ATOL Reporting Accountants (ARA) scheme

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is changing the requirements for accountants who can prepare CAA returns for their clients who hold Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) licences.

This will mean that only accountants who are designated by their professional bodies as an ATOL Reporting Accountant will be allowed to authorise the CAA returns. Currently, AAT is in discussions with the CAA regarding the ARA Scheme.

The CAA’s eligibility criteria includes, for example, that the member must be able to demonstrate that:

1. They 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)

2. They hold Professional Indemnity Insurance (at least sufficient to cover the Liability Cap in the CAA Guidance Note 10)

3. The principal business of their firm is the provision of accountancy services

4. They are independent of the ATOL holder and that they prescribe to the IFAC’s Code of Ethics found in the IFAC Handbook of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants

5. They have appointed a contact principal

6. The member will be required to undertake additional training and CPD.

Please note in order to enable those AAT members who have ATOL licence holder clients to be able to continue to work in this area the AAT is currently in discussion with the CAA.

If you have an ATOL licence holder client, or consider that you might like to take on clients who are ATOL licence holders in the future, then please email AAT at [email protected]. In your email please state:

1. Your name, membership number and daytime telephone number

2. The number of ATOL licensee clients that you currently have (if applicable)

3. That you are interested in becoming a designated ATOL Reporting Accountant (ARA)

AAT Comment offers news and opinion on the world of business and finance from the Association of Accounting Technicians.