Own practice

compounding client base

Remote
Varies
Qualification
Typically Chartered Accountancy (CA) or CMA — Cost & Management Accountant.
01

What the work involves

Day to day

Running your own accounting, audit or tax practice - finding clients, doing the technical work, managing staff and collecting fees. You are the practitioner and the business owner at the same time.

02

Who this suits

Fit

Qualified professionals who want autonomy and are willing to build slowly. Works best after several years in a firm, once you have both technical confidence and contacts who will refer work.

03

The honest reality

Read this one

The first few years are financially thin while a client base builds, and recovery of fees from small clients is a persistent problem. You carry professional liability personally. There is no paid leave and no one to cover the deadline if you are ill.

04

How you get there

Step by step

  1. 2 years Step 1
    Finish school

    Class 12 with Commerce

  2. 3-5 years Step 2
    Qualify

    Complete B.Com alongside the CA, CS or CMA route.

  3. Step 3
    Enter the field

    Typical first position: Own practice.

  4. Step 4
    Build and specialise Optional

    Build a partner track, or move into a senior in-house finance role.

  5. You are here
    Own practice

    Everything above leads here. The steps marked optional can be skipped or taken later — they change how fast you arrive, not whether you can.

05

Courses that lead here

How to qualify

06

Roles within this career

What the job is called

Practising Chartered Accountant SelfEmployment
Tax Consultant SelfEmployment