Our Past, Present and Future

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1923 - The IPA began as the Institute of Factory and Cost Accountants specialising in a niche field of accountants in Melbourne, Victoria.

1945 - Membership numbers reached 109, 13% higher than the year prior. The Institute continued to grow across the states of Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

1950 - The Institute changed its name to the Institute of Taxation and Cost Accountants broadening their reach and accessibility to accountants and potential members.

1967 - The Institute undergoes another name change as part of the changes in the education and training of accountants in Australia as recommended by the Martin Committees on Tertiary Education.

 

 

 

 

2002 - Announced as an authorised assessing authority for skilled migration in Australia.

2004 - The IPA (then known as the National Institute of Accountants) became a member of the International Federation of Accountants earning a stamp of credibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 - The Institute of Public Accountants name and brand is finally adopted; becoming the recognised name it is today.

2015 - The IPA acquires the UK association the Institute of Financial Accountants, enabling the commencement of the IPA group.

 

 

2020 - The IPA acquires the Association of Accounting Technicians Australia, opening their doors to better educate and support Bookkeepers and BAS agents.

 

 

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Our Present

The IPA Group is committed to building the best professional community across the SME and SMP sectors. The foundation of a professional community is a sense of belonging, which facilitates the sharing of diverse knowledge, ideas, and support when you need it most. The IPA Group’s education offering, events, technical support, advocacy platform, and other services exist to strengthen the community and thus our preparedness to improve the quality of life of small business.

Accordingly, our major projects are each focused on fostering connection and engagement within the IPA Group community. These include improvements to ICT to enhance accessibility, communication, and user experience, the reimagining of education to better suit the needs of accountants now and into the future, and the introduction of action plans that aim to promote inclusiveness and equity in the Group and the broader profession.

   

 Our Future

While our Centenary is an opportunity to celebrate past successes, it also directs our focus to how the IPA Group can continue to create value over the next 100 years and continue to fulfil our reason for being. A future-ready profession requires professional bodies to evolve within a changing world or otherwise face the risk of decreasing relevance. Sustainability is one of many value-adding activities for the IPA Group to continue meeting the needs of the small business community.

In preparation for a global baseline of sustainability reporting, the professionalism and ethical code underpinning qualified accountants best position our profession to advise, report, and provide assurance on this type of non-financial information. Missing this opportunity will threaten the integrity and rigour of sustainability-related information, potentially misleading the increasing range of stakeholders who depend on sustainability performance in their decision-making.

Ipacent Future Andrewconway