Requirements for qualification as an AA-Accountant
Information for foreign accountants who want to become an Accountant-Adminstratieconsulent - Requirements for qualification as an Accountant - Administratieconsulent in the Netherlands
The autonomous administrative authority CEA (Commissie Eindtermen Accountantsopleiding, www.ceaweb.nl) is the body governed by law that deals with application requests from foreign accountants to become a registered accountant in The Netherlands.
The accountancy profession in the Netherlands is regulated in three Acts, namely:
- the Audit Firms Supervision Act (in Dutch Wet toezicht accountantsorganisaties - Wta);
- the Accounting Consultants Act (in Dutch Wet op de Accountants-Administratieconsulenten - Waa); and
- the Registered Accountants Act (in Dutch Wet op de registeraccountants - Wra).
The Audit Firms Supervision Act introduces public oversight by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) on audit entities that provide audit reports that are relevant to the Dutch capital markets. Since 1 October 2006, audit firms need to have a licence from the AFM in order to perform statutory audits in the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands are two types of auditors allowed to perform statutory audits: the accounting consultant (in Dutch Accountant-Administratieconsulent - AA) who is registered by the Nederlandse Orde van Accountants-Administratieconsulenten (NOvAA) and the registeraccountant who is registered by the Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut van Registeraccountants (NIVRA). NOvAA and NIVRA are bodies governed by public law, appointed by the government to represent the general interests of the AA and RA profession and bound by law to ensure that the profession is practised properly.
According to the above mentioned acts only the auditor who is a registered auditor with either NOvAA or NIVRA and who is also mentioned on the list of audit firms which have a license of the AFM can perform statutory audits in the Netherlands.
When a foreign auditor wishes to perform statutory audits in the Netherlands he or she must acquire membership of either NOvAA or NIVRA. In order to become a member the foreign auditor must first apply for a certificate of professional competence based on either article 57 Waa (in order to become a member with NOvAA) or article 78 Wra (in order to become a member of NIVRA). A distinction is made in the application procedure for applicants with accountancy qualifications from within the European Union and from outside the European Union regarding the evidence they need to present to CEA. Foreign accountants with accountancy qualifications from within the European Union must also supply a standard statement from a competent authority from their home country.
The application for a certificate of professional competence includes two exams:
- Dutch Law (Company law and Tax law);
- the Code of Conduct for Accountants-Administratieconsulenten.
The two (oral) exams will be organised by the NOvAA. The candidate may choose to do the exams either in Dutch or English. For more information, please contact the NOvAA (contact person: Mr. A. Bonestroo, ABonestroo@novaa.nl, tel: +31 70 3 383 600).
More information about the application for a certificate of professional competence can be found on the website of the CEA: www.ceaweb.nl.
