AITI qualification & solicitor

[sheena1]

I have read the posts on AITI qualifications and although having an AITI qualification appears to give an advantage in interview situations I am wondering if it is of much use in everyday practice. (small solicitors firm) I can see the ongoing benefit to an accountant but I am wondering if a solicitor would make the same use of this qualification? It involves three years study not to mention the costs involved. I suppose what I am asking is will it pay off, nothwithstanding the initial advantage at interview stage and will the benefits outweigh the time and cost involved?
I would appreciate the advice of any practicing solicitors / anyone who has taken the AITI exams. Thanks.

 

[MOB]

I work in a small firm. I did part 1 and 2 of the AITI but never finished. I thought it would be of benefit. It became clear that it would not be of great benefit to me to have the formal qualification. - at least not in the sense of being able to show the qualification and get paid work for it (and when this became apparent, I didn't bother going on to do part 3 - tho I sometimes regret this decision). In my youth, I resented that colleagues would wheel me in to the room to review the tax aspects of a property deal or give tax advice to a client 'on the hoof', but would not see their way to invoicing for this service as an added value item.

In pure money terms, it probably doesn't pay a small firm non-specialist practitioner for the time it takes; In concrete terms, I doubt if the fees I have billed (specifically for tax advice on its own ) would amount to 7,000 in any given year (and zero in many years).

However, over the years, my interest and expertise in tax matters has certainly stood to me. You get a better class of work if you are known to be expert in the tax consequences of transactions. I have housebuilder clients who will never leave me for a cheaper service - the tax awareness is certainly something they appreciate. They might, of course, leave me if service standards slip, but that is a separate issue.

 

[sheena1]

Many thanks for your prompt reply MOB. It was very helpful. I suppose I am trying to weigh up the pros and cons. I gather that it does not have much benefit as a stand alone qualification but would be a useful tool to draw on during your legal career as a whole. The deadline for enrollment is 30th november so I better make up my mind fast!

 

[bazermc]

I just finished AITI, graduation last friday
The AITI is tough and even tougher if you do not work in practice tax i.e doing tax comps and plans etc... i.e. in the CT department of a big 4 and have no practical experience of doing tax returns

The qualification would of course give you an advantage if going for a job in Tax, to be honest i am not sure why a solicitor would need it? Whcih I suppose is your question back. I would of thought solicitors only reaally touch on CAT and maybe a bit of CGT, which is only a drop of the overall AITI subjects

 

[sheena1]

I would imagine it would be useful when advising clients of the tax implications of various transaction ie, conveyancing, probate etc. My thoughts were that while it may not be necessary as a solicitor to have an indepth knowledge of tax it might be of some benefit and at least I would be better placed to point clients in the right direction? A less intensive course might do the same thing but this course appears to have the most recoginition. There is also a one year Law Society course in Property Tax which I did consider taking but it is not available through homestudy and I am not in a position to travel to Cork/Dublin at the moment.