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Visiting cards

CMA Rasieek Jain (Service) (614 Points)

10 January 2016

What are the Detail Guidelines on visiting cards of professional bodies?

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5 Replies

Rama chary Rachakonda (Master in Accounts & Lawyer email ID:ramachary64@gmail.com voice no:9989324294) (3303 Points)
Replied 10 January 2016

Cards must be smart. Font size of the print must be big and good looking. Do not put more text on the card. etc

Sathish M (Management Accountant) (40581 Points)
Replied 10 January 2016

As far as ICAI - it has issued guideline for its members, please refer to the below link:

https://www.icai.org/new_post.H T M L?post_id=2976&c_id=248

https://www.icai.org/new_post.H T M L?post_id=11383

Sathish M (Management Accountant) (40581 Points)
Replied 10 January 2016

Just pasting the same, in case you are not able to view the content from the link.

Use of designation(s) other than the designation of "Chartered Accountant". - (18-02-2015)

ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS

Re: Use of Designation(s) other than the designation of “Chartered Accountant”

It has been brought to the notice of the Institute that some members are using the certain designation (s) other than Chartered Accountant in addition to the designation “Chartered Accountant’. In this regard, the attention of the members is drawn on Item (7) of Part-I of First Schedule to the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 which provides that a Chartered Accountant in practice shall be deemed to be guilty of professional misconduct if he uses any designation or expressions other than chartered accountant on professional documents, visiting cards, letter heads or sign boards, unless it be a degree of a University established by law in India or recognised by the Central Government or a title indicating membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India or of any other institution that has been recognised by the Central Government or may be recognised by the Council.

Further, attention of the members is also drawn to the following paras appearing at page no. 154 of the Code of Ethics, 2009 under commentary of Item (7):-

“It is improper for a Chartered Accountant to state on his professional documents that he is an Income-tax Consultant, Cost Accountant, Company Secretary, Cost Consultant or a Management Consultant”.

“While noting that it had already allowed its members to appear before the various authorities including Company Law Board, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Sales Tax Tribunal where the law has permitted the same, so far as the designation “Corporate Lawyer” is concerned, the Council was of the view that as per the existing provisions of law, a Chartered Accountant in practice is not entitled to use the designation “Corporate Lawyer”.

“The members are not permitted to use the initials ‘CPA’ (standing for Certified Public Accountant) on their visiting cards”.

“Members of the Institute in practice who are otherwise eligible may also practice as Company Secretaries and/or Cost Accountants. Such members shall, however, not use designation/s of the aforesaid Institute/s simultaneously with the designation “Chartered Accountant”.

Section 7 of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 also provides that every member of the Institute in practice shall, and any other member may, use the designation of a chartered accountant and no member using such designation shall use any other descripttion, whether in addition thereto or in substitution therefor unless such descripttions indicate the membership of any other accounting body recognized by the Council in this behalf or the qualification he may possess.

In view of the above, though the members are allowed to use the descripttion as to their qualifications however members are not permitted to use any other designation alongwith the designation ‘Chartered Accountant’. Members are therefore advised to abstain from using any other designation with the designation ‘Chartered Accountant’ failing which they may be liable for disciplinary action, as per the provisions of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and Rules/Regulations framed thereunder.

V. Sagar
Acting Secretary
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

18th February, 2015

Sathish M (Management Accountant) (40581 Points)
Replied 10 January 2016

Guidelines of The Council in the context of use of designation etc. and manner of Printing of Letter-heads and visiting cards...........

REVISED APPENDIX D to the Code Of Ethics

The Council issued guidelines/directions in the context of use of designation etc. and manner of printing letter-heads and visiting cards, of the President, Vice-President of the Institute, Members of the Council, Chairmen of various Non- Standing Committees of the Institute; Chairmen, other office- bearers and Members of the Regional Councils; Chairmen, other office bearers and Members of the Managing Committees of Branches, which are appearing at Appendix `D' to the publication of Code of Ethics, 2001 issue.

Recently, the Council at its 242nd Meeting held in April 2004 decided to revise the guidelines/directions on visiting cards. The guidelines/directions in full including the revised guidelines/directions on visiting cards are given hereunder:

LETTER-HEADS

The Institute will print the letter-heads for President and Vice- President of the Institute with their names, designation and address of the Institute with emblem. In these letter-heads, the President's or Vice-President's personal addresses, including their professional and residential addresses shall not be printed.
The Regional Councils and their Branches shall print the letter- heads for official use of the Chairmen of the respective Regional Councils/Branches with their designation, address of the Regional Council/Branch concerned and the Institutes emblem without mentioning their names in the letter-heads. As far as other office-bearers of Regional Councils and Branches are concerned, they should use the common letter-head bearing the name and address of the Regional Council or the Branch, as the case may be, and their designation may be typed below their signatures.
It is clarified that no member of the Council or any Regional Council or the Managing Committee of any Branch shall print any letter-head in relation to the position he holds in various Committees or as a member of the Council/Regional Council/Managing Committee, at his cost.

VISITING CARDS

The visiting cards will be printed for both the elected and nominated Central Council members. The visiting Cards be also printed for members of Regional Councils and Managing Committees of the branches. The visiting cards will be used only for official work of the Institute. The Head office of the Institute will print the visiting cards for President, Vice-President and Members of Central Council. The offices of Regional Councils and Branches will print the visiting cards for respective Regional Councils and Branches. The members themselves will not print the visiting cards.
In the visiting card, the designation viz., President/ Vice-President/Member, Central Council/Chairman of the Regional Council/Chairman of the Branch/ Vice-Chairman of the Regional Council/Vice-Chairman of the Branch/Secretary of the Regional Council/Secretary of the Branch/Treasurer of the Regional Council/Treasurer of the Branch/Member of the .... Regional Council/Member of the Managing Committee of .... Branch of .... Regional Council will be used. There will not be any mention of any other designation like Chairman of particular Committee, etc.
The full term of the Council/Regional Council/Branch will be mentioned for example 2001 to 2004. In case of the President/Vice-President/Chairman, Regional Council and Branch/Vice-Chairman, Regional Council and Branch/Secretary, Regional Council and Branch/Treasurer, Regional Council and Branch, the year of Presidentship/Vice-Presidentship/Chairmanship/Vice-Chairmanship/Secretaryship/Treasurership will be mentioned, for example, 2002-2003. The President, Vice- President, Chairmen of Regional Councils and Branches, Vice-Chairmen of Regional Councils and Branches, Secretary of Regional Councils and Branches and Treasurer of Regional Councils and Branches will use their cards for the year in which they are elected. Cards with the designation/descripttion viz., former/past President, membership of national/international bodies even at personal cost will not be permitted.
The address of the Institute in the case of Central Council member, that of the concerned Regional Council in the case of Regional Council member and that of the concerned Branch in the case of Member of the Managing Committee of the Branch will be printed. The Residential address of the members will not be printed. The professional office address also will not be printed. The Telephone No., Fax No. & E-mail address of the Institute, Member's name, his E-mail identity and Mobile No. in the case of Central Council Member, those of concerned Regional Council in the case of the Regional Council Member and those of the concerned Branch in the case of Member of Managing Committee of the Branch will be given in the front of the visiting card.
The visiting Cards will be returned to the offices of the Institute as soon as the term of the President and Vice-President, the Membership of the Central Council/Chairmanship/Vice Chairmanship/Secretaryship/Teasureship/Membership of the Regional Council/Managing Committee of the Branch expires.
The number of cards permissible to be printed for the Central Council member will be initially 500 and thereafter as and when requisition comes. The number of visiting cards permissible to be printed for Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Member of Regional Councils and Branches will be 250 and 100 per year, respectively. The Council was of the view that there is no need to issue visiting cards for the Chairmen of non-standing Committees of Central Council. The Council further decided not to permit any visiting cards to the office-bearers of study circle/chapters. For President and Vice- President, the number of cards to be printed will be left to be decided by them.
The visiting cards will be printed in the prescribed formats. The type of paper, printing, colour of ink of the visiting cards will be uniform and of the same type and manner.
In the visiting cards of Regional Councils and Branches, the name of the respective Regional Council and Branch will be printed in bold letters and the name of the Institute in normal letters.
In case, any further clarification/direction is required, the matter may be referred to the President.