Institute of Public Accountants

The old NIA Coat of Arms represented integrity, respect, teamwork and a dedication to knowledge and education.

The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) is one of Australia's oldest representative professional bodies, formed in 1923.[5]

• 1923 - Institute of Factory and Cost Accountants, formed in Melbourne, Victoria.
• 1950 - Institute of Taxation and Cost Accountants, name change.
• 1957 - National Institute of Accountants, name change.
• 1967 - Institute of Commercial Studies, name change.
• 1970 - Institute of Affiliate Accountants, name change.
• 1988 - National Institute of Accountants, adoption of the precedent name.
• 2002 - NIA gazetted as an authorised assessing authority for skilled migration to Australia.
• 2004 - NIA became a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
• 2007 - NIA became a member of Asia Oceania Tax Consultants' Association (AOTCA).
• 2011 - Institute of Public Accountants, name change[6]
• 2011 - IPA became a member of the Confederation of Asian and Pacific Accountants (CAPA).
• 2012 - IPA launches "My Public Accountant" package for accountants in public practice.
• 2012 - Named number 19 in 2012 BRW Most Innovative Companies List
• 2013 - Launched the Public Accountant digital hub https://www.publicaccountant.com.au/
• 2015 - IPA amalgamation with the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) of United Kingdom, forming the IPA Group.
• 2020 - Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) of Australia becomes a member of the global IPA Group.

The IPA has three levels of membership:[7]

• Associate (AIPA)
• Member (MIPA)
• Fellow (FIPA)

Student Membership

Students studying towards an accounting qualification can join as a student member, free of charge. Student members have access to networking opportunities, receive monthly e-newsletters, and employment tips.[8]

Additionally, graduate IPA student members and non-members who have completed their accounting degree or advanced diploma within the last three years are eligible for the Graduate Associate level of membership (GAIPA). This level of membership was designed to assist in the transition of students to full membership in their early career years. It provides recently graduated students with a significantly reduced rate of membership, without missing out on the benefits that full IPA membership provides.[9]

Retired Members

Retired members are eligible for reduced membership fees and specific offers designed to assist semi-retired members in practice.[10]

AIPA membership requires:

Eligible accounting qualification:

• Diploma of Accounting
• Advanced Diploma of Accounting
• University Degree in Accounting
• University Graduate Diploma in Accounting

or

• Holding current membership with an International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Member level body, IPA AIPA level equivalent (additional requirements may apply in certain jurisdictions)

or

• Current statutory registration with Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and/or Tax Practitioners Board (TPB)[11]

MIPA membership requires:

• Eligible accounting qualification and a post-graduate accounting qualification assessed to be equivalent to the IPA Program Professional Sequence Graduate Certificate in Public Accounting (GCPA)

or

• Current membership with an IFAC Member level body, IPA MIPA level equivalent (additional requirements may apply in certain jurisdictions)

Advancement from AIPA to MIPA requires:

• Completion of the IPA Program Professional Sequence Graduate Certificate in Public Accounting (GCPA) and the Mentored Experience Program (MEP)

or

• Holding current membership with an IFAC Member level body, MIPA equivalent (additional requirements may apply in certain jurisdictions)[12]

FIPA membership requires:

• Fellow member with an IFAC Member level body (additional requirements may apply in certain jurisdictions)

or

• 7 years' MIPA status or equivalent; plus,
• 10 years' experience in accounting (last 5 years of which are at a senior level)[13]

The IPA has a mutual recognition agreement in place with The South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA). Formerly known as Institute of Certified Public Accountants of South Africa.

MIPA/FIPA members of the IPA are recognised by the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) for admission to CISI's full membership (MCSI). Full membership of the CISI is recognised by several national investment professional bodies such as the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), formerly the Australian Institute of Banking and Finance and the Hong Kong Securities Institute (HKSI).

In November 2010 the IPA hosted a delegation of senior executives from Nigeria's peak accounting body, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN). An MOU was signed with ANAN.[20]

In March 2011 the IPA entered into an MOU with peak management accounting body in India, the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

In 2012, the IPA and the Institute of Financial Accountants in the United Kingdom announced that they signed and exchanged a formal Collaboration Agreement. In December 2014, The Members of the Institute of Financial Accountants voted in favour to formally merge with the IPA to operate under a new IPA Group.[21]

In April 2013 the IPA and the SMSF Professionals' Association (SPAA) reached a mutual understanding to work together in areas such as accreditation, advocacy, research and policy development, organisational efficiencies, and education.

In August 2019, the IPA and the Association of Accounting Technicians Sri Lanka (AAT SL) entered into a MOU.[22]

In July 2020, the Association of Accounting Technicians Australia (AAT) became a member of the IPA Group.[23]

In February 2022, the IPA signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement with the Fiji Institute of Accountants (FIA), allowing FIA members to join IPA at an equivalent level.[24]

The IPA has the same Australian legislative recognition as the other two Australian accounting bodies, CPA Australia (CPA) and the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).[1] In particular, the three accounting bodies are defined as "professional accounting bodies" in the Corporations Act 2001. Such recognition entitles each of the three bodies to nominate a representative to the Australian Financial Reporting Council, the Australian Government's peak body responsible for providing oversight of the setting of accounting and auditing standards as well as monitoring the effectiveness of auditor independence requirements in Australia and giving the Government reports and advice on these matters.

The PNA designation was introduced in 2000 as part of a strategy to upgrade the standing of IPA, then NIA, in the Australian market. At the time, to become a PNA, the applicant required a university degree in accounting plus 3 years work experience in accounting.

The IPA became a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in November 2004. In order to obtain IFAC membership, the IPA upgraded the academic requirements for the PNA designation, including the requirement of post-graduate qualifications, developed in conjunction with the University of New England.

From 1 July 2005, the IPA upgraded the experience requirements for the PNA designation to a three-year competence-based mentored experience program. Applicants for this class of membership must demonstrate to a professionally qualified accountant that they have the competence to undertake various tasks required by the IPA． The IPA is recognised in Government forums and represented on various committees. These include those of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Taxation Office.[25]

From 2 May 2011, the NIA was rebranded as the Institute of Public Accountants. In part this rebrand and repositioning is with a view to increase recognition and awareness as well as strengthen designations both nationally and globally.[26] Since this repositioning, full members (MIPAs and FIPAs) of the IPA use the designation "Public Accountant".

Effective from 1 July 2002, the IPA was gazetted by the Australian Minister for Immigration as an authorised assessing authority for accountants seeking to migrate to Australia under Australia's skilled migration program. This gives the IPA the authority to assess the accounting qualifications of such persons.

Successful QAI applicants are eligible for membership, the IPA assesses for the same core knowledge areas for both membership and QAI.[27]