New campaign to exclude unqualified accountants

A campaign to limit unqualified accountants from carrying out accountancy work will gain momentum in the new year, it has emerged.

A survey of members of the world's first professional body of accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), revealed that many members are concerned about the increasing number of unqualified accountants who have been compiling tax returns and preparing company accounts, The Herald reports.

ICAS Chief Executive, Anton Colella, told the publication that the efforts are aimed at protecting the public.

'At the moment, anybody can set themselves up as an accountant without any training or any professional indemnity insurance,' he remarked.

Mr Collella said that the UK's professional accountancy bodies are currently polling their members to determine how large the problem is.

The results will be used to lobby the government to protect the term 'accountant' in the same way as solicitors and architects already are, he added.