South African Institute of Professional Accountants
Professional Accountants
SAIPA is a professional association representing qualified professional in the accounting industry, including those in academia, private sector accountants and public sector accountants.
There are 4 different SAIPA membership opportunities.
- Professional accountant members (Professional accountant and professional technician)
- Tax Members (Professional tax specialist, professional tax paractitioner, professional tax technician)
- Trainee members
- Student Members
As a professional body SAIPA offers training, events and Accounting / Tax industry insight to keep the industry and all of it’s members up to date and relevant.
Accountants work in a highly onerous environment where the responsibilty for reporting honestly and truthfully ultimately lies on their shoulders. An accountant or tax practitioner needs to be constantly updated on tax legislation and company reporting standards.
SAIPA is not to be confused with SAICA, which is another professional body where the qualified accounts have the CA(SA) after their names.
Accounting jobs
Jobs in the accounting profession are very well paid positions and the salary should be commensurate with the level of responsibility the accountant, professional or technician position requires.
If you are looking for an accounting job and are not a member of SAIPA, it may be a good idea to consider joining. Job opportunities are advertised on the SAIPA website, including learnership opportunities for those newly qualified in the various accounting disciplines.
Tax Free investment opportunities in South Africa
Although Investment advice is not a function of an accountant, it is essential that the Tax elements of the companies employees are taken into accountant as well as the Tax implications on the company.
Efficient tax management is often one of the skills that an employee would require. Minimising a companies tax contribution in a completely legal fashion can save a company a lot of money, and these skills are highly sought after.
SAIPA produce many publications, including monthly Tax chronicles to keep members up to date on the latest tax legislation and how best to apply it.
Salaries for professional accountants
Professional accountants/tax practitioners and technicians salaries vary significantlt from between R200 000 and R1 million.
A professional accountant often holds positions on boards, becomes a CFO or even CEO. In these cases the professional accountant can earn many R millions.
In short, if you are an accountant, the World is your oyster.