Accounting technicians work across sectors in private, public and not for profit organisations.
They carry out a range of practical accountancy, financial and taxation work.

This work includes:

  • checking and analysing financial information used by accountants
  • preparing financial information required by professional accountants.

Examples of work performed by accounting technicians includes

  • administering payroll
  • arrangement payment of invoices
  • bookkeeping
  • accounts preparation
  • creating reports, budgets and statements.

Entry and progression

Accounting Technicians qualify through work-based schemes with training completed on the job combined with part-time study.

ACCA offers exams through its foundations in accountancy suite of awards. These provide a good grounding for accounting technicians.

Exam options

For those who work as an Accounting Technician, or aspire to be an Accounting Technician, the most relevant exam option is ACCA’s Certified Accounting Technician (CAT).

CAT is a qualification in its own right and offers the opportunity to progress onto the full ACCA qualification.

Competencies

High level competencies required by accounting technicians include:

  • Corporate and Business Reporting

     

    A. Prepares financial statements, corporate financial and integrated reports for external stakeholders using appropriate technology.

    B. Leads effective decision making through analysing, evaluating and communicating performance and position of entities.

    C. Prepares financial statements for groups of entities using appropriate technologies.

    D. Monitors, critically evaluates, and advises on the relevant accounting standards, regulation and conceptual and reporting frameworks.
     

  • Ethics and Professionalism

    A. Develops advanced ethical values and professional skills in the promotion of public interest and the profession.

    B. Demonstrates personal effectiveness in fast changing environments.

    C. Encourages innovative thinking within the context of professional scepticism.

    D. Thinks proactively about the future, applying professional judgement and commercial intelligence and seeks specialist input when needed.

    E. Communicates effectively and influences others.