ACCA can trace its history back to 1904 when eight people formed the London Association of Accountants. This was done in order to allow more open access to the profession than was available through the existing accounting bodies at the time, notably the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. As of 2006, the goal of ACCA is to become the world’s leading global professional body by size.
A timeline of key dates in the history of ACCA and its predecessor bodies is:
1930 : London Association of Accountants successfully campaigns for the right to audit companies
1933 : London Association of Accountants renamed London Association of Certified Accountants
1939 : Corporation of Accountants (Scottish body, founded 1891) merges with London Association of Certified Accountants to become the Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants
1941 : Institution of Certified Public Accountants (founded 1903, and incorporating the Central Association of Accountants from 1933) merges with Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants
1971 : Association of Certified and Corporate Accountants renamed Association of Certified Accountants
1974 : Royal Charter received from Her Majesty the Queen.
1974 : ACCA becomes one of the six founding members of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB).
1977 : ACCA becomes a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
1984 : Association of Certified Accountants renamed Chartered Association of Certified Accountants
1995 : ACCA members vote at an extraordinary general meeting to amend the name of the body to the Association of Chartered Public Accountants and to introduce the designation Chartered Public Accountant. The Privy Council subsequently rejected this proposal as it was concerned about the inclusion of the term public. It did however agree that any accountancy body that had a royal charter could be granted the right to use chartered as part of the members’ designation.
1996 : Chartered Association of Certified Accountants renamed Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Members become entitled to use the title Chartered Certified Accountant (Designatory letters ACCA or FCCA). The Association of Authorised Public Accountants becomes a subsidiary of ACCA.
1998 : ACCA's syllabus formed the basis of the United Nations' global accountancy curriculum titled Guideline on National Requirements for the Qualification of Professional Accountants published in 1999. ACCA was a participant in the consultative group, which devised this global Benchmark, and reference to ACCA's role is included throughout the publication.
2001 : ACCA received a Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade, recognising the growth of ACCA and its role in160 countries worldwide.
2002 : ACCA received its second Queens Award for Enterprise in the space of 12 months, honouring its continuing work on social and environmental issues with the confirmation of the Queens Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category. ACCA's first Queens Award, for Export Achievement, was presented in 1996.
ref :
www.wikipedia.com
