Chartered Accountants in Australia operate their practices in a number of ways: as sole practitioners, using trusts, partnerships or companies, and any combination of these.

As members there’s no limitations on the types of business structures you can use to meet your business needs. However, understanding the impact of relevant legislation and regulations on your practice structure can help you decide the best structure for your practice. Obtaining legal, tax or financial planning advice is recommended to help make this decision.

If you practise through a company in an Australian mainland state, it’s worth considering Practice Entity Membership. This has the added benefit of liability capping to your corporate entity.

Whatever type of practice structure you choose, please ensure you let us know:

• When you start your practice
• When you change your practice structure
• When you change partners, directors, shareholders or trustees
• If you end practice

If you practice with principals who aren't members, they need to be approved. The ratio of principals who aren't members must not be over 49% of the principals of the practice on a national basis.

In some circumstances we may be able to approve practice entities that don't meet all of the above requirements.

Understanding the impact of relevant legislation and regulations on your practice structure can help you decide the best structure for your practice. Obtaining legal, tax or financial planning advice is recommended to help make this decision.

Members can practise with non-members in Australia as long as they do not describe the firm as “Chartered Accountants” or use the CA logo.

If your firm would like to describe itself as Chartered Accountants or use the CA logo, this may be possible if non-member principals at your firm become Affiliate members of CA ANZ. This is discussed in more detail below.

A principal in a practice is a defined term in the regulations. Typically it’s someone in a leadership role in the practice, usually a partner or director. As leaders they have ability to influence the actions of the practice. Therefore, non-member principals need to apply for recognition as an Affiliate member where the firm wishes to promote itself as “Chartered Accountants”.

Members in New Zealand can practice with non-members who have been approved as non-member principals.

An Australian practice can describe itself as Chartered Accountants and use the Logo when it complies with CA ANZ Regulation CR9 Public Practice Regulations. This means:

• All principals in the practice are either a member with a certificate of public practice (CPP) or an affiliate member
• There aren’t more affiliate members than members with a CPP
• Affiliate members don’t control more than 50% of the capital, financial results or voting rights of the practice.

Please note, only practices that meet CR9 can belong to the Liability Capping Scheme.

If your practice doesn’t meet CR9 you can apply to the Chartered Accountants ANZ Board to become a CA practice. If you think this might apply to you please contact us.

If you are part of a network of firms operating under a common brand name please ensure only those firms entitled to call themselves a CA practice do so. It is important to make this distinction clear for members of the public.

All approved practice entities in New Zealand can call themselves Chartered Accountants and use our logo.