Professional Membership Fees

Smithy1

I passed ATT a few years ago, but am still having to pay the membership subscription fees every year, which are now in excess of £100 a year. I was going to let this go as all I get every now and again is a magazine. I was sent a letter by AAT saying that if I did not pay the membership fee then I would have to send my certificate back to them and I would lose my qualification. Is this right and if so how is this fair? As I don't see how they can take away my certificate when I paid and sat all the exams years ago. Please help.

SarEl

It isn't uncommon. If these are the rules, then these are the rules - if you are not in membership then you loose the right to claim your ATT accreditation. Have you claimed your subscription as tax deductible - that would reduce the cost somewhat.

Mistral001

Yes, this is the way professional qualifications work. Most professional bodies have a reduced retirement membership fee, so if you wanted to keep your qualification but not use it that might be a way of staying a member.

PS some professional bodies have a reduced membership fee for people on low income.

InsideInsurance

It will depend on the professional body but many can be offset against tax or claimed as an expense depending on your personal situation

Mistral001

Yes definitely can claim for it against tax if it is used in connection with your main occupation. Some firms will pay it for you as a perk, but I suppose it is part of the overall pay package. If you have your name on the firm's letterhead with your ATT letters there also, then you could make a good case for getting it paid by the firm as the firm are getting benefit from it.

anamenottaken

Mistral001 wrote: »

Yes definitely can claim for it against tax if it is used in connection with your main occupation. Some firms will pay it for you as a perk, but I suppose it is part of the overall pay package. If you have your name on the firm's letterhead with your ATT letters there also, then you could make a good case for getting it paid by the firm as the firm are getting benefit from it.

I would hope an AAT member knows about tax and professional memberships.

Returning to the OP's question, from the AAT Articles of Association

13. (1) All Members shall be entitled to receive a Certificate of Membership. Every such certificate shall remain the property of the Association and all Members shall upon election to membership be deemed, if they have not already done so, to have entered into an undertaking with the Association to return any such certificate to the Association upon cessation of their membership.

donquine

To remain an ATT, you need to comply with annual CPD requirements, ML procedures and if anyone has a complaint about you, they can get the TDB involved.

Anyone can describe themselves as a tax specialist - it's not a protected term. However, not everyone can call themselves a taxation technician, so paying your subs each year proves you're not a total cowboy.

As an ATT, you will of course be aware that you can write to HMRC to get your PA scaled up for your professional subs and therefore get tax relief at 20%. The real cost to you is therefore not as high as you're making it out to be.

I would be more sympathetic, but ATT fees are cheap in comparison to some other accountancy/tax memberships and subs!