Institute licenses South African Institute of Taxation to award Chartered Tax Adviser status

This follows the granting of the same right to the Irish Tax Institute (ITI) and The Tax Institute (TTI) in Australia in 2012, and the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong (TIHK) in 2020.

Under the agreement, qualifying members of SAIT will be able to transition to Chartered Tax Adviser status, joining the existing 19,600 CIOT members, 5,800 TTI members, more than 5,500 ITI members and more than 1,600 TIHK members who can already call themselves Chartered Tax Advisers.

CIOT President Peter Rayney commented:

“I welcome the South African Institute of Taxation and its members to the growing international community of more than 32,000 Chartered Tax Advisers.

“Like CIOT and the other existing CTA bodies, SAIT is committed to high professional standards, training, technical knowledge and exams, and to the promotion of tax education and research. The five institutes share a commitment to increasing public understanding of tax matters and to engaging constructively with legislators and tax authorities in the pursuit of a tax system which works effectively for all involved with it – taxpayers, their advisers and the authorities.

“By granting the right to designate Chartered Tax Advisers to carefully chosen tax bodies in other countries we are pursuing our aim of recognising and promoting the highest standards of tax advice internationally.

“The Chartered Tax Adviser brand is highly recognised and very well respected in the UK, but is less well known elsewhere. With tax becoming increasingly globalised, and our members travelling to and working in more and more countries, we believe it will benefit our members to raise the profile of the designation internationally. We want it to be the global ‘go-to’ brand for high quality tax advice.”

Keith Engel, Chief Executive of the South African Institute of Taxation, said:

“SAIT and its members now have the international recognition we have worked so hard to obtain from our humble beginnings some 15 years ago. SAIT members with the Chartered Tax Adviser designation will now have the globally recognised status they deserve.”

Martin Lambe, Chief Executive of the Irish Tax Institute, also welcomed SAIT to the global Chartered Tax Adviser community:

“The inclusion of SAIT is a significant development for the tax profession around the world.  We look forward to working with our colleagues in South Africa to promote the highest standards of tax education and the role of the tax profession in serving the best interests of taxpayers at a time of change in global taxation.”

Webster Ng CTA, President of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong, commented:

“The Taxation Institute of Hong Kong is pleased to welcome The South African Institute of Taxation and its members to the CTA family.  By working along with various tax associations amongst different tax jurisdictions, TIHK believes the CTA brand will continue to develop, well-recognised and respected globally as a Gold Mark of technical excellence and professional integrity.”

Jerome Tse, President of The Tax Institute of Australia, commented:

“The Tax Institute is pleased to welcome SAIT to the CTA fold. Tax education is our highest priority, and it is wonderful to see support for the learning, knowledge, and recognition of dedicated and talented tax professionals in this way. We look forward to working with the team in South Africa to ensure both our tax communities are upholding the rigorous professional standards the CTA designation represents.”

Notes for editors

1. Under the agreement between CIOT and SAIT:

• CIOT grants to SAIT an exclusive* licence to use the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) designation in South Africa;
• Qualifying members of SAIT can convert their Tax Adviser and Master Tax Practitioner designations to Chartered Tax Adviser.

* Save that members of CIOT who practise in South Africa providing advice on South Africa tax may do so subject to compliance with applicable rules or regulations of CIOT and providing they have sufficient knowledge and competency in South African tax law and practice.

The agreement is the culmination of discussions between CIOT and SAIT which began in 2017.

2. There is an information note about clients, employers and others can expect from a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) here.