Audit, tax and corporate reporting 

ICAEW’s Professional Services Department is hosting the final webinar in a series sharing insights from its latest Audit Monitoring Report. The session on 23 September focuses on implementation of audit quality standard ISQM 1 and will cover what good looks like in quality management culture. 

Two days later, on 25 September, the latest developments in CASS (Client Assets Sourcebook) audits will be outlined in a Financial Services Faculty webinar by experts from across the sector and the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Meanwhile, the Internal Audit Community is looking at some of the key challenges facing internal assurance functions: sustainability, AI and geopolitics, in a webinar on 11 September. 

For those looking for corporate reporting updates, in the second half of the year the Corporate Reporting Faculty will be hosting a series of webinars covering: 

the latest developments in narrative reporting for UK companies; and

hot topics for preparers in the 2025/26 reporting season, including areas identified in the FRC’s most recent Annual Review of Corporate Reporting. 

ICAEW members will be able to find more details and registration links on the faculty’s events and webinar page. Further webinars and events are currently in development. Details will be shared as they become available, so members are encouraged to check back regularly for updates.

The Tax Faculty will be hosting a Tax Symposium at Chartered Accountant’s Hall in September. The free event will be looking at the role of the tax adviser in the future, considering digitalisation and AI. 

Across the autumn the faculty will also be hosting webinars covering the Budget announcements, as well as offering useful guidance on the Construction Industries Scheme, and the latest updates on employment taxes. On 18 November, the team will be supporting the regular tax in practice webinar. 

Data analytics

September marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of Excel. ICAEW’s Excel Community is holding a special evening event at Chartered Accountants’ Hall to celebrate this indispensable tool. Join ICAEW’s Head of Data Analytics, Ian Pay; Microsoft’s Chris Webb, and Excel trainer and comedian, David Benaim, on 9 September to discuss the evolution of the software over four decades. This event offers a great chance to network, connect and laugh with fellow Excel enthusiasts.

As part of its normal programming, the Excel Community is hosting monthly ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions from September until the end of the year. These virtual lunchtime sessions are offering a deep dive into an underappreciated aspect of Excel – Ribbons.

Meanwhile the Data Analytics Community is exploring the technology and data skills accountants need to develop in a webinar titled ‘The future-ready accountant’ on 20 August.

Sustainability and ethics 

Autumn also sees the return of ICAEW’s Sustainability Summit, a two-day virtual event in November that offers practical insights and strategies to support financial practitioners in leading on sustainability issues. Alongside the virtual sessions run from the UK, there will also be ICAEW’s ASEAN Sustainability Summit, which members can join virtually for free, or attend face-to-face for a discounted fee.

Ahead of the summit, ICAEW’s Sustainability and Climate Change Community is joining forces with the Small Practitioners Community on a half-day event at Chartered Accountants Hall on 3 September. Sustainability in Practice will provide a morning of expert-led discussion, practical exercises and peer learning focused on building and delivering sustainability services.

At the end of October, the sustainability team is also collaborating with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development on a webinar on how finance teams can integrate nature into organisations’ decision-making. 

October also brings Global Ethics Day – which ICAEW is again celebrating by hosting a live event at Chartered Accountants’ Hall. On 24 October, members will hear about approaches to an ethics-based culture across the profession through keynote presentations, panel discussion and informal discussion between experts.

Community support

Through the rest of the year ICAEW’s Communities will also be offering programmes of events, the majority of which can be accessed by ICAEW members at no additional costs. This includes an evening event with Dr Kay Linnell discussing the Post Office Horizon scandal, particularly the treatment of sub post masters. Hosted by the Forensic and Expert Witness Community, the event will take place on 15 September at Chartered Accountants Hall. 

The Personal Financial Planning Conference on 10 October, meanwhile, is free to all – and can be attended in person or virtually. The day-long event includes sessions on investing in turbulent times, understanding tax implications for SMEs of last year’s Budget announcements and the impact of inheritance tax changes on pensions. 

For those members working in small practices, ICAEW’s Small Practitioners Community will be hosting a webinar on anti-money laundering on 5 August, and the last of this year’s ‘hot topics in practice’ webinars on 1 December.

UK regional meetings and events

ICAEW’s regional and international teams work to create events that bring members together in their area and discuss hop topics and economic trends with a local perspective. 

Across the UK regions there are regular meet ups of groups sharing common experiences, seek advice and build trusted networks including:

• sole practitioners;
• small practice;
• business members;
• start ups; and
• women in finance.

These meetings are a combination of virtual and in-person meetings and are often free for members. For example, individuals working in small practices in the South West can join the meeting in Bath on 3 September or one of the upcoming monthly virtual meetings. Meanwhile, those working in industry can meet up in Cheltenham on 4 September or in Christchurch on 3 October.

In Scotland, the FD and CFO insights group is meeting in Edinburgh on 22 September, while in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber those working in the public sector are meeting in Newcastle on 7 October.

ICAEW’s Restructuring and Insolvency roadshow comes to Belfast on 25 September and in November, ICAEW Wales is hosting its annual black-tie business dinner in Cardiff. 

Virtual events from the regions include a conversation with the Bank of England on 7 October for those in the West Midlands and meet ups for the South East’s ESG insights group in September and October.

International events

There are also events for members outside of the UK. On 22 July, members in Sydney are meeting to discuss how CFOs can lead on generative AI, looking at use cases, governance and implementation, while those in Melbourne are able to join a tax update from Tim Olynk, Partner Tax Advisory, BG Private, in August.

In November, members in Zurich can register to attend The British Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) Sustainable Business Summit. ICAEW partners with BSCC to offer funded places for members at a variety of BSCC events and this evening event will focus on how to build resilient, profitable and future-ready business models.

The European team is also launching a four-part webinar series in September. ‘The Bigger Picture: career moves, global work and business realities’ will explore the shifting global landscape and what it means for practitioners and industries. Meanwhile, ICAEW’s Hong Kong team continues its virtual series on critical skills with a session on better people management on 18 September. 

You can search for all ICAEW’s upcoming events by topic, location and format on events.icaew.com.