Many members will already be aware of the CPD changes which will take effect in the near future. For those of more advanced years, the new format will be familiar and is reminiscent of the regime which existed in the 1980s and 1990s.
From 1 November 2023, all individuals affected by the regulations will be required to identify which CPD category is most applicable to them, based on the type of work they do.
ICAEW guidance suggests that most people, whether in practice or not, will fall into CPD category 3, as this is the default. However, for those whose tax advice and planning goes beyond simple SA returns, VAT compliance and PAYE administration, category 2 is likely to be appropriate. Those spending a substantial proportion of their time on the audit or tax affairs of large or public interest entities will fall into category 1. Full details are available here:
Each CPD category has a corresponding minimum number of hours of CPD that must be undertaken, a proportion of which must be verifiable. The minimum hours requirements apply regardless of whether you are working part-time or full-time and are as follows:
| CPD CATEGORY | MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS | MINIMUM NUMBER OF VERIFIABLE HOURS |
| Practice | ||
| Category 1 | 40 | 30 |
| Category 2 | 30 | 20 |
| Category 3 | 20 | 10 |
| Working outside practice | ||
| Category 1 | 40 | 15 |
| Category 2 | 30 | 10 |
| Category 3 | 20 | 5 |
| Executives/trustees of charities working pro bono | ICAEW's CPD video for charity trustees (coming November 2023) or training with similar learning outcomes |
The regulations detail the full list of CPD categories, but you can use the CPD self-assessment tool to work out which CPD category best applies to you. Further information is available, covering:
Ethics requirement
From 1 November 2023, for those affected by the revised CPD regulations, at least one hour of your verifiable CPD each year must be on ethics. ICAEW has created a free ethics CPD course to help you comply with the new CPD regulations, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence to demonstrate high standards of ethical conduct in your professional role.
Verifiable hours gained from the course will count towards your overall verifiable CPD hours requirement. The ethics course provides up to 12 verifiable hours of CPD, meaning that if you choose to complete more than one hour of verifiable CPD on ethics in any given CPD year the extra hours will count towards your overall number of verifiable CPD hours. ICAEW’s learning management system will automatically recognise completion of each module and a certificate of completion will be held in your ICAEW CPD record.
The Farming & Rural Business Community
The Community will continue to provide the annual conference, basic training and a regular programme of webinars. Attendance at such courses, (some of which are free of charge) should enable our membership to fulfil a substantial and highly relevant proportion of the verifiable CPE requirement in future. For such courses, members will be able to use event registration emails as verifiable evidence.
*The views expressed are the author's and not ICAEW's.