# Bookkeeping association

Bookkeeping associations are founded to provide support and standards for the bookkeeping industry. This is achieved by creating common standards for the industry that bookkeepers can work towards and that allow the users of bookkeepers to know what level of knowledge a bookkeeper they hire has.
The definition of a bookkeeper is broad and wide and open to interpretation. Each country can have its own standards and anyone can call themselves a bookkeeper while not having any qualifications or knowledge of the industry. The method of obtaining a bookkeeping qualification vary. A person can to pay a fee and not have to sit exams, obtain a qualification based on your experience, sit examinations without supervision, or sit examinations fully supervised in an exam hall or in a computer environment training exam centre. In many countries there are competing bookkeeper associations, but their qualifications are achieved in different ways and their knowledge levels can be different.
Bookkeeping associations can provide help on bookkeeping issues, tax issues, legal issues and professional development for their members. They can also lobby on behalf of their members to help promote their interests. They can as a body promote the standards of bookkeeping and market the benefits of using a qualified bookkeeper.

## List of bookkeeping associations from around the world

| Country | Body | By Unsupervised Exam | By Supervised Exam | By Experience | By Licence |
| Australia | Association of Accounting Technicians (Australia) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Australia | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (Australia) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canada | Canadian Bookkeepers Association | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canada | Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Foreningen Freelance Bogholdere | No | No | Yes | No |
| India | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (India) | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ireland | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ireland | Irish Bookkeepers Association | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Israel | Israel Bookkeepers Association | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| New Zealand | NZ Qualified Bookkeepers Association | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| New Zealand | NZ Bookkeepers Association Inc | Yes | No | No | No |
| Nigeria | Association of Bookkeepers Nigeria | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Norway | Norwegian Association of Authorised Accountants | No | Yes | No | No |
| South Africa | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (South Africa) | | | | |
| UK | Association of Accounting Technicians | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| UK | International Association of Book-keepers | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| UK | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| USA | Institute of Certified Bookkeepers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| USA | American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers | No | Yes | Yes | No |

## Explanation of table headings
### Country

    The country the bookkeeping association represents. Where a bookkeeping association is represented in more than one country, there should be a separate entry for each country it represents.

### Body

    The full registered name of the bookkeeping association

### By Unsupervised Exam

    An exam where no independent verification is made that the exam was taken without help.

### By Supervised Exam

    An exam is taken and supervised by independent personnel

### By Experience

    The qualification is issued based on the experience of the person and no exam is taken. That person has provided the required evidence of their experience.

### By Licence

    The person buys the right to use a title identifying them as a bookkeeper but no evidence of experience or examinations is requested or required.