Press release: Students to benefit from greater flexibility in their taxation studies

The new Tax Pathway¹ will enable students to study for both the ATT qualification and the gold-standard CTA qualification together in potentially less time than at present, while maintaining the quality and rigour of the prestigious awards. 

The biggest benefit that employers and students may find with the new Tax Pathway will be that they can choose which ATT papers to sit at the beginning of their study path because no papers are mandatory at that early stage. This is complemented by flexible study options to suit everyone on the Tax Pathway, from classroom teaching to online distance learning.

Michael Steed, ATT President, said;

“The ATT is delighted to launch the new Tax Pathway with the CIOT. The Tax Pathway has been designed to deliver the highest quality qualifications in tax while reducing time out of the office, study costs and duplication of study. The combination of two highly respected qualifications offers the most efficient route available to the highest standard in tax advice and practice and gives students a qualification on the way.”

Students following the Tax Pathway route will spend less time out of the office as they will have one fewer exam to sit. The cost of qualifying is therefore likely to be less than following the sequential qualification route for ATT and CTA and students will be able to sit some exams earlier than if they had followed the sequential route. The exams are based on current tax law, ensuring students are up-to-date with the changing developments in the field of taxation. No pre-requirements are necessary before starting the Tax Pathway route, although students must be aged 16 or over and have a reasonable standard of English and maths.

Bill Dodwell, CIOT President, said:

“We welcome the development of the new streamlined route to both ATT and CTA qualifications. This provides students and their employers with an effective way to develop and demonstrate their skills as fully rounded tax professionals. Reducing the time out of the office allows greater focus on the ‘on the job’ training which is a core part of building skills”

If someone is keen to register, they can sign-up as an ATT student now and then transfer to the Tax Pathway from 1 September 2016.

The change to increase flexibility in tax qualification studies will be welcomed by the industry. Morgan McKinley’s Salary Guide 2016 confirmed that high demand for tax professionals outweighs candidate supply, across most areas within the larger practice firms.²

Debbie Anthony, Tax Partner, Deloitte, said:

“The Tax Pathway offers an excellent grounding in tax compliance along with the highest standard of advisory and application skills. The transition through the Tax Pathway from the ATT qualification to the CTA qualification will help to equip our students with the technical knowledge and skills they need to succeed at the different stages of their early careers. Obtaining the ATT qualification will not only help motivate students as they continue to work for their CTA qualification but also provides recognition of their achievement.”

The Tax Pathway was launched at an event in London on Wednesday 15 June 2016.

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Notes for editors

1. For more information about the Tax Pathway, see here