B · Registrations & compliance
Naming Your Practice: Can You Use 'Chartered Accountants'?
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Quick answer
'Chartered Accountants' can only be used by firms meeting your professional body's ownership and qualification rules, typically requiring a set proportion of chartered principals. Companies House also restricts 'sensitive' words at incorporation, so check body rules, company name approval, trade mark conflicts and domain availability together before settling on a name.
Key takeaways
- 'Chartered Accountants' is a controlled term tied to body membership rules, not just personal qualification.
- 'Accountant' itself is not a protected title, but AAT, ACCA, CIOT and similar designations are.
- Companies House requires approval for certain sensitive words, including 'chartered' and 'institute'.
- Check trade mark registers before committing, especially if you plan a distinctive brand rather than a descriptive name.
- Secure the matching domain and check it isn't already used by another accountancy business.
- Update your body, HMRC agent account, insurer and bank if you change the trading name later.
Can any accountant call their firm 'Chartered Accountants'?
No. Firms can only describe themselves as Chartered Accountants if they meet the relevant body's practice rules, which typically require a majority of principals to hold chartered status and the firm itself to be registered with the body.
ICAEW and ICAS both use 'Chartered Accountants' and set rules on the proportion of qualified, chartered principals a firm must have to use the designation in its name or marketing. A sole practitioner who is ACA qualified but whose firm includes non-chartered partners may not automatically be able to badge the whole firm as Chartered Accountants; check your body's current practice assurance rules before using the term in a trading name.
ACCA members in practice generally describe themselves as Chartered Certified Accountants once qualified, subject to the same principle of firm-level eligibility rather than just individual membership.
Which accountancy titles are legally protected?
'Accountant' alone is not a protected title in the UK, but designations tied to a professional body — Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant, Chartered Tax Adviser, AAT Licensed Accountant — are protected and can only be used by members meeting the body's criteria.
Remindoo does not recommend trading as an accountant without qualifications, a practising licence where required, AML supervision and insurance; check with your accountancy body or peers first. Claiming to be a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Chartered Tax Adviser without the relevant membership and practising rights is misleading and can be pursued by the body or under consumer protection law.
What does Companies House restrict in company names?
Companies House requires specific permission to use certain 'sensitive' words in a company name, including chartered, institute, association, and words implying a connection to government or a regulator, alongside the general rule against names too similar to an existing company.
If you plan to incorporate with a name containing 'Chartered' or similar, you generally need supporting evidence, such as confirmation from the relevant professional body, before Companies House will register the name. Applications including sensitive words are checked manually and can take longer than a standard incorporation.
| Check | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Company name availability | Companies House name search | Names must not be identical or 'too like' an existing one |
| Sensitive word permission | Companies House / relevant body | 'Chartered', 'institute' etc. need supporting evidence |
| Professional body naming rules | Your body's regulations | Governs use of Chartered/Certified/Licensed designations |
| Trade mark register | UK IPO search | Avoids infringing an existing registered brand |
| Domain and social handles | Domain registrars | Availability of matching web presence |
Should you trade mark your practice name?
It's worth checking the UK trade mark register before finalising a distinctive brand name, and registering your own mark if the name is central to your marketing, though a purely descriptive name (e.g. 'Smith Accountants') is harder to protect and less likely to infringe others.
Descriptive names built around your own surname or location carry lower infringement risk but also lower distinctiveness. A more distinctive brand name is more defensible once trade marked, but also carries a higher chance of clashing with an existing mark, so search before you invest in signage, stationery and a website.
What's a practical process for choosing a practice name?
Shortlist names, check availability at Companies House and the trade mark register, confirm any body naming rules apply, secure the domain, then register the company or business name and notify your professional body and AML supervisor of the final trading name.
- Shortlist two or three candidate names.
- Search Companies House for existing companies with the same or similar name.
- Search the UK trade mark register for conflicts.
- Check your professional body's rules if using 'Chartered', 'Certified', 'Licensed' or similar.
- Check domain and key social handle availability.
- Register the company (or business name if a sole trader) with the chosen name.
- Notify your professional body, AML supervisor and HMRC agent account of the confirmed trading name.
- Update engagement letters, website, email and stationery consistently.
How Remindoo helps
Once your name is settled, consistency across every client-facing document matters, especially if you're using a controlled term like 'Chartered Accountants' that your body could ask you to evidence. Remindoo's engagement letter templates carry your confirmed trading name and logo through every client's paperwork, so there's no risk of old stationery referencing a pre-incorporation name once you've switched. Client management keeps one record per client, so if you do rename or restructure later, updating the trading details flows through rather than needing to be corrected file by file. It won't tell you whether a name is available, but it keeps everything consistent once you've decided.
Frequently asked questions
Can I call myself an 'accountant' without any qualification?
'Accountant' is not a protected title in the UK, but we do not recommend it. Remindoo does not recommend starting a practice or bookkeeping business without the right footing: make sure you have the relevant qualifications or professional body membership, a practising licence where required, AML supervision, professional indemnity insurance and any other registrations in place, and check your position with an accountancy body such as ICAEW, ACCA, AAT or ICB, or with experienced peers, before taking on clients. You would also need AML supervision to offer accountancy or bookkeeping services and could not claim a protected designation like Chartered Accountant.
Do I need permission to use 'Chartered' in my company name?
Yes, Companies House treats 'chartered' as a sensitive word requiring supporting evidence, typically confirmation from the relevant chartered body, before registering the name.
Can two accountancy firms have very similar names?
Companies House will reject a new company name that is identical or 'too like' an existing one, but similar trading names (not company names) can still cause confusion and potential trade mark issues.
What if my firm name uses my own surname?
That's generally low risk from a trade mark perspective and is a common, defensible choice, though you should still check no identical firm already trades under that name locally.
Does my professional body need to approve my trading name?
Most bodies want to be notified of your trading name and will have rules if it includes a controlled designation like Chartered or Certified; check your body's practice regulations.
How long does a sensitive-word name application take at Companies House?
Longer than a standard incorporation, since sensitive-word names are checked manually and may require supporting documentation before approval [VERIFY current processing times].
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Sources
Last updated 23 September 2026. General guidance, not legal or regulatory advice. Check with your professional body.
