Making your Annual Return 2025

We are in the transition phase of the amalgamation with Chartered Accountants Ireland. During this stage of the amalgamation, members will continue to use their CPA member number and log in to the CPA website to access the member portal as before. The requirements and obligations of Members and Firms will be aligned but it will be necessary for members to continue to make their returns on the CPA Ireland portal for now.

Member and firm regulatory fees aligned to those of Chartered Accountants Ireland will issue in January 2025.

The member portal will open at the end of January 2025 to allow members and firms make their annual returns for 2025. A notice with instructions will issue in advance.


Individual Annual Returns

The individual annual returns for 2025 will consist of the following:

• Fit and Proper Declaration
• Payment of fees
• A CPD declaration

Firm Annual Returns

As in prior years the compliance principal will be responsible for the firm’s annual return which consists of a return of fee income, client details, annual compliance declarations and an AML return. Some new details of your practice activity will be required, to streamline returns in accordance with Institute’s requirements.


CPD 2024/2025

For 2024 CPA members should continue to meet the CPA CPD requirements. CPA members will be required to implement the CPD requirements of Chartered Accountants Ireland with effect from 1 January 2025.

Details of the requirements can be found in the Continuing Professional Development Regulations.

You will not be required to submit a detailed return of your CPD activity for 2024. Instead, you will be prompted to submit a CPD declaration as part of your individual annual return. However, you must ensure that you keep a detailed record of all of your CPD activity for a period of 6 years. Members’ records are inspected at quality assurance reviews, and on a risk and random basis in accordance with a programme set by the Institute.

The Institute reviews the CPD records of each responsible individual at least once every six years. Registered auditors and responsible individuals ensure CPD records are complete and available for inspection when requested.

For further information on this please refer to the Institute’s CPD Guidance.

An Amalgamation Information Resource for practitioners is available to support members during the transition period, included a recorded webinar which outlines the key differences between the regulatory frameworks of CPA Ireland and Chartered Accountants Ireland.

What do I need to do?

Instructions will issue shortly. The member dashboard will guide you by highlighting the actions that you must complete. In order to renew the following must be completed;

• Payment of subscriptions and fees for 2025
• Submission of a fit and proper declaration
• Submission of a CPD declaration 2025
• Update your profile details

If you are the compliance principle of a firm, you will be required to make an annual return for your firm and discharge any outstanding firm fees.

Please note that the Annual Renewal for Investment Intermediaries is a separate on-line return.


Annual Return for a Sole Practitioner:

You will need to complete the following steps:

1. Update your CPA profile (home address, work address, email addresses, telephone numbers etc.)
2. Submit your CPD Return for the previous year. For details of your CPD requirement please see CPD for Practitioners.
3. Pay your membership subscription
4. Make a Fit and Proper Declaration.
5. Make a return of your income and clients and completing an AML return . Upon completion of this process you will be emailed a pdf of the document which you will need to get signed and stamped by your insurer. The stamped form can be uploaded directly back to CPA Ireland via the website on or before 28th February.
6. Go to “Manage Order” and pay all remaining subscriptions

The firm's Annual Return is submitted by the compliance principal once all other partner/director returns are completed.

Please note that all other partners may charge their annual subscription to the firm and it then discharged in full upon completion of the annual return by the Compliance Principle.

Affiliated Partners – audit and non audit must also update their profile, make a fit and proper declaration and discharge subscriptions – may opt to charge to firm.
 

As CP you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Update your CPA profile (home address, work address, email addresses, telephone numbers etc.)
2. Submit your CPD Declaration For details of your CPD requirement please see CPD for Practitioners.
3. Pay your membership subscription
4. Make a Fit and Proper Declaration.
5. Make a return of your income and clients and completing an AML return . Upon completion of this process you will be emailed a pdf of the document which you will need to get signed and stamped by your insurer. The stamped form can be uploaded directly back to CPA Ireland via the website on or before 28th February.
6. Go to “Manage Order” and pay all remaining subscriptions.

You will need to complete the following steps:

1. Update your CPA profile (home address, work address, email addresses, telephone numbers etc.)
2. Submit your CPD Declaration For details of your CPD requirement please see CPD for Practitioners.
3. Pay your membership subscription
4. Make a Fit and Proper Declaration

Annual Return for Your Firm

An annual return of fee income and client numbers must be submitted on-line. Care should be exercised when entering client numbers and details. For example for an audit firm, the number of audit clients entered across the various categories should reflect the numbers of audit reports issued in a given year. An AML return is also submitted as part of the process. For further details click here.

Statutory Auditors - CPD

Statutory auditors are required to maintain competence through undertaking continuing education in order to maintain his or her theoretical knowledge, professional skills and values, including, in particular, in relation to auditing, at a sufficiently high level (Section 1489 Companies Act 2014.)

International Education Standard (IES) 8, Professional Competence for Engagement Partners Responsible for Audits of Financial Statements (revised) must also be considered when planning your CPD. The learning outcomes to be achieved include, but are not limited to, learning outcomes in the areas of technical competence, professional skills, and professional values, ethics and attitudes. As the career of an Engagement Partner

progresses, practical experience also becomes increasingly important in maintaining and further developing the necessary depth & breadth of professional competence.

For details of the CPD requirements for a Responsible Individual, please click here.

Ceasing your firm/auditing certificate

Please contact us if you wish to on ceasing to practice, ceasing your firm's Auditing Certificate or ceasing your firm's Investment Business certificate.

One important aspect of the cessation of your practice will be to ensure that you have complied with CPA Ireland’s Bye Laws. You must consider the following;

• Run off cover for professional indemnity insurance purposes.
• Continuity of services to your clients
• Removal of signage and online profiles
• Resignation as auditor to comply with Companies Act legislation