Accounting AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma

To start you should have:

• An AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting.

OR

• Relevant experience subject to passing the AAT Skills-check.

You must have a very good standard of English and maths.

Business Tax
This unit introduces students to UK taxation relevant to businesses. Students will understand how to compute business taxes for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. They will also be able to identify tax planning opportunities while understanding the importance of maintaining ethical standards.

Personal Tax
This unit provides students with the fundamental knowledge of the three most common taxes that affect taxpayers in the UK: Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax. With this knowledge students will be equipped to not only prepare the computational aspects of taxes, where appropriate, but also appreciate how taxpayers can legally minimise their overall taxation liability.

Drafting and Interpreting Financial Statements
This unit provides students with the skills and knowledge for drafting the financial statements of single limited companies and consolidated financial statements for groups of companies. It ensures that students will have a proficient level of knowledge and understanding of international accounting standards, which will then be applied when drafting the financial statements. Students will also have a sound appreciation of the regulatory and conceptual frameworks that underpin the preparation of limited company financial statements.

Applied Management Accounting
This unit allows students to understand how the budgetary process is undertaken. Students will be able to construct budgets and then identify and report on both areas of success and on areas that should be of concern to key stakeholders. Students will also gain the skills required to critically evaluate organisational performance.

Internal Accounting Systems and Controls
This unit teaches students to consider the role and responsibilities of the accounting function, including the needs of key stakeholders who use financial reports to make decisions. Students will review accounting systems to identify weaknesses and will make recommendations to mitigate identified weaknesses in future operations. Students will apply several analytical methods to evaluate the implications of any changes to operating procedures.

Level 4 Diploma in Professional Accounting

Your knowledge and skills will be tested via computer based assessments (CBAs). These are run entirely on PCs or laptops.

The CBAs are marked in one of three ways:

• wholly computer marked, and so results will be available automatically
• partially computer marked and partially human marked, and so results will be available within six weeks
• wholly human marked, and so results will be available within six weeks.

On successful completion of this course you can apply to become a full member of the AAT professional body, and use the designatory letters MAAT. You can also progress on to higher level professional accountancy qualifications, and may be eligible for exemption from the foundation stage exams of all the UK chartered accountancy bodies (ICAEW, CIMA and ACCA).

Additional independent study outside of College will be regularly expected. The professional examinations require a high standard of preparation and considerable commitment if success is to be achieved. In addition to the course fees you will also be required to pay a resource fee of up to £150 to cover the costs of textbooks and approximately £255 for AAT membership