To digitalize their work and to bring an active online presence of their firm, all old school and new school chartered accountants of India are following the trend of creating new chartered accountancy websites.

Creating websites for a chartered accountancy firm is not same like creating website for any other business or company. While getting a website developed for their firm, CA’s should keep a check on the important rules and regulations provided by ICAI for a CA website.

In this blog, we are going to make you familiar with all the guidelines for CA websites that are advocated by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Latest ICAI Guidelines for CA Website

Prohibited Contents and Features on the Websites of CA Members and Firms

1. Mention of Names of clients / Client Logo

2. Writing of Firm name in a manner tantamounting to Logo/Monogram

3. Mention of Professional Fees, or fact of providing services free of charge

4. Using Photographs other than passport style, including Event galleries of Photographs

5. Use of expressions such as “Leading Firm”/”Best Firm”/ “Top Firm”

6. Claiming to have liasoning with Government offices

7. Mention of activities forming other business or occupation, which are not allowed to members in practice e.g. Real Estate, Health , etc.

8. Mention of activities forming other business or occupation allowed to members in practice e.g. reference of Books authored, teaching activities by the member concerned, etc. (since the website can be utilized for mentioning professional services of members only, and not of other business /occupation carried out by him)

9. Mention of activities which exceed the purview granted to members in practice e.g. “Arrangement of Loans” (the members in practice are permitted to act as Financial Adviser in terms of Regulation 191 of Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988)

10. Links of organizations which do not fall under permitted categories e.g. of a commercial Company

11. Videos other than educational videos e.g. Firm profile, canvassing for Elections etc.

12. Mentioning subjective claims e.g. “having presence/associates in big cities”, “have well equipped Conference Room”, “best quality services in the market” etc.

13. Mentioning CSR contribution / donation done by the Firm

14. Mentioning any kind of affiliation with any national or international organisation e.g. United Nations

15. Mention of any award(s) as may have been given to the CA Firm

16. Mention of any kind of grading granted to the Firm by any organization (including a Regulator) or a survey agency e.g. “Tier 2 Firm"

17. Mentioning of a particular role instead of professional service e.g. “Training” (which may be provided to existing clients w.r.t a professional service, but cannot be mentioned as a service)

18. Professional services of the Firm mentioned in push mode/ the website running on a push model of technology

19. Mention of media coverage of Firm

20. Mention of association of the member with the Institute e.g. as a Special Invitee in a Committee of the Institute

21. Mentioning testimonial with client name

22. ISO Certification or any other certification or accreditation (it is allowed for CA Firms to have ISO certification, but the same cannot be mentioned)

23. Using Logo of a Government Department or scheme e.g. of Startup India

24. Mention of updates which do not fall under the category of professional updates e.g. relating to movies, National and International News

25. Mention of empanelment with any organisation, whether for Audit or any other assignment

26. Mention of engagement of the Firm in social activity(ies)

27. Mention of features like “why choose us” on the website

28. Mentioning association/reference of any other Firm(s) , wherein the proprietor or partner of the Firm may be partner

29. Advertisement of any commodity, service or entity.

These were all the ICAI guidelines on CA websites, which every CA needs to focus on.

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