Top 20 Accounting Firms for CA Articleship

1. Deloitte

It comes as no surprise that Deloitte holds the number one global position. It’s hold on the top spot seems secure for the time being.

Deloitte is located in more than 150 countries, and has over 600 offices in the world. The firm is headquartered in New York City, New York. They have most recently reached the 100-partner milestone when they merged with Curtis Mclean.

Deloitte specializes in audit & assurance, tax, advisory, and risk. They offer a wide range of services that include strategy, financial and technical, and human capital.

2. PwC

Deloitte’s closest competition over the last few years has and continues to be PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). PwC comes in as the second largest accounting firm in the world.

PwC has locations in more than 150 countries and more than 750 offices worldwide. Unlike Deloitte, they are headquartered in London.

The firm has most recently merged with Booz & Co, a medium sized consulting firm. The merger was approved on December 23rd, 2013. They offer a wide range of services but they specialize in audit & assurance, tax, and consulting.

3. Ernst & Young

Ernst & young earns the number three position in global accounting firms. This firm operates in more than 150 countries, utilizing more than 700 offices worldwide.

They are globally headquartered in London. In recent history the firm has acquired Greenwich Consulting, adding 7 more offices to its roster, and more experience in strategy consulting.

4. KPMG

Holding firm at number four, KPMG comes in as the last of the big 4, but still far ahead of the number five firm on our list.

The firm operates in over 650 offices located in over 150 countries around the world. They are headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

In recent news, the company has recently merged its Denmark operations with those of Ernst & Young. The merger will allow the company to offer more services to its clients while providing more support for that particular region.

5. Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton UK is number five in the top 20 firms and is an arm of Grant Thornton International. The firm has 26 offices spread across the UK and specializes in audit, tax and advisory services.

Most recently they merged with PFK to bring more services and locations to its clients in the UK. The firm is headquartered in London.

6. BDO

BDO ranks number six and is headquartered in Makati City, Philippines. The firm has more than 1,200 offices in 138 countries. They recently added to their capabilities and offices through the acquisition of Alpern Rosenthal.

The merger will allow BDO to expand its operations in both Pittsburgh and Florida. The firm specializes in audit, tax, and advisory services but has much more to offer its clients.

7. RSM Tenon

(Acquired by Baker TIlly in August 2013)

RSM Tenon Group comes in at number seven out of the top 20 firms in the world.

They are headquartered in London, and currently operate out of more than 700 offices located in more than 100 countries. The firm recently announced the merger of its China firm with that of Crowe Horwath’s Chinese firm to create a new firm called Ruihua China CPA’s.

The new firm has requested to be a member of both Crowe Horwath China and RSM China.

8. Smith & Williamson

Smith & Williamson holds the number eight position in the world. They are headquartered in London, and hold more than 550 offices in over 100 countries.

The company hasn’t merged with any other firms in recent history but is a part of M&A International and Nexia International.

9. Baker Tilly

Baker Tilly is number nine on the top 20 list in the largest firms in the world. They are headquartered in Chicago, hold more than 580 offices in more than 110 countries.

In June 2013 the firm merged with Holtz Rubenstein Reminick LLP. The merger will add 25 firms to Baker Tilly’s already larger list.

10. Moore Stephens

Moore Stephens UK holds the tenth spot on the top 20 list of firms and is headquartered in London.

They are a part of Moore Stephens International which has more than 620 offices in more than 100 countries. The UK division recently merged with Winx, corporate finance, and X-Stra, business consulting.

The merger will allow the firm to expand their corporate finance sector.

11. Mazars

Mazars, headquartered in London, holds the number eleven position. The firm has more than 13,000 employees in more than 70 countries.

They recently merged with Chadwick at their Liverpool and Manchester branches. The merger will allow the company to expand in the area where they did not have a great presence before.

12. Haines Watts

Haines Watts holds the number twelve position on the top 20 firms in the world. They are currently headquartered in London, have more than 60 offices in the region.

The firm is part of Geneva Group international. The company recently merged with Ocean Consultancy Limited.

13. Crowe Clark Whitehill

Crowe Clark Whitehill is headquartered in London, and has more than 160 firms operating in more than 105 countries. They specialize in audit, tax, and advisory services. The firm has not completed any mergers recently, however they did win the Accountancy Firm of the Year award in 2012.

14. Saffery Champness

Saffery Champness is headquartered in London and currently operates out of 12 offices. They are part of Nexia international which has a very large network of firms throughout the world. Saffery Champness specializes in audit, tax, and advisory services. The firm recently acquired 4 other firms in 2012, boosting their performance and rankings.

15. Begbies Traynor

Begbies Traynor is currently ranked as the number fifteen firm out of the top twenty. They are headquartered in Manchester England.

The firm currently operates out of 30 offices across the UK. They specialize in insolvency and global risk partners. They recently sold their tax division to Smith & Williamson

16. UHY Hacker Young

UHY Hacker Young is headquartered in London, and currently operates out of 260 offices across the UK. They are ranked at sixteen out of the top 20 firms in the world.

The firm specializes in tax planning and business growth. Although the firm has grown over the years they haven’t acquiesced or merged with any other firms in recent history.

17. Kingston Smith

Kingston Smith  is number seventeen on the list of top twenty accountancy firms. They are currently headquartered in London and has 7 offices across London and the Southeastern portion of England. In December 2013 the firm merged with PFK.

18. Zolfo Cooper

Zolfo Cooper specializes in advisory and restructuring services. They are headquartered in London and have a plethora of offices around the globe including the UK, US, and other countries. They recently merged with Kroll Inc.

19. MHA MacIntyre Hudson

MHA MacIntyre Hudson is located in Buckinghamshire, UK. They currently operate out of 40 offices across the UK.

They specialize in audit, tax, and governance. The firm most recently merged with Kent firm Larkings which has added six new partners and 2 offices.

20. Johnston Carmichael

Johnston Carmichael is number twenty out of the top 20 accountancy firms in the world. They are headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland and have 11 offices across the region. The company merged with PFK in September 2013. The firm specializes in audit, tax, and advisory services.

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Query - Stamp Paper amount for Articleship registration

Question - What is the value of Stamp Paper that i should use while registering for Articleship?

Answer - The Agreement between the Auditor and the Article Assistant should be entered through an agreement with a minimum stamp duty value of Rs.10/-. Technically, ICAI hasn't prescribed any minimum fee.

Generally, Rs.100 is the value that is used by most of the students joining articles.

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Dress Code for Articleship ITT GMCS Orientation Male and Female Students

Prescribed Dress Code for Students undergoing Articleship training :

Male Students / Boys: Full Sleeves Shirts and Trousers

Female Students / Girls:  Sarees/ Salvar Kurta/ Suit

Prescribed Dress Code for Students During ITT Orientation GMCS :

Male Students / Boys: Full Sleeves Shirts and Trousers Tucked In

Female Students / Girls:  Sarees/ Salvar Kurta/ Suit

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ICAI Minimum Stipend payable during Articleship in 2015

A person registered as an Article Student is entitled to receive a minimum monthly stipend as per the rates specified under the Chartered Accountants Regulations, from time to time. The current minimum rates of monthly stipend payable, depending on the situation of the normal place of services of the articled assistants, are as follows:

New Revised Articleship Minimum Stipend rates from 2015:

Old Stipend Rates:

	During the first year of training	During the second year of training	During the remaining period of training
Cities / Towns having population of 20 lakhs and above	Rs.1000	Rs.1250	Rs.1500
Cities / Towns having population of 4 lakhs and above but less than 20 lakhs	Rs.750	Rs.1000	Rs.1250
Cities / Towns having population of less than 4 lakhs	Rs.500	Rs.750	Rs.1000

ICAI Articleship Status - FAQs about Industrial Training

Check your CA Articleship status with ICAI:

One can know the complete list of the students doing articles under a Chartered Accountant.

Just go to following link and at the end, instead of those 'xxxxxx', put the Membership Number of the respective CA.

http://220.225.242.179/locm_article.asp?MRH_MRN=xxxxxx

Things to know about Industrial Training:

• An articled clerk who has passed the Professional Education (Examination - II) or the Intermediate examination under these regulations may, at his discretion, serve as an industrial trainee for the period specified in sub-regulation (2) in any of the financial, commercial, industrial undertakings with minimum fixed assets of Rs. 1 crore; or minimum total turnover of Rs. 10 crores; or minimum paid-up share chapital Rs. 50 lakhs; or such other Institute or organisation as may be approved by the Council from time to time: 
  
  Provided that the articled clerk has intimated to his Principal his intention to take such industrial training at least three months before the date on which such training is to commence.";
• An articled clerk who has passed the Professional Education (Examination - II) or the Intermediate examination under these regulations may, at his discretion, serve as an industrial trainee for the period specified in sub-regulation (2) in any of the financial, commercial, industrial undertakings with minimum fixed assets of Rs. 1 crore; or minimum total turnover of Rs. 10 crores; or minimum paid-up share chapital Rs. 50 lakhs; or such other Institute or organisation as may be approved by the Council from time to time:

• Provided that the articled clerk has intimated to his Principal his intention to take such industrial training at least three months before the date on which such training is to commence.";

• The period of industrial training may range between nine months and twelve months during the last year of the prescribed period of practical training.
• The industrial training shall be received under a member of the Institute. An Associate who has been a member for continuous period of at least three years shall be entitled to train one industrial trainee at a time and a fellow shall be entitled to train two industrial trainees at a time, whether such trainees be articled clerks or audit clerks. 

• An agreement of training shall be entered into in the form approved by the Council.
• On satisfactory completion of the Industrial training, the member training the industrial trainee, shall forthwith issue to the trainee a certificate in the form** approved by the Council in respect of the training undergone under him and forward a copy thereof to the Secretary. 

The period of industrial training referred to under this regulation, should be treated as service under articles for all purposes of these regulations, provided the certificate referred to in sub-regulation (5) is provided.

Who is eligible for undergoing industrial training? A Student who has passed IPCC and is serving last 12 Months of Articled Training What is the maximum and minimum period of industrial training? A Student of Final Course can undergo Industrial Training for a maximum period of 1 Year and minimum period of 9 Months e.e., the period may range between 9 months and 1 year. Who is eligible to provide industrial training to an articled assistant and which are the required forms to be filled? An articled assistant can take industrial training under a member of a institute. An associate who has been a member for a continuous period of at least 3 years shall be entitled to train one industrial trainee at a time and a fellow member shall be entitled to train two industrial trainees at a time.  There should be an agreement of Industrial Training in form No.104 which will be submitted to the concerned decentralised office with in 30 days of the commencement of the training.  On Satisfactory completion of industrial training by an articled / audit assistant, the member under whom the industrial training is received shall issue a certificate in form No:105 in respect of the training undergone and to be submitted to the concerned decentralised office within 30 days of the completion of the training.  It is required to maintain details of work undertaken and training received the prescribed format.

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Articleship Timings Working hours Permissible Leave

The Council has considered the issue regarding the working hours of the articled assistants. The Council is of the view that the article training is an important part of the CA curriculum and the same needs to be carried out in accordance with the scheme framed by the ICAI in this behalf. Accordingly, to clarify the doubts being raised by various quarters about the working hours of the articled assistants and for pursuing graduation/other course, the Council decided to issue the following directions:-

1.  The articled assistants should undergo practical training in accordance with the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988 as explained hereinafter.        i.            The working hours for the articled assistants shall be 35 hours in a week excluding the lunch break.      ii.            The office hours of the Principal for providing article training to the articled assistants shall not be generally before 9.00 A.M. or after 7.00 P.M.   iii.            The normal working hours for the articled assistants shall not start after 11.00 A.M. or end before 5.00 P.M.   iv.            The working hours for the articled assistants should not exceed 35 hours in a week excluding the lunch break and normally an articled assistant be required to work during the normal working hours fixed for articled assistants.       v.            In case of the exigencies of work with the Principal, an articled assistant may be required to work beyond his/her normal working hours. However, under such circumstances, the aggregate number of working hours shall not exceed 45 hours per week. The requirement to work beyond 35 hours in a week should not be a practice but only in exceptional circumstances. Further, where the articled assistant is required to work beyond normal working hours, and aggregate of such hours exceed 35 hours per week, he/she shall be entitled to compensatory leave calculated with reference to number of completed working hours, over and above, 35 hours per week.   vi.            The facility of allowing flexible office hours stands withdrawn. 2.  During the working hours, the articled assistant is not permitted to attend college/other institutions for pursuing any course including graduation. Accordingly, college timings of such course should not be such (after taking into account the time required to commute) which clashes with the normal working hours of the article training. 3.  To ensure that the working hours do not clash with the graduation or any other course, if any pursued by the article assistant, each articled assistant registered on or after 1st April, 2008 shall now be required to obtain specific permission from the ICAI for pursuing graduation or other course as permitted under the Chartered Accountants Regulation by submitting Form No.112, within one month from the date of joining the college or course to the ICAI. 4.  The articled assistant presently registered and undergoing graduation or any other course and who have not obtained specific permission shall be required to obtain the specific permission from the ICAI by submitting Form No.112 within six months of issue of these guidelines i.e. by 30th September, 2008. However those students who have already obtained the specific permission by submitting Form No. 112, need not obtain it again and the permission so granted shall continue to be valid. 5.  The Certificate in Form No. 112 indicating college timings etc. shall be counter-signed by the concerned Principal of the college with the seal and stamp of the College and also indicating the telephone number/s and full address of the College. 6.  In case a student does not comply with the above requirements or violates any of the above guidelines, his/her articleship period shall not be recognised. 7.  In this connection, attention is invited to the Regulations 65 and 66 read with Regulation 60 of the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988 which provide as under:- Regulation 60:   Working hours of an Articled Clerk “Subject to such directions as may be issued by the Council, the working hours of an articled clerk shall be 35 hours per week to be regulated by the Principal from time to time”. Regulation 65:   Articled clerk not to engage in any other occupation “Without the previous permission of the Council, obtained on application made in the *approved form, no articled clerk shall, during the period of his service as an articled clerk, take any other course of study or training, whether academic or professional, or engage in any business or occupation.” Regulation 66:   Enquiries against articled clerk “(1)   Where a complaint or information of any misconduct or breach of Regulation 65 or breach of any of the covenants contained in the articles is received against an articled clerk from his principal or any other person, the President or the Vice-President as the Executive Committee may decide from time to time, may cause an investigation to be made. (2)   The Executive Committee may, on a consideration of the report of the investigation and after giving the articled clerk an opportunity of being heard, make any of the following orders, namely;-        i.            direct that the papers be filed and the complaint be dismissed, if the Executive Committee finds that the articled clerk is not guilty of any misconduct of breach of Regulation 65 or breach of any of the covenants contained in the articles; or      ii.            if the articled clerk is found guilty, reprimand the articled clerk or cancel the registration of articles or direct that any period already served under such articles shall not be reckoned as service for the purpose of the period of practical training specified in Regulation 50. (3)   The articled clerk, the registration of whose articles has been cancelled under this regulation, shall not, except with the permission of the Executive Committee be retained or taken as an articled clerk or audit clerk by any member”.

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CA Articleship Status - Check Membership Details, Article Students List

Check your CA Articleship status with ICAI:

One can know the complete list of the students doing articles under a Chartered Accountant. However, The following page is not working. Students need to check back frequently to check their Articleship details.

Just go to following link and at the end, instead of those 'xxxxxx', put the Membership Number of the respective CA.

http://220.225.242.179/locm_article.asp?MRH_MRN=xxxxxx

Things to know about Industrial Training:

• An articled clerk who has passed the Professional Education (Examination - II) or the Intermediate examination under these regulations may, at his discretion, serve as an industrial trainee for the period specified in sub-regulation (2) in any of the financial, commercial, industrial undertakings with minimum fixed assets of Rs. 1 crore; or minimum total turnover of Rs. 10 crores; or minimum paid-up share chapital Rs. 50 lakhs; or such other Institute or organisation as may be approved by the Council from time to time: 
  
  Provided that the articled clerk has intimated to his Principal his intention to take such industrial training at least three months before the date on which such training is to commence.";
• An articled clerk who has passed the Professional Education (Examination - II) or the Intermediate examination under these regulations may, at his discretion, serve as an industrial trainee for the period specified in sub-regulation (2) in any of the financial, commercial, industrial undertakings with minimum fixed assets of Rs. 1 crore; or minimum total turnover of Rs. 10 crores; or minimum paid-up share chapital Rs. 50 lakhs; or such other Institute or organisation as may be approved by the Council from time to time:

• Provided that the articled clerk has intimated to his Principal his intention to take such industrial training at least three months before the date on which such training is to commence.";

• The period of industrial training may range between nine months and twelve months during the last year of the prescribed period of practical training.
• The industrial training shall be received under a member of the Institute. An Associate who has been a member for continuous period of at least three years shall be entitled to train one industrial trainee at a time and a fellow shall be entitled to train two industrial trainees at a time, whether such trainees be articled clerks or audit clerks. 

• An agreement of training shall be entered into in the form approved by the Council.
• On satisfactory completion of the Industrial training, the member training the industrial trainee, shall forthwith issue to the trainee a certificate in the form** approved by the Council in respect of the training undergone under him and forward a copy thereof to the Secretary. 

The period of industrial training referred to under this regulation, should be treated as service under articles for all purposes of these regulations, provided the certificate referred to in sub-regulation (5) is provided.

Who is eligible for undergoing industrial training? A Student who has passed IPCC and is serving last 12 Months of Articled Training What is the maximum and minimum period of industrial training? A Student of Final Course can undergo Industrial Training for a maximum period of 1 Year and minimum period of 9 Months e.e., the period may range between 9 months and 1 year. Who is eligible to provide industrial training to an articled assistant and which are the required forms to be filled? An articled assistant can take industrial training under a member of a institute. An associate who has been a member for a continuous period of at least 3 years shall be entitled to train one industrial trainee at a time and a fellow member shall be entitled to train two industrial trainees at a time. There should be an agreement of Industrial Training in form No.104 which will be submitted to the concerned decentralised office with in 30 days of the commencement of the training. On Satisfactory completion of industrial training by an articled / audit assistant, the member under whom the industrial training is received shall issue a certificate in form No:105 in respect of the training undergone and to be submitted to the concerned decentralised office within 30 days of the completion of the training. It is required to maintain details of work undertaken and training received the prescribed format.

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