Welcome to the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers

The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers is the largest bookkeeping institute in the world. It promotes and maintains the standards of bookkeeping as a profession, through the establishment of a series of qualifications that are relevant to the needs of business and it awards levels of membership that reward academic attainment, working experience and competence.

Local Focus - National Accreditation - Global Recognition

In Australia, the ICB provides bookeepers with the co-operative forum to be the best they can be. It is about bookkeepers: Bookkeepers helping bookkeepers help business.

The ICB aims to bring certainty to the bookkeeping profession and all involved and affected by it. It answers the questions: What does a bookkeeper do? How skilled is this bookkeeper? How do I prove my bookkeeping skills? How do I improve my bookkeeping skills? How do I do bookkeeping better? What are the benefits of being part of a professional organisation for bookkeepers?

Matthew Addison (ICB Australia's Executive Director) states: "The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers brings a certainty to the developing bookkeeping industry. Accountants, businesses and government seem to be looking for a structure to understand bookkeeping and the competence of bookkeepers. ICB will accredit, assist and inform bookkeepers and the community thereby increasing the structure and definition of the industry. ICB is a member based, not for profit, professional association: bookkeepers helping bookkeepers."

Benefits of the Institute of Certified Bookkeeper membership include, but not limited to (for the complete list of ICB Membership benefits, click here):

Additionally, for members in practice (Self-employed or Sub-contract):

You can apply for membership of the ICB by exemption: The ICB will recognise relevant qualifications that you have been awarded by other approved bodies. Alternatively, you can prove experience and competence by providing the names and email addresses of two accountants who are members of one of the following bodies, ICAA, ASCPA, TIA, ATMA, CIMA or NIA, who will act as referees in support of your application by confirming your competence as a bookkeeper.

Alternatively the ICB will conduct its own assessments of your level of knowledge and competence. The ICB does not itself provide courses of education. However, the ICB will approve various courses conducted by training organisations. Following successful completion of an ICB assesment you will be awarded the appropriate ICB Certificate and be permitted membership at the appropriate level. 

YOU AND THE INSTITUTE

The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers was established to provide professionalism  that reflect the needs of business and the aspirations of people wanting to enter the profession. It exists to represent bookkeepers at all levels to government and other relevant bodies and also to promote the professionalism of bookkeepers to business, government and the general public.

Becoming a member of the Institute is like joining a club. You will receive strong on-going support from a team of qualified professionals. You will have access to free technical advice. You will have the opportunity to meet other bookkeepers at network meetings and to update your skills through continuing professional education seminars.

Return to the homepage