CAs demand stern action against non-members of ICAI

SURAT: The Chartered Accountants (CAs) affiliated with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) have warned the general public, including trade and industry, for not taking the services of the persons impersonating themselves as CAs and not the members of ICAI.

The Chartered Accountants Association of Surat (CAAS) has demanded to increase penalty for non-members representing in any cases in the income tax department or other central and state agencies from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5 lakh for first offence and Rs 5,000 to Rs 20 lakh for second offence along with imprisonment of one year.

The CAAS has made a strong representation to the ICAI for taking

stern

action against non-members representing themselves as CAs. CAAS office-bearers have also sought the amendment of Section 24 of the

Chartered Accountant

Act, 1949, by imposing exemplary penalty for falsely claiming to be a member and using the

CA

logo.

CAAS office-bearers stated that CAs affiliated with ICAI had complied a list of persons impersonating as CAs and not the members of ICAI, yet they used logo of CA using the suffixes (F), (I), (Final), (Inter) and (International). The list was submitted to the ICAI and legal notices were sent to the offenders. Finally, things settled down and after four years the offenders have again starting using same old techniques to defraud the public.

CAAS president Rasesh Shah told TOI, “Persons who are not CAs solicit work from clients falsely and fraudulently representing themselves as CAs through the use of suffixes in their professional stationery, signboards, hoarding, social media accounts, pamphlets etc. These people have never gone under the rigorous CA course, considered to be one of the most toughest professional course in India and abroad.”

According to Shah, these people have adopted shortcut methods to earn handsome fees. This creates

false impression

in the minds of general public about CAs being unprofessional and not delivering work up to the standards.

Shah said, “We have demanded that ICAI should amend Section 24 of the Chartered Accountant Act, 1949, and increase the penalty charges to prevent the unscrupulous elements from degrading the CA profession in the city and across the country.”