CAA/ATOL reporting

In future, financial professionals will need to be registered to carry out CAA/ATOL reporting

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued an invitation to the professional accountancy representative bodies to participate in the scheme for ATOL Reporting Accountants (ARA).

The invitation also contains key issues for firms that wish to report. In the section to demonstrate competence, it states that:

‘To do ATOL reporting work an ATOL Reporting Accountant must:

  • have reviewed guidance issued by CAA ATOL or their professional body for ATOL Reporting Accountants;
  • have reviewed Guidance Note 10 – Advice for Accountants – issued by CAA;
  • have successfully completed the CAA ATOL training package (and as updated from time to time) and the training package and assessment has been approved by the professional bodies within this arrangement;
  • have taken and passed a professional examination covering assurance work as approved by the CAA (this may be limited to individual modules of a professional qualification).
  • be a member of an approved professional body, as determined by CAA, and hold a practising certificate where required by the professional body.
  • The CAA ATOL training package - The professional bodies will be given access to their member registrants and training results for review.
  • The CAA may from time to time update the CAA/ATOL training package where necessary and will issue a notification to registrants where this update needs to be reviewed.’ 

Timetable

15 May 2015: interested professional accountancy bodies should apply in writing to the CAA on or before 15 May to participate in the ARA Scheme.

1 August 2015: participating professional accountancy bodies are required to agree to the MoU and be appointed by the CAA on or before 1 August.

1 October 2015: the ARA scheme comes into effect. From this date accountants who wish to undertake ATOL reporting work will need to be registered with their professional bodies. The professional bodies will arrange appropriate training for registered accountants.

1 April 2016: from this date the CAA will only accept signed reports from members of an appointed professional body who have been designated by that body to perform ATOL reporting.

ACCA applied to participate in the scheme by 15 May and updates will be provided to members over the coming months.

Read more about the invitation on the Civil Aviation Authority website