ACA v CTA exams
Hi everyone
Just looking for some genuine advice/opinions from people already working in accounting or tax.
I recently accepted a Tax Trainee role with a firm starting in June. The company will support whichever qualification route, but I’m really torn between ACA and CTA.
My degree is quite broad with Economics rather than pure accounting, so I don’t come from a strong accounting background. I’ve done a decent amount of economics and business throughout both my degree and Leaving Cert, but I’m definitely not someone who studied accounting for years beforehand.
I’m interested in learning more about accounting and tax, but I don’t know anyone personally in either field, so it’s hard to get real opinions outside of company websites.
A few things I’m wondering…..
- Which route did you choose and why?
- Is ACA better long term for flexibility/career progression?
- Is CTA too specialised early on?
- How difficult is ACA for someone without a heavy accounting background?
- Did anyone start in tax and regret not doing ACA instead?
- Is ACA manageable while working full time if you’re not naturally an accounting person?
I also know I should have at least one exemption for CTA from my degree, but I’m still waiting on my final college results in June so I’m unsure yet what ACA exemptions I’d qualify for.
Would really appreciate honest opinions from people actually working in the industry because it’s surprisingly hard to find genuine experiences online.
Thanks :)
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