Toronto Accountants

In Canada, Chartered Accountants must be members of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA). However, CICA membership must be held alongside membership of at least one CA institute (or ordre in French) of a Canadian province or territory. It is not possible to join the CICA directly. Auditing rights are regulated by provincial governments. In British Columbia, the Company Act provides that only CAs, CGAs, or anyone who has been granted an accounting licence by the provincial regulatory body may audit public companies. In Prince Edward Island, only qualified CAs and CGAs can perform public accounting and auditing in accordance with the Public Accounting and Auditing Act. In all other provinces, except Quebec and Ontario, only qualified CAs, CGAs, and CMAs may audit public companies. Historically Quebec and Ontario only allowed CAs to audit public companies. However, CGAs and CMAs can audit a selected list of public bodies in Quebec. In 2004, the Ontario government passed legislation that would enable CGAs and CMAs to practice public accounting, but only after these bodies had demonstrated to a reconstituted Public Accountants Council that they could attain qualification standards of equivalent rigour to CAs. Until that process is completed sometime in 2007 or 2008, neither CGAs nor CMAs can will be eligible for public accounting licenses. In Quebec, the situation is currently under review and challenge based on the Agreement of Internal Trade (AIT). In August 2005, the AIT issued a report recommending Quebec to change its legislation by opening public auditing to qualified accountants who are not CAs. The size of the accounting bodies varies across Canada. In Ontario and Quebec, CA is substantially bigger than CGA or CMA. In Manitoba, CGA is the largest accounting body, whereas in British Columbia, CA and CGA are about the same size. Canadian Chartered Accountants use the designatory letters CA. However, a Canadian CA who is a member of a different institute/ordre to that of the province or territory in which he resides may face a restriction on using designatory letters in that province or territory. It is however normally straightforward to transfer membership from one provincial institute to another.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
69 Bloor Street East
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1B3
Tel:  (416) 962-1841 or 1 800 387-0735
Web site:  www.icao.on.ca

The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
277 Wellington Street West
Toronto ON M5V 3H2 Canada
Web site: www.cica.ca