CA Sri Lanka strengthens taxation profession with 57 new Certified Tax Advisors

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) strengthened the taxation profession in the country further by producing 57 new Certified Tax Advisors (CTA), which is one of the most recognised taxation qualifications in Sri Lanka. 

The 57 students graduated with the highest taxation qualification offered by CA Sri Lanka at a joint convocation held recently at the BMICH, which was attended by Australia’s University of Southern Queensland Pro Vice Chancellor International Prof. Ren Yi, CA Sri Lanka President Sanjaya Bandara, Vice President Heshana Kuruppu, School of Taxation Chairman Tishan Subasinghe and Chief Executive Officer Dulani Fernando. 

The CTA programme, which if offered by the CA Sri Lanka School of Taxation, was launched in 2011 to meet the growing demand in a local and global context and consists of a contemporary curriculum with a global outlook. The programme, which is one of the most recognised tax advisor courses in the country, is offered at three levels and focuses extensively on domestic tax law, international taxation and tax planning. 

A key feature of the CTA qualification offered by CA Sri Lanka is that CTAs are also recognised as an ‘Authorised Representative’ under the Inland Revenue Act and therefore CTAs are fully qualified to represent any company, any group of companies, banks or financial institutions as well as resident and non-resident individuals on all tax matters relating to Sri Lanka. 

Conducted annually, the CTA programme comprises of an Awareness Level (four months), Advisory Level (eight months) and Application Level (six months). The entry qualification for the Awareness Level is three passes at the GCE Advanced Level or Edexcel exam. 

A CA Sri Lanka member can directly join the second stage (Advisory Level) of the CTA programme, while CA Sri Lanka Members who have two years fulltime tax experience can directly register for the third stage (Application Level) of the programme, without having to sit for the first and second stages.

The CTA qualification is also excellent for those who wish to embark on a successful profession in taxation or for already seasoned professionals such as lawyers, marketers, managers or executives who are looking to enhance their knowledge in this crucial area, which will contribute to their professional achievements further due to the pertinent subjects it covers.