ATT / CTA

← All career paths United Kingdom (tax)UK taxation UK Tax — ATT & CTA The UK's dedicated tax qualifications — ATT (technician) up to CTA (chartered adviser). Comparing options? Read ACCA vs CPA vs CMA vs CFA → Quick answer Best for The UK's dedicated tax qualifications — ATT (technician) up to CTA (chartered adviser). Not ideal for If you need international/non-UK tax — consider ADIT. Main roles Tax adviser, tax manager, and private-client or corporate tax specialist. CPD CIOT/ATT members complete CPD relevant to their tax work each year. UK relevance: HighGulf relevance: Medium Last reviewed: June 2026 Who it's for Those specialising in UK tax, in practice or industry. Structure ATT (Association of Taxation Technicians) is the technician level; CTA (Chartered Tax Adviser) is the advanced gold standard. Many take the combined ATT–CTA route. Time & cost ATT roughly 1 year; CTA a further 1–2 years. Careers Tax adviser, tax manager, and private-client or corporate tax specialist. The skills you'll build Many of these serve more than one path. UK personal taxBusiness & corporate taxVATTax planningTax researchEthics Best free resources for this path Curated and vetted, with how to start. Coursera & edX ↗Audit free Thousands of university finance/accounting courses you can audit free; financial aid for certificates. How to start: Free account; click 'Audit', or apply for financial aid for a certificate. Deloitte IFRS e-Learning ↗Free + certificate 45+ free modules covering the IFRS standards, with a certificate. How to start: No registration to study; add your name before the assessment for the certificate. Big 4 free webcasts (Deloitte/PwC/EY/KPMG) ↗Free + CPE Free, CPE-eligible webcasts on tax, audit, accounting and regulation from the Big 4. How to start: Search ' webcasts / Dbriefs' and register free per session. Microsoft Learn — Excel & Power BI ↗Free training Free, self-paced Excel and Power BI training — essential analyst skills for any finance path. How to start: Free with a Microsoft account; the optional PL-300 exam is paid. See the full free-resource library → Continuing professional development (CPD) CIOT/ATT members complete CPD relevant to their tax work each year. Get these hours for free → Paths you might also consider EA A US tax specialist licensed by the IRS — open to anyone, no degree required. ACCA The most popular global accountancy qualification — flexible and recognised worldwide. ACA (ICAEW) A prestigious UK chartered route, usually via an employer training agreement. Disclaimer Links to third-party resources are provided for convenience and learning only. Fileminder does not control third-party content, prices, certificates, CPD/CPE eligibility, availability or accuracy. Always check the provider's own page before relying on a course, certificate, CPD unit or learning outcome. Last reviewed: June 2026.