About us

An international business community
We’re ICAS, a global professional body for Chartered Accountants, also known as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Our 23,000 Members and 3,700 CA Students form a leading business community that spans industries and time zones and is packed with local heroes and corporate leaders.
A rich heritage and a bright future
Founded in 1854, we were the world’s first professional body of accountants. From digitisation to automation and AI, the business landscape has evolved a great deal since then, with ICAS at the forefront. We are now recognised and respected as a global pacesetter in the future of finance and advancement of the accountancy profession.
What’s a Chartered Accountant or CA?
A Chartered Accountant has achieved the highest professional level by following our programme of expert tuition, rigorous training and examinations in accountancy and business. ICAS Chartered Accountants are also known by the letters CA, a professional designation that’s exclusive to our Members in the UK.
Learn, grow and advance together
From our internationally valued qualification and trusted CA designation to a connected support strategy and a host of exclusive benefits, the value of ICAS membership is in the sum of its parts. ICAS Members are always connected to a worldwide network and a support system designed to continually assist and advance their careers, so we can learn, grow and advance together.
Find out more about the value of ICAS membership:
Launching successful careers in business and beyond
We’re an educator and examiner, training CAs the length and breadth of the UK. Through our innovative bespoke syllabus and exams, each year we help thousands of CA Students to achieve our internationally respected professional qualification and find success wherever their ambitions lie.
Learn more about the connected support strategy that helps to educate, empower and advance our CA Students:
Or discover how to become a CA with ICAS and unlock a world of opportunity:
Adding expertise to your workforce
Training a Chartered Accountant with ICAS will add valuable specialist skills and expertise to any workforce, which is why hundreds of organisations of all sizes, in a variety of sectors across the UK, partner with us to train their CAs in house.
Could your organisation benefit from training a CA with ICAS?
Safeguarding the profession
As an industry regulator we oversee our Members and their firms, to maintain and improve standards in the profession. We also work hard to promote the CA brand to governments, stakeholders, the public and employers, whilst our engagement with parliaments and politicians helps to advance the interests of our Members.
An ethical leader
Through all our efforts we ensure to act in the public interest and strive to build trust in the finance profession more generally. That ethos is enshrined in our internationally respected Code of Ethics – which applies to all ICAS Members, CA Students and member firms – and is underpinned our Royal Charter commitment.
Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
The promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion is a core strand of all ICAS thinking and business strategy. We are committed to acting as a catalyst for change within the profession and to building a diverse membership that reflects and advances the communities we serve.
Part of something bigger
Through ICAS, our 23,000 Members and 3,700 CA Students are also part of the Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network, the global family that brings together the members of 15 leading institutes to create a community of over 1.8 million Chartered Accountants and Students in more than 190 countries.
Get more information on our global connection with CAW:
Update and connect
Join us on social media to connect with the international ICAS network and stay updated with all that we do to support our Members, CA Students and the profession:
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