Licence and membership card
In accordance with Law No. 10091 and Regulation No. 9 of the Public Oversight Board, IKM issues its Certified Accountant members with a professional licence and a membership card. The licence attests the right to practise the profession in the relevant category for the current year; the card identifies the holder as a member of the Institute. Both are issued on the basis of a decision of the Registration and Licensing Committee and are approved by the Chairman of the Managing Council.
Category A — for self-employed Certified Accountants and for administrators of Accounting Firms. Category AP — for employed Certified Accountants.
Who is issued a licence
A licence is issued to Certified Accountant members who belong to a licensable category, have regularly settled their membership obligations, have submitted their self-declarations on activity and employment, have not been convicted by a final court decision and have no legal impediment to practising the profession. Members issued a professional certificate before 2019 have also gone through the legal compliance verification process of the Public Oversight Board.
Category A licence
Issued to self-employed Certified Accountants registered with the QKB, and to the Certified Accountant administrator of an Accounting Firm, who, as the legal representative, holds the licence for the firm. Only holders of a category A licence are entitled to provide accounting services to third parties under a service contract. Any change in the status of practising the profession or in employment is notified to IKM within 15 days.
Category AP licence
Issued to Certified Accountants employed by private entities, non-profit organisations or public institutions, where the employment allows the profession to be practised, and to Certified Accountants employed by an Accounting Firm. Partners of an Accounting Firm are issued a licence only when they are employed as Certified Accountants. Holders of an AP licence notify IKM of any change in their employment status.
Without a licence
Inactive Certified Accountants and partners of Accounting Firms who are not employed as Certified Accountants remain members of the Institute and part of the Public Register with the corresponding status, without being issued a licence.
Validity and renewal
The licence is valid for one year from the date of issue. Renewal takes place within the first quarter of each year: the Registration and Licensing Committee verifies the annual declarations, the fulfilment of statutory obligations and the decisions of the investigation and disciplinary bodies, and prepares the list of members to be issued a licence for the year concerned. The Public Register is updated at the end of this process.
Revocation of the licence
The licence is revoked by the Managing Council, through the Registration and Licensing Committee, at the member’s request; when the member no longer meets the conditions of the law, the Statute or the regulations; for acts contrary to the Code of Ethics or the law; as a result of findings or of a “weak” rating in the quality review; as a result of disciplinary measures; when the Public Oversight Board withdraws the member’s right to practise the profession; or in the event of death. The revocation decision is reflected in the Register of Licences and in the Public Register.
Membership card
The “Certified Accountant” membership card is issued to members who hold the title, have settled their obligations, have submitted their self-declarations and have received a positive assessment from the Registration and Licensing Committee. The card is valid for five years from the date of issue and becomes invalid when membership is terminated, at which point it is returned to the Institute.
Register of Licences
Alongside the register of members, IKM keeps a Register of Licences, with the licence number, the branch or section, the date of issue, the period of validity and the status (active, inactive, revoked) for each licensed member. The register is maintained by the Registration and Licensing Committee through the executive structure.
For questions about the licence and the card, IKM staff are available to help at ikm.alb@gmail.com or through the Contact page.