ACAT Accepting Registrations for Spring 2012
The ABA is a national credential that verifies the technical proficiency of practitioners in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, business consulting services, business law and ethics.
Feb. 22, 2012
Accountancy and Taxation Accreditation Exams
WASHINGTON, DC, February 22, 2012 — The Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation (ACAT) is now accepting exam applications for the June 16 – July 7, 2012 testing period from industry professionals seeking to earn any of the following three credentials:
- ABA Accredited Business Accountant/Advisor
- Accredited Tax Advisor (ATA)
- Accredited Retirement Advisor (ARA)
The exams are offered at more than 700 computer-based testing centers throughout the United States. Also, students attending colleges and universities where ACAT offers its “Capstone” accounting program courses can take the exams at their college or university.
The ABA is a national credential that verifies the technical proficiency of practitioners in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, business consulting services, business law and ethics. The emphasis is on a practical approach to public accounting.The ABA is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an independent resource recognized as the authority on accreditation standards for professional certification organizations and programs.
The ATA is a national tax credential for practitioners who handle sophisticated tax planning issues, including planning for owners of closely held businesses, planning for the highly compensated, choosing qualified retirement plans and performing estate tax planning. Their expertise covers tax returns for individuals, business entities, fiduciaries, trusts and estates, as well as tax planning, tax consulting and ethics.
The ARA recognizes professionals who have a thorough knowledge of topics relevant to retirement planning and special issues of senior citizens including tax planning; preparing clients for retirement; tax preparation for decedents, the essentials of estates and trusts; financial planning; and applying your knowledge and skills in real-life situations when serving aging clients.
ACAT accreditation provides evidence to clients, prospective clients, employers, and the public that the accredited professional has met national standards and has a mastery of accounting and taxation procedures and practices. These credentials demonstrate a mastery of accounting and tax procedures and practices that far exceed the proposed IRS registered tax return preparer standard.
Candidate information with topic blueprints for each exam, credential information and exam registration, is available at www.acatcredentials.org. The National Society of Accountants (NSA) offers preparatory course study guides for some of the exams.