. Fellowship is attained through the preparation of a thesis or body of work of the required standard, coupled with three years' appropriate taxation experience.

In order to sit the CTA, students need a certificate of eligibility. This is granted in a number of different circumstances. The most common route is to pass the qualifying examinations of certain professional bodies (eg Taxation Technicians - ATT, Chartered, Certified or Cost and Management Accountants, Solicitors or Barristers). The certificate is also granted to those who have passed the Inland Revenue FT2 or Customs and Excise VAT Legal and Technical training examinations.

The CIOT runs a number of regional branches in association with the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT). There are 30 branches throughout the United Kingdom and four overseas, based in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore and Guernsey.