Read a summary of what has changed from 1 January 2023
Council Regulations |
1 January 2023 |
| Council Regulations 2023 | |
Membership Regulations |
1 January 2023 |
| Eligibility for membership Annual admission fees and subscriptions Permitted activities of students |
|
Global Practising Regulations |
1 January 2023 |
| Continuity of practice | |
|
1 January 2023 |
| Effective date for Republic of Ireland statutory audit cases | |
The Rulebook is divided into three sections:
Changes to the Rulebook arise largely from policy decisions, legislative changes and the requirements of lead regulators or standards-setting organisations.
ACCA has adopted the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) issued by the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). ACCA’s policy is to incorporate changes to the IESBA Code in their entirety and unaltered, including the use of American English.
All members, students and others bound by the ACCA Rulebook should ensure they are fully aware of its contents. Find out more.
Section 1 – Royal Charter, Bye-laws and Council Regulations
Council Regulations
Council Regulations 2023
There are no changes to the Council Regulations 2023 which were approved by Council at its meeting in November 2022.
Section 2 – Regulations
Membership Regulations
Eligibility for membership
Amendments have been made to Regulations 3(b)(i) and 3(e)(i) to implement post-Brexit amendments arising from the introduction of the Professional Qualifications Act 2022 in the United Kingdom (which replaces the EU Exit Regulations 2019).
Annual admission fees and subscriptions
Amendments have been made to Regulation 4(3)(e) to reflect annual changes to the rates of admission fees and annual subscriptions.
The fees for 2023 are:
Permitted activities of students
Minor amendments have been made to Regulation 8(2)(k) to correct anomalies in the Irish Anti-money Laundering Supervision requirements for students. ACCA students should seek registration for supervision from the Anti‐Money Laundering Compliance Unit (AMLC), Department of Justice or the relevant competent authority for the time being, as defined by sections 60 and 61 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 as amended.
Similar amendments to correct anomalies in the Irish Anti-money Laundering Supervision requirements for members have been made to Regulation 3(3) of Annex 2 to the Global Practising Regulations.
Global Practising Regulations
Continuity of practice
Changes have been made to Regulation 11 to simplify and clarify the continuity of practice (COP) arrangements in relation to where a nominee is based.
The amendments to Regulations 11(1)(b)(i) and 11(2)(c)(i) of the Global Practising Regulations (GPRs) remove the requirement for the nominee or nominees to be based in the same country as the individual or firm. Going forward, the key requirement will be that the nominee must have the same authorisations and the competence and capacity to take on the work as nominee, including knowledge of local laws and regulations.
In a global and connected business world, location is less of an issue, as work can now be conducted remotely rather than at the practitioner’s business premises. The amendments therefore align the COP regulations to the COP arrangements adopted by ACCA practitioners and future-proof the regulations for evolving business models.
Find out more about continuity of practice arrangements, including model agreements, in the factsheet
Continuity of practice requirements
Regulatory factsheets and guidance are published on ACCA’s website at
Authorisation Regulations
Effective date for Republic of Ireland statutory audit cases
An amendment has been made to Regulation 9(3)(a) of the Authorisation Regulations (AURs) to clarify the term ‘from the Republic of Ireland’ in respect of cases involving statutory audits where the Admissions and Licensing Committee orders that the relevant person’s certificate be withdrawn. In such cases, the ‘relevant person’ is now defined as a person approved as a statutory auditor or statutory audit firm within the meaning of the Companies Act 2014 of the Republic of Ireland. The amendment was required by the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA).
This document has no regulatory status. It is issued for guidance purposes only. Nothing contained in this document should be taken as constituting the amendment or adaptation of the ACCA Rulebook. In the event of any conflict between the content of this document and the content of the ACCA Rulebook, the latter shall at all times take precedence.