Accounting Technicians Ireland (formerly known as the IATI) is the leading Accounting Technician body in Ireland with over 10,000 members and students.

Established in 1983, Accounting Technicians Ireland prides itself on providing an internationally recognised accounting qualification and on promoting the highest educational, technical and ethical standards to its members.

Its qualification differs from many other academic programmes as it combines professional exams with practical work experience. As members of Accounting Technicians Ireland, individuals are entitled to put the letters MIATI after their name, seen by many employers as essential when hiring. Accounting Technicians Ireland is a partner body with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and an associate member of the International Federation of Accountants. It has offices in Dublin and Belfast and links with local networks throughout Ireland.

Accounting Technicians are qualified accounting professionals that work at all levels of finance. They can work in all types of organisations and are widely employed throughout the public sector, industry and commerce and in private accountancy practices.

They are involved in the day-to-day practical work of accountancy and play a key operational role in producing reliable financial information. Accounting Technicians can perform a wide range of finance roles, from accounts staff to financial controller and beyond. For instance, they can do financial accounting and budgeting, costing and credit control, payroll administration and tax returns. More experienced Accounting Technicians may often perform senior managerial tasks and audits.

Accounting Technicians can work on their own or alongside professional accountants. In a small company, they may be the only qualified employee looking after the finance function, while in a larger company, they may be working as part of a team alongside accountants and administrative staff. While they are not accountants, they can perform many of the same functions and are qualified to take accounts up to trial balance

Where can I study?
Accounting Technicians Ireland courses, both full-time and part-time, are available at over 80 colleges throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These currently include leading private and community colleges, VECs and some Institutes of Technology.

In addition to its network of 80 partner colleges around the country, Accounting Technicians Ireland also has its own training centre in Dublin where students can attend course lectures. Known formally as the Accounting Technicians Professional Education programme, this training centre is located at our new head office on Pearse Street, Dublin 2 which we share with our partner body, Chartered Accountants Ireland.
This state of the art campus offers students some of the most modern teaching and learning tools to support them during their studies. Lectures are delivered by some of the most accomplished lecturers for our qualification and take place on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 18:15 - 19:45 and 20:00 - 21:30. Classes will commence on 21st September 2010 and run for a total of 25 weeks.

A full list of licensed colleges is available on www.AccountingTechniciansIreland.ie or email legri@AccountingTechniciansIreland.ie. Correspondence learning is also available to allow students study from home using tutorial materials.

Over 21 years of age
If you are 21 years of age you can apply to enrol as a student on the basis of your age and experience rather than on your educational background. This is often helpful to people who want to return to work after an absence.

Under 21 years of age
Students from the Republic of Ireland must meet one of the following criteria:

• Leaving Certificate with five passes on Ordinary Level papers. (Passes to include English and either Mathematics or Accountancy).
• Leaving Certificate with four passes of which at least two are on Higher Level papers. (Passes to include English and either Mathematics or Accountancy).
• A fully completed relevant FETAC Level 5 qualification.
• Students who are sitting the Applied Leaving Certificate should contact the Registrar (register@AccountingTechniciansIreland.ie) directly for advice on whether they are eligible.

Students from Northern Ireland must meet one of the following criteria:

• 1 A Level or 2 AS Levels with grades in English and at least one subject from Mathematics or Accountancy not lower than grade C at GCSE level.
• BTEC National Diploma or Advanced GNVQ or equivalent.

Applying for Exemptions

• Students who hold other qualifications such as FETAC, HETAC, QCA, BTEC, etc. may be eligible to become a student and gain exemptions, please contact our Registrar Naomi McGrath, nmcgrath@AccountingTechniciansIreland.ie for further information.

Our course has two distinct years to cover - First Year and Second Year. First Year gives you a foundation knowledge of business and accounting, while Second Year allows you to build a deeper understanding of more advanced accounting issues. There is also a practical focus on the IT systems that are commonly used in accounting.

First Year Second Year
Financial Accounting I  Financial Accounting II
Taxation I    Taxation II
Law & Ethics    Management Accounting
Business Management   Integrated Accounting Systems

By the time you have passed your exams, you will have learned to:

• Prepare financial statements
• Prepare financial reports and other management information
• Compute tax liabilities for companies and individuals
• Set up and manage systems for budgets, stock control, cost accounting and cash reconciliations
• Set up and manage credit control procedures
• Use computers effectively in an accounts related environment
• Understand the relevance of Marketing, IT, Finance, Law and HR to the accounting function
• Set up and manage payroll and TAS/Sage packages